start and run Mint-12 as console only

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SaintDanBert
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start and run Mint-12 as console only

Post by SaintDanBert »

What do I place into a grub boot command line or similar so that I might start and run my Mint-12 workstation as "console only" -- without any X11, xorg, X-server, desktop, graphical anything?

I know that I can use CTRL-ALT-Fn within a running desktop to activate a console session, but that leave X11 running ... over there.
I'm planning some X11 experiments and want to start and run in console mode by default and start X11 manually so that I'm guaranteed
to be able to start my workstation and get back to a running configuration in spite of my X-config stumblings.

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan
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xenopeek
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Re: start and run Mint-12 as console only

Post by xenopeek »

You can usually recover from X problems by booting into recovery mode from the GRUB boot menu. To do so:

1. Hold down the shift key during boot to get the GRUB boot menu to show (if not shown by default).

2. Using the arrow keys select the second entry, that says "-- recovery mode" at the end. Press enter to continue the boot.

3. Shortly a text menu will appear, select "root - Drop to root shell prompt", and type your root password (same as your initial password as set during installation, unless you explicitly changed the root password later).

4. You are now logged into the console as root, so be careful and double check your commands!

Does that match with what you intended?
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SaintDanBert
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Re: start and run Mint-12 as console only

Post by SaintDanBert »

Thanks for this reminder, I had forgotten about the "recovery mode" boot through GRUB.

What I'm looking for is something kin to the old SysVinit runlevel 3 startup: networking and all of the services
just without any X11 or graphical login. The only login is to one of the N-consoles configured by mgetty in
inittab. Since inittab and SysVinit have gone away, so has the default runlevel #3 and friends so I'm trying
to discover how one does that these days.

At the time of my original post I had forgotten the words and terms from them olden times...

Thanks,
~~~ 0;-Dan
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