Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console

jcat · 07-21-06, 10:17 AM

Sorry if this is a duplicate post, but I have searched the forum and I can't seem to find an answer.

Before I start an xserver I can switch between any of the text consoles no problem, vt1, vt2, vt3 etc.. ...but once I start an xserver on say vt7 I can't then switch back to a text console like vt2 or whatever.

I'm using Gentoo and XGL, but I think it's possibly an nvidia driver problem because I had the same problem using FC4/5 and standard X.

I'm using 1.0.8762 drivers and a 6600

Any help or info is gratefully received!

Cheers,

jcat

rbachl · 07-21-06, 02:53 PM

I am having the same problem with the same drivers under Gentoo, but I am using a GE6150 based graphics. The problem was discussed a few days ago on this forum in the thread "Ge6150: Switching back to console fails". While I thought initially that I have made something wrong with the configuration, I believe now that this is a driver problem. I have exhausted virtually every possibility for changing the configuration in grub.conf and xorg.conf, but the problem remains unsolved and nobody was able to come up with a solution so far. It seems I need to buy a new graphics card, but I just do not know which one is working well.....

It may be acceptable temporarily not to use the console until the driver is fixed, but I do not know when this is going to happen, if ever. It is a serious problem though that I cannot see any messages on shutdown.

pe1chl · 07-21-06, 03:29 PM

There could be a real problem, but it could also be that you use Alt-F1 Alt-F2 Alt-F7 and then expect to go back to 1 by using Alt-F1.
However, to go from X to a Text screen you must use Ctrl-Alt-F1 Ctrl-Alt-F2 etc.

jcat · 07-22-06, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pe1chl

There could be a real problem, but it could also be that you use Alt-F1 Alt-F2 Alt-F7 and then expect to go back to 1 by using Alt-F1.
However, to go from X to a Text screen you must use Ctrl-Alt-F1 Ctrl-Alt-F2 etc.

Yes, unfortunately that's what I'd doing. It just don't work!

Anyone else have any more intput here? Any work arounds?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

jcat

**AaronP** · 07-22-06, 12:30 PM

@jcat: I've heard about this problem being caused by a change in X.org 7.0's keyboard handling, but I don't know the details. The section entitled "XKB doesn't work, I can't switch VTs, etc" in http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/deskto...ar-x-howto.xml might help. If all else fails, you can use the "chvt" command to switch to a console.

rbachl · 07-26-06, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronP

@jcat: I've heard about this problem being caused by a change in X.org 7.0's keyboard handling, but I don't know the details. The section entitled "XKB doesn't work, I can't switch VTs, etc" in http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/deskto...ar-x-howto.xml might help. If all else fails, you can use the "chvt" command to switch to a console.

Thank you for the suggestion. However, in my case it seems the driver does not switch from X display to any terminal, neither with CTRL-ALT-Fn nor with chvt. I am using X.org version 7.0.

**AaronP** · 07-26-06, 03:21 PM

Okay, if not even chvt works, then it's definitely some other problem. Please generate and attach an nvidia-bug-report.log. After running chvt, does X freeze, or does it continue to function normally?

kontagion · 07-29-06, 01:14 PM

Same problem here... After upgrading to kernel 2.6.16 on Debian Ctrl+Alt+Fn started crashing kdm with:

Quote:

kdm[5311] X server for display :0 terminated unexpectedly

I get a moments black screen in an attempt to switch modes followed by an X server reset (as if I had pressed Ctrl+Alt+Bksp). Doesn't matter if I'm logged on to X or not (meaning it holds true for the log on screen). Strangely it will go to a text terminal if Alt+N (Terminal login) is specified at log on.

I was using the same driver version prior to the kernel upgrade, there was no problem then.

My kernel is Debian's stock kernel 2.6.16-2-686-smp
Current nVidia driver: 1.0.8762
Graphics Card: Asus Extreme N6600 Silencer

**AaronP** · 07-29-06, 01:31 PM

I think people are describing at least three different bugs in this thread:

@jcat: Ctrl-Alt-F1 does nothing, X continues to work. (Right?)
@rbachl: Ctrl-Alt-F1 works but the console is garbled.
@kontagion: Ctrl-Alt-F1 works but the X server crashes.

It would be useful if these were separate threads to keep the details straight.

Amaranth · 07-29-06, 04:52 PM

For me I can hit Ctrl-Alt-F1 but I get a blank screen, hitting Alt-F7 takes me back to X just fine. I know the tty is really there because I can restart and such from it. I'm attaching my nvidia-bug-report.log. I know I'm using an unstable version of a distro and Xorg 7.1 but the problem was the exact same on Xorg 7.0 running Ubuntu 6.06.

07-21-06, 10:17 AM	#1
jcat Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 8	Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console Sorry if this is a duplicate post, but I have searched the forum and I can't seem to find an answer. Before I start an xserver I can switch between any of the text consoles no problem, vt1, vt2, vt3 etc.. ...but once I start an xserver on say vt7 I can't then switch back to a text console like vt2 or whatever. I'm using Gentoo and XGL, but I think it's possibly an nvidia driver problem because I had the same problem using FC4/5 and standard X. I'm using 1.0.8762 drivers and a 6600 Any help or info is gratefully received! Cheers, jcat

07-21-06, 02:53 PM	#2
rbachl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 17	Re: Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console I am having the same problem with the same drivers under Gentoo, but I am using a GE6150 based graphics. The problem was discussed a few days ago on this forum in the thread "Ge6150: Switching back to console fails". While I thought initially that I have made something wrong with the configuration, I believe now that this is a driver problem. I have exhausted virtually every possibility for changing the configuration in grub.conf and xorg.conf, but the problem remains unsolved and nobody was able to come up with a solution so far. It seems I need to buy a new graphics card, but I just do not know which one is working well..... It may be acceptable temporarily not to use the console until the driver is fixed, but I do not know when this is going to happen, if ever. It is a serious problem though that I cannot see any messages on shutdown.

07-21-06, 03:29 PM	#3
pe1chl Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,026	Re: Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console There could be a real problem, but it could also be that you use Alt-F1 Alt-F2 Alt-F7 and then expect to go back to 1 by using Alt-F1. However, to go from X to a Text screen you must use Ctrl-Alt-F1 Ctrl-Alt-F2 etc.

07-22-06, 12:30 PM	#5
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console @jcat: I've heard about this problem being caused by a change in X.org 7.0's keyboard handling, but I don't know the details. The section entitled "XKB doesn't work, I can't switch VTs, etc" in http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/deskto...ar-x-howto.xml might help. If all else fails, you can use the "chvt" command to switch to a console.

07-26-06, 03:21 PM	#7
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console Okay, if not even chvt works, then it's definitely some other problem. Please generate and attach an nvidia-bug-report.log. After running chvt, does X freeze, or does it continue to function normally?

07-29-06, 01:31 PM	#9
AaronP NVIDIA Corporation Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,487	Re: Can't switch from xserver console vt7 to any text console I think people are describing at least three different bugs in this thread: @jcat: Ctrl-Alt-F1 does nothing, X continues to work. (Right?) @rbachl: Ctrl-Alt-F1 works but the console is garbled. @kontagion: Ctrl-Alt-F1 works but the X server crashes. It would be useful if these were separate threads to keep the details straight.