Stope the boot before the GUI appears?

[jkwilborn]

Hello, since I've had lots of problems with this, maybe a better solution is to see if anyone can tell me how to stop the GUI interface from coming up. That's were I believe I lose video. It seem every time someone tells me how to fix something and I apply it, it does work or it can't find some other program. I don't know how many times I've rebuilt the Debian system and after the loss of a hard drive and one DVD drive I'm trying to see a better way.

I have a Mac G5, when it installs Debian, it all works fine, but when it reboots the video is lost. A person helped me out with an addition to the yaboot.conf file, but when I try to run ybin it chokes on a number of issues. Then I find that there is a yabootconf script that will change the root for ybin, which is what I believe I need, but it also chokes when I attempt to run it.

So I figure if I can stop the gui, I won't lose video and be able to change the proper files, put the gui back and run ok.

Thanks

Jack

[objuan]

hello in the /etc dir the file inittab controls the run level.
edit the file inittab as root and change the default runlevel from
id:5:initdefault: to id:2:initdefault:

[jkwilborn]

Hi, thanks for the tip, but the file was already set at 2. What was this supposed to do for me? Maybe I don't understand the runlevels although I know about the shutdown and single user modes. I still don't follow what this does.

Thanks, after I hear from you I'll cancel this thread, my wife is so tired of me wining that she purchased a new Intel computer for me. I had to assemble it, but that was no problem...

Thanks again.

Jack

[objuan]

Ok, here is what is happening. Debian has put the display manager in each run level when you have installed the desktop GUI. I did not realize this because most of the time I manage servers with no GUI.
There is several fixes for this. In my opinion this would be the safest, and I have tested this on my desktop and it works. in the /etc directory edit the inittab file and change the # The default runlevel.
id:2:initdefault: to id:3:initdefault: 3 is no GUI with networking. Now change to the directory /etc/rc3.d and change the sym link for your display manager, mine is kdm so it reads S24kdm the S mean start change the S to K.
K means KILL so example .... mv S24kdm K24kdm and when you reboot the machine it will come up in run level 3. other display managers are gdm gdm3 xdm.

I hope this works for you.