Accidentally broke xorg - how to fix? Cannot use ctrl+alt+function1-6

Vansolrick · #1 24th January 2010, 03:08 AM

It's been months since I've used a Linux based OS. I'm a long time Fedora user so I'm not new to how Linux works. However, I was shocked to see that xorg.conf, as well as ctrl+alt_bs and ctrl+alt+f1-7 are no longer keybinds.

I installed the proprietary nvidia driver from the nonfree repos. This is where I messed up: I should have checked to note that my mothers GF6 onboard video controller isn't supported. Now, I boot into a black screen with a flashing prompt in the upper left hand corner. Normally, I would jump to the console using ctrl+alt+F1 to fix the problem manually. But, since It wont let me, I'm left in the dark. Any help would be appreciated greatly.

EDIT: All I need to do is be able to access the terminal. Thanks

marko · #2 24th January 2010, 03:34 AM

In the older days, ctrl+alt+F7 was the GUI, in Fedora 12 for some reason they moved it to F1, so try using
ctrl+alt+F2 , F3, F4 ... and so on for consoles.

Xorg "upstream" disabled the default of allowing "X zapping" with the ctrl+alt+bspace because some
emacs users complained (why those 20 people couldn't opt out of C+A+BS with option DontZap 'true'
instead of all the thousands of other users having to opt into zapping I don't know)

So what you can do is put /etc/X11/xorg.conf:

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "DontZap" "false"
EndSection

you might not even have a xorg.conf but you can just make one with just those three lines, it won't hurt X.
Then go into keyboard layout and turn on "key sequence to kill the X server" in the Advanced section of the
Keyboard layout.

Vansolrick · #3 24th January 2010, 03:39 AM

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, none of the binds to get to the CLI are working. When I use them I just get a weird character on the screen where the flashing prompt is. Is there any other way to access it during boot? Or can I use a liveCD to tap into my shell? Or anything as such so I can then add the lines to xorg?

Thanks again.

marko · #4 24th January 2010, 03:45 AM

I more carefully read your 1st post, I was thinking you were saying just F1 wasn't going to a console.
Actually F2-F6 ARE key bound to show the text consoles. So there's something in particular wrong with
your setup.

if you go to a terminal and do this

ps -ef | grep mingetty

you should see:

Quote:

$> ps -ef | grep mingetty

root 1377 1 0 21:44 tty4 00:00:00 /sbin/mingetty tty4
root 1378 1 0 21:44 tty5 00:00:00 /sbin/mingetty tty5
root 1379 1 0 21:44 tty2 00:00:00 /sbin/mingetty tty2
root 1380 1 0 21:44 tty3 00:00:00 /sbin/mingetty tty3
root 1381 1 0 21:44 tty6 00:00:00 /sbin/mingetty tty6

(time codes and pids different for you of course)
are your mingetty processes running?

GoinEasy9 · #5 24th January 2010, 03:50 AM

If I am reading this right....Why don't you just add a 3 to the kernel line when grub screen comes up and boot into init 3?

tashirosgt · #6 24th January 2010, 03:58 AM

As GoingEasy9 suggests, boot into the single user mode: http://docs.fedoraproject.org/instal...ng-single.html

You may have to press the key fast to interrupt grub. I suppose the "vi" editor will be only one handy - or does Fedora ship with an easier to use terminal editor now? It used to have "joe".

I think you could also use a rescue disk to boot and edit your files. You merely have to figure out the directions for mounting your filesystem once the rescue boots.

GoinEasy9 · #7 24th January 2010, 04:16 AM

I use nano as a terminal editor, it seems the one constant that appears on all distros. BTW, I keep joe on all my installs, even though I don't use it much, it's nice having a clone of Wordstar to fall back on.

jpollard · #8 24th January 2010, 04:21 AM

Even older systems did not necessarily use F7 for X displays - X will use the first
unused terminal F1-F7 identified.

My system (F11) is using F7, F8 is unused. During system boot, it appears that F1
may be in use at the moment X is started, hence it starts on F7. If I log out (causing
X to restart) then it will be using F1.

After the system is up, F2 through F6 are in use by mingetty. An unused terminal
will have a blinking cursor at the top left. <alt>Fn will switch from one terminal to
another, and this is now separated from X.

If no terminals have the login (and it is difficult when nothing is shown when switching
terminals) then none of them are enabled.

Enabling a terminal requires a file in /etc/event.d/tty<n> where n is 1/2/3/4/5/6

My /etc/event.d/tty1 has:

Quote:

# tty1 - getty
#
# This service maintains a getty on tty1 from the point the system is
# started until it is shut down again.

start on stopped rc2
start on stopped rc3
start on stopped rc4

stop on runlevel 0
stop on runlevel 1
stop on runlevel 6

respawn
exec /sbin/mingetty tty1

Where my /etc/event.d/tty2 has:

Quote:

# tty2 - getty
#
# This service maintains a getty on tty2 from the point the system is
# started until it is shut down again.

start on stopped rc2
start on stopped rc3
start on stopped rc4
start on started prefdm

stop on runlevel 0
stop on runlevel 1
stop on runlevel 6

respawn
exec /sbin/mingetty tty2

The significant difference is the "start on started prefdm".

If you go to run level 3, then tty1 is started with a login prompt. If you go to run
level 4 (prefdm) then it is stopped. In both cases, tty2 is started.

The files should exist by default.

Vansolrick · #9 25th January 2010, 12:51 AM

Sorry I may have been confusing.

I am unable to get to any CLI, period. Nothing responds. The black blinking prompt isn't really a prompt as it does not display my shell username. This is the confusing part.

So, I managed to get into one using the single user mode, removed the driver, however I'm guessing I need to reconfigure the X server to the open source nvidia driver. I'm hoping that this is all I need to do now.

I'm not sure how to do it without a premade xorg.conf file and I don't know if adding the device driver section would fix the problem. Is there an automated x configuration tool that I can use?

Again, thanks everyone! I appreciate it.

EDIT: Nvm thanks a lot guys. I just edited the xorg anyway and it seemed to do the trick. Thank you for your help!

---------- Post added at 05:51 PM CST ---------- Previous post was at 05:32 PM CST ----------

I spoke too soon. I have to remove the nvidia proprietary module but don't remember how to do that :S Once again, thanks everyone.

GoinEasy9 · #10 25th January 2010, 01:09 AM

You might have to remove /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf.
I would also consider removing xorg.conf. When using nouveau, unless you have a double monitor or some special setup, you don't need it. When I have had to restore nouveau to my machines, I remove it and let the system rebuild it if need be. If there is an xorg.*-backup, I remove that too. If you removed the kmod-nvidia driver and the above it should boot back into nouveau.
Any questions please feel free to post back.

Vansolrick · #11 25th January 2010, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinEasy9

You might have to remove /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-nouveau.conf.
I would also consider removing xorg.conf. When using nouveau, unless you have a double monitor or some special setup, you don't need it. When I have had to restore nouveau to my machines, I remove it and let the system rebuild it if need be. If there is an xorg.*-backup, I remove that too. If you removed the kmod-nvidia driver and the above it should boot back into nouveau.
Any questions please feel free to post back.

Thank you. Walked thru removing the blacklist-noveau.conf file and removing xorg.conf, I was able to get back into X.