Is there a way to cause Panther to boot into console mode (NOT single-user)?
I have a server that I mostly run headless, so no need for GUI, but the best I have been able to do is type ">console" into the login window after rebooting, then switch off the monitor. I'd like to be able to boot into console mode, such that if I needed the GUI, I'd just try to login with a non-existant login, which launches the login window.
Apple + S. (Command S) That'll boot you into the unix shell on bootup. Good luck!
Thanks, but that is not what I asked for. That's how to boot into single-user mode... single user, can only work from the keyboard attached to that computer, no networking, its for troubleshooting.
I want the multi-user console mode. And I don't want to be sitting at the keyboard to make it happen.
Try this:
At the login window, click "Other" then enter ">console" in the name field with no password. It puts the computer into console mode, but it is still networked, still sharing with the previous settings. Basically its exactly the same as Panther, same exact functionality, but with no GUI. Its Darwin.
How to I automatically boot into that?
have you tried setting it to auto login and using that as the user?
I've thought of that, but that means I have to create a user called:
>console
which would have its own home directory, and its own desktop,
but I seriously doubt it will work (its probably an invalid user name).
It might work if there is a way to set the auto-login from the command line without creating a new user with that name, because the preference panel doesn't list that as an option. I don't know how to do that either.
If you're comfortable enough to run GUI-less on X, then just edit /etc/rc and the line quite near the end (3rd from the end?) reads:
SystemStarter -g ${VerboseFlag} ${SafeBoot}
According to 'man SystemStarter' the '-g' flag signals a GUI boot. Try deleteing just that flag and see what happens.
I couldn't tell if it did anything... it still lauches the gui...
but thanks, I like the way you think.
I'm gonna try
-v verbose (text mode) startup
next
darn, that doesn't do anything either...
Ah-ha! It seems that omitting the '-g' only stops SS from showing the progress bar before it launches Aqua. Look into editing the files in '/System/Library/StartupItems'. 'CoreGraphics' looks like a good candidate, but I only gave it a cursory read through.
'WindowServer' is the name of the process under OS X that handles the GUI crap. I'm not exactly sure if it's there though, as I'm on a Sun right now.
It's pretty easy; edit /etc/ttys. and comment out the line with console at (stuff)/loginwindow, and uncomment the one with console at getty.
Be sure to set verbose booting, else you'll probably end up with a blank blue screen or something.
John
How would verbose boot be set, in the OF? I don't recall much from the rc except checking for the boot flags. Doing the tty thing is certainly easier than I was thinking. I'll have to give it a shot on my iMac and see how it goes, verbose or not.
As root, this should do it:
nvram boot-args="-v"
Xpostfacto gives you that option, too.
John
I've locked myself outta the iMac with the tty tip, before you gave us the nvram verbose tip.
I use either a cruddy USB keyboard, or a cruddy USB -> PS/2 adapter, and neither will let me do a Cmd-V on bootup, but I can use the USB keyboard to get OF. What would the OF command be to do the same? Something like 'setenv boot-args -v' ? OR would OF need the quotes? I'm sure the command line version needs them so the shell doesn't trap the '-v' flag and try to use it with the nvram command. I'll give a few tries on OF on my own, and if they don't work, I'll be locked outta the iMac for a while longer (or until I decide to re-format/install) :macos:
EDIT: Using 'setenv boot-args -v' in OF got it to boot in text-mode, but xinetd failed, and thus System Starter failed. Any ideas?