Switching virtual terminals

[Jim Dever]

Ric Moore wrote:
> On Sun, 2008-06-08 at 08:15 +0100, Anne Wilson wrote:
>> On Sunday 08 June 2008 05:09:44 Ric Moore wrote:
>>> On Sat, 2008-06-07 at 14:09 +0100, Anne Wilson wrote:
>>>> On Saturday 07 June 2008 08:29:12 Jim Dever wrote:
>>>>> g wrote:
>>>>>> Jim Dever wrote:
>>>>>>> Tim wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Fri, 2008-06-06 at 05:11 -0400, Jim Dever wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I just tried it again to make sure.  From an X session CTRL+ALT+Fn
>>>>>>>>> works but from a text console Alt-Fn does nothing.  It's remains
>>>>>>>>> at the same tty I was at when I issued the CTRL+ALT+Fn from X. 
>>>>>>>>> Any
>>>>>> you are saying 'from an x session', then 'from a text console' and
>>>>>> 'same tty'.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> so, 'from an x session to a text console, aka, virtual console,
>>>>>> staying in same tty, aka, same virtual console'.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> correct?
>>>>> Let me try and explain better.  From X:  Alt-CTRL-F1 takes me to a
>>>>> virtual console (tty1).  From X:  Alt-CTRL-F2 takes me to a virtual
>>>>> console (tty2).  But once I'm at a text, virtual console Alt-F1 or
>>>>> Alt-F2 or Alt-F3....  don't do anything.  I remain at the terminal
>>>>> where I came out of X.  And I can't get back into X either.  I'm
>>>>> stumped.
>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I am back on Fedora 9, now, and both ALT+Fn and CTRL+ALT+Fn are
>>>>>>>> working for me, so the problem is probably specific to your setup.
>>>>>> for me with f8, saa.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It's definitely a straight plain vanilla installation.
>>>>>> as in what type keyboard? 102 -> 110 key? special music / power, etc?
>>>>>> din, pc, usb port?
>>>>> Machine is about a 7 year old Dell with a 110 key PC keyboard.  It's
>>>>> not USB or wireless or anything like that.
>>>> FWIW my ~6-year-old Packard Bell laptop has the same problem.  The only
>>>> wayout I can find is to shut down.
>>> You can't ctrl-alt F7 to get back to X?? Ric
>>>
>> Correct.  Ctrl-alt plus some Fx do nothing.  One, I think it's F5, changes the 
>> screen resolution.  F7 does nothing.  At this point the only way out is to 
>> shut down - it won't even reboot.  If you have any apps open they crash on 
>> the way out.
> 
> Wow, it must be in the way the key combination works out in the
> resultant ASCII code. I wonder if you switched your keyboard setting to
> US instead of "Hail the Queen" if that would set ctrl-alt-F7 to rights,
> as well as your other keys?? It's a thought. When trouble shooting with
> a shotgun, you gotta hit something! Ric
> 

Well you won't believe this but I found the problem.  This keyboard has 
ALT keys on both sides of the space bar.  The one on the left works 
fine.  Switches terminals and even takes me back to X.  The ALT key on 
the right does nothing.  How's that for strange!

Thanks for all your help!


-- 
Jim