On 02/03/13 17:33, Mark Filipak wrote: > I'm back. When the GRUB install failed I pressed Alt+F4. The Debian > Installer disappeared and I was immediately back to the LWDE desktop. I > tried Alt+F4 there and nothing happened.
Linux has the concept of virtual terminals (VTs). Alt-F<n> switches between them, as long as they're in text mode (regardless of whether it's commandline or full-screen). If the X server is running (Gnome, LXDE, whatever) in the active VT, then you need to add Ctrl- to that, to stop the X server grabbing the keystrokes. To summarise: On a text console, use Alt-F<n> to choose a VT. In graphical (X) mode, use Ctrl-Alt-F<n> instead. Note that not all VTs 1-12 will have anything running on them, and we can't necessarily tell what your system is running on each. On a normal running system (mine, anyway): 1-6 will have text terminals which you can log into 7 has X So I can use Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get the first, and Alt-F7 to get back to X. If I try 8-12, I just get a flashing cursor. On the install system, the same features are used a bit differently: * the main installer generally runs in the first terminal. * often there's a commandline you can start in the second (eg hit alt-f2 and it will say 'Press enter to activate this console' or something - then you can type exit when you're finished) * There may be more of those on further terminals; I can't remember. * Often one terminal will display syslog information. * Another, I think, displays installer log information. So you can do quite a bit of debugging if required. Richard -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/5131860b.4090...@walnut.gen.nz
