runlevels

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Adrian
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Re: runlevels

#11 Post by Adrian »

Yes, you can use init or telinit to switch runlevels, so for example you start in runlevel 3 if you run "telinit 5" it should startx and lightdm and everything else that starts on runlevel 5.

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Jerry3904
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Re: runlevels

#12 Post by Jerry3904 »

I did some testing, and here is how I finished the Manual text:
7.5 Runlevels

MX Linux boots up by executing the program init. After completing the boot process, init executes all start scripts in a directory specified by the default runlevel (this runlevel is given by the entry for id in /etc/inittab). Like most other Linux versions, MX Linux has 7 runlevels:

1. Halt (power down)

2. Single-user mode: provides a root console without logon. Useful if you lose your root password

3. Multiuser with no network

4. Console logon, no X (i.e. no GUI)

5. Default GUI logon

6. Not used/custom

7. Reboot

MX Linux defaults to runlevel 5, therefore any init scripts set up in the level 5 config file will run at boot.

Use

Understanding runlevels can be handy. When users have a problem with X Window Manager, for instance, they can not correct it on the default runlevel 5, because that X is running on that level. But they can get to runlevel 3 to work on the problem in one of two ways.

• From the Desktop: press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get out of X. To actually drop to runlevel 3, become root and type telinit 3; this will stop all the other services still operating on runlevel 5.

• From the GRUB menu: press e (for edit) when you see the GRUB screen, then add the number 3 at the end of the line of boot options located one above the last line (the actual boot command) on the subsequent screen. Press F-10 to boot.

Once the cursor is at a prompt, login with your normal username and password. Useful commands when you are looking at the prompt on runlevel 3 include:

• runlevel — returns the number of the runlevel you are on.

• halt (as root) — shuts the machine down. If that does not work on your system, try poweroff.

• reboot (as root) — reboots the machine.

• <application command> — runs the application, as long as it is not graphical. For instance, you can use the command nano to edit text files, but not leafpad.

• Ctrl-Alt-F7— if you used Ctrl-Alt-F1 to drop out from a running desktop but did not continue down to runlevel 3, this command brings you back to your desktop.

• telinit 5 (as root)— if you are on runlevel 3, enter this command to get to the login manager lightdm.

NOTE: these commands may change in the future if MX Linux switches to a new system manager.

Links

• [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runlevel||Wikipedia: Runlevel]

• [http://www.linfo.org/runlevel_def.html||The Linux Information Project: Runlevel Definition]
Thanks for the help.
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Paul..
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Re: runlevels

#13 Post by Paul.. »

Jerry3904 wrote: Understanding runlevels can be handy. When users have a problem with X Window Manager, for instance, they can not correct it on the default runlevel 5, because that X is running on that level. But they can get to runlevel 3 to work on the problem in one of two ways.
...extra word "that"

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Jerry3904
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Re: runlevels

#14 Post by Jerry3904 »

Guess so, thanks.
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Paul..
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Re: runlevels

#15 Post by Paul.. »

or maybe you meant to say, "because of the fact that X is running on that level"?

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