how to start in char mode a graphic Debian like?

[oui]

Hi, Since any weeks (*1 I can't restart any more my 32 bit Ceres:JustX (my 64 bit Ceres:JustX seems to be intact and actualize friendly as well as my full fulled version of 32 bit Ceres:JustX). What ist Ceres:JustX? This is my own distribution for myself based on Devuan Ceres (equivalent to Debian Sid).

Since a long time now, I did "nurse" it through the very old starting version of Star Linux (my 64 bit version did not start with Star Linux but with Crowz Linux. Both are made by the same staff but are initially in a lot of details different) through a lot of upgrades until the Ceres version did seem to be stable. It was a very long time of consecutive installations / actualisations / testing / reinstallations / updates / upgrades / etc. but a the end it seems to be stable (64 bit Ceres:JustX seems to continue to be stable as well as the fulled 32 bit version of 32 bist Ceres:justX after full fill, as I did already explain).

JustX contains only all the usual tools of Star/Crowz (at first (re)installation/update time, I did only uncomment all desktop options in tasksel , install refracta tools and restart from the new iso ) and AFTER that continue to install only Xorg a few packages I find important before to begin to use some Linux, not more! That is JustX and can be compared with a minimal Puppy onbone. My full version is only one next step with a big sudo apt install and a lot of packages names depending of my actual goal (for me, for my wife, for the children, for my 97 y. old aunt, etc.) as all those other computers have different CPUś, RAM power and harddisks. Using the wonderful refracta tools, I am free to start like a Puppy from the ISO out the RAM drive or full installed...

It is complete Devuan and did never be hacked by me: I did only use the ability to cut down a part of the legal installation in taksel and continue after restart only with sudo apt and apt legal options. Firefox and Seamonkey, if I use then, come as *.deb binary as «Mozilla build of » one of both through dpkg -i !

I was very imprudent and did install slim: this is the reason why I can not restart today the most important of my 3 versions, the 32 bit one as it does never start again through the char mode login of Linux.

but I remember that it was possible to start graphic Linux version through the in char mode login. How to do that?

(*1 about the period where Devuan Deadalus did be upgrade into the new stable Devuan version and so Deadalus and Ceres did be really cut! This is a very old experieuce from me: this was the same in the past with Ubuntu, as Ubuntu did yet have a 32 bit line... The period where the new stable comes is very dangerous for own works...

[bobol]

Hi @oui,
from memory it's a shortcut, I'm not sure
CTRL + ALT + F5 at login screen

if I understood your question correctly.

[oui]

Thank you Bobol!
No, it is not the exact question: At that time, Linux is already frozen (that command is the short cut to get one of the numerous char mode supplementary consoles in an full operative Linux depending of the F1 .. etc. key you are using. This is an interesting way to quit a graphic Linux blocked by an usual script without return to the system, but not for a graphic Linux not arriving to give the cursor free to the user because it is the same in commando line also in other consoles... There is only ONE cursor for all console, graphic or not, at each time!

I am search to start through the Grub entries to redirect the start procedure to the char mode cursor level: this blocks the start of the Graphic system and the old login request appears instead. With apt update / upgrade in char mode I have great chances after that that my Graphic mode system restart willing as it continue to start in my full version: it is no incompatibility but only one or more error(s)!

[bobol]

I think I understand the complexity and therefore I am incompetent at this stage, hoping that you find the solution yourself or through a third party !

[fredx181]

I was very imprudent and did install slim: this is the reason why I can not restart today the most important of my 3 versions, the 32 bit one as it does never start again through the char mode login of Linux.

So if I understand well (not sure) the problem could be solved by uninstalling slim again ? (so can use commands from console ?)
FYI, slim has option to display a console, instead of typing your username, type console and hit Enter, then a terminal appears and you should be able to login and do commands (e.g. uninstall slim or apt upgrade).
(works for me but I'm not running the same setup as you of course).
EDIT:

that command is the short cut to get one of the numerous char mode supplementary consoles in an full operative Linux depending of the F1 .. etc. key you are using

So you are perhaps saying that you cannot go to another tty to login and be able to run commands, that's odd, but perhaps other tty's are disabled on purpose on your setup ?
(as you can see, I don't fully understand your situation)

[oui]

Hello Fred,

You are right with you last note: No tty connection happens and so, it is not possible to amend slim using itself as you are not connected...

[fredx181]

@oui And you cannot type console in the slim login screen ?

[oui]

no! it is the problem! no console access / char input cursor also in Slim!

[oui]

hm,

without more knowledge concerning the desesperate way to restart my poor iso, I did what I try to never do, hack!

it was simply: rename in /usr/bin the binary, /usr/bin/slim in /usr/bin/slim. and the little dot did help: it restart and did actualize .

I did erase slim on all Iso´s ...

only a 5th iso (less important for me) with the full and fill fulled Devuan Crows Ceres will not start again (the hack did not work...) but it is a secondary problem. If necessery I will actually abandon Crowz in Ceres (I have the snapshot ISO in the actual stabil Devuan and can try to re-upgrade later to ceres after a certain time of update freedom . The transit from Deadalus to stable Devuan was not the best time probably to upgrade for Crowz...)!

[oui]

those Devuan Star Ceres are theoretically real neighbour from DebianDog . Ceres, the SID from Devuan, itself, Devuan, the complete (*1 Debian without systemD. The main difference is, as I always use only 4 (coming from Debian) tools, Debian installer as offered by Devuan, taksel, dpkg, and apt, nothing more, is that my isos are of course a lot bigger, as I know no way to strip then easily (it was possible to avoid that the refracta-snappshot copy complete directories esp. certain directories from /usr/share but I am not accustomed to reinstall what is really needing to do in BASH to permit a usual service in English + time/units of my country (and, of course, it what not possible to use in RAM or reinstall with the refracta-installer in an other language (you can start normal refracta-snapshot iso's in each language using F1 and the grub line. refracta itself comes from Italia, and show you how to write the grub line for Italian and not for English!). No system is perfect... You always have only a choice between some advantages costing desadvantages compared with other solutions...

(*1 Ceres is never really complete as it needs Debian sources, also experimental sources, to uninstall the systemD stuff and waiting a few days, weeks or sometimes months later, you can get the new stuff from Debian properly converted to Debian without systemD! If you want a complete system to use it, you need to install first stable (and probably the old stable, or, sometimes, earlier versions if you want to use software being declassified in the new time by Debian! As I know, Devuan does not maintain more software as Debian permits AND IN THE NEW TIME IT IS OFTEN TERRIBLE ARM AND TOO LESS! This is the reason why it is important for me don't to lose certain iso's: They contain more software as usual if you directly install from the actual version level, for ex. install testing to upgrade to experimental

[fredx181]

I did what I try to never do, hack!

You naughty boy !

earlier versions if you want to use software being declassified in the new time by Debian!

You can always try to get older software (or specific version) from snapshot.debian.org archive , e.g. add in sources.list snapshot repo from e.g. 2 years ago (timestamp: 20211023):
deb http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20211023 sid main contrib non-free
(but no guarantee that all works of course)