nixCraft

Hi everyone,

As I read some linux books, and most of them are saying there are 6 run levels in linux. My Desktop computer is running on SuSe 10, which I can change the default run leve very easy by editting the file called /etc/inittab. However, I coudn't figure out how to do with Ubuntu. It looks like Ubuntu doesn't have /etc/inittab file . So, does anyone in here know how to change the default run level for Ubuntu 6.10 ? I mean to change it permanently so that it will boot straight to it. For example runlevel 3. I believe that there must be a file so that it can be modified for the certain runlevel. Please reply. I would like to know the idea/response or at least somebody will say something to make this forum a little bit more active. Thank you. Very apreciate that.

There is ni /etc/inittab file in Ubuntu because Ubuntu has /etc/event.d/rc-default file

You can fix this problem by editing /etc/event.d/rc-default file
First backup file,
Open vi /etc/event.d/rc-default
Find all lines read as - telinit 2 and replace with telinit 3
Reboot the system

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Thanks a lot for your reply. However, I can't change it to the way it works in SuSe. For instance, I can change it to boot straight to the command with no X server. All I do in SuSe is do this in /etc/inittab and make it like this id:3:initdefault

Looks like to me Ubuntu has only 2 runlevels. One is single user mode (that's is 1) and another is for all with GUI (that's is from 2 to 5). That's kind of turn me down. Say, if someone wants to use Ubuntu to run for a file server, and she/he only needs to run with full multiuser with network without GUI. That's impossible. Right? Because you can't change it to telinit 1 sine that is single user mode only. I like the traditional way like Redhat and SuSe, which have 6 runlevels. Also, after I modified the file in /etc/event.d/rc-default and change to telinit1 for single user mode, my machine didn't pass the reboot. It's hanging right before it loads windows manager.

I don't know if anyone in here know how to make Ubuntu boot straight to the command line without GUI involved? I heard about upstart? Did anyone use this kind of thing yet? Please helppppppppppp. Very appreciate that.

vivek is correct, there is no /etc/inittab file and /etc/event.d/rc-default is default upstart config file. After above modification type the command
Turn off GDM or Gnome and save change and reboot the system. Rcconf allows you to control which services are started when the system boots up or reboots. It displays a menu of all the services which could be started at boot. The ones that are configured to do so are marked and you can toggle individual services on and off. So you will be dropped into text mode and no GUI.

Thanks a lot for that. I'll give it a try this weekend and see how it goes. Very appreciate that.

Hi,

I know this topic is slightly old, but I think maybe the next generations can learn from this:

lacloai posted this message long time ago:


"Say, if someone wants to use Ubuntu to run for a file server, and she/he only needs to run with full multiuser with network without GUI. That's impossible. Right? Because you can't change it to telinit 1 sine that is single user mode only."

Of course this is not true, and we should not quickly point people to download some magic "runlevel setup helper" tools. The original problem was to avoid loading GUI on boot. It was correctly answered how to change the default runlevel to level 3 under Ubuntu, but then you should only disable the gdm at runlevel 3 in the config files in order to get rid of the hated GUI like this:

1.) cd /etc/rc3.d
2.) sudo mv S30gdm K70gdm

This should do the trick. To get more info why you shall do it like this enter the command "cat /etc/rc3.d/README" and you'll get it.

May the GUI also be added to runlevel 2, you can also disable it in "/etc/rc2.d" like in the example above.

HTH,
Mx

I'm surprised that no one suggested installing Ubuntu server (vs. desktop) which sounds to me to be what the original poster may be wanting.

Agreed.

I know this is going to sound a bit corny and "after the fact" but I was reading this thread and registered just to say that.

I was looking up info about runlevels for my linux+ exam and as an newbie Ubuntu desktop user I find this thread very useful as I prefer starting up in runlevel 3 nowadays so I will give this a go later. I didnt think it was possible in ubuntu actually so made a refreshing read.

Im a windows guy by trade you see but I have been using linux in various forms at home for a while now and settled on Ubuntu as is seems like a nice distro for ex-windows people. I can see the frustrations some people might have with it especially the desktop version, ie it does make some assumptions about the user and things like the runlevel which other distros like red hat / fedora don't, but at the end of the day if you are like me and dont actually know what you are doing maybe it is not such a bad thing.

I think the server version doesnt make as many assumptions as the desktop version so should be easier to manage. especially if you don't want a gui fullstop its a good one to try.

Guess I'm lazy and I don't wanna reinstall. You can turn desktop into server or vice versa, provided that you know everything about OS. Otherwise, reinstalltion or virtualbox is also good choice while playing with operating systems.

__________________
Vivek Gite
Be proud RHEL user, and let the world know about your enterprise choices! Join RedHat user group.
Do you run a Linux? Let's face it, you need help!
Cricket & IPL News Blog