Holding down the power button when the systems freezes

[David G. Miller]

Max Pyziur <pyz <at> brama.com> writes:

> 
> On Tue, 29 Jan 2013, Paul Smith wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 4:24 AM, David G. Miller <dave <at> davenjudy.org>
wrote:
> >>> When the systems freezes, is it safe to hold down the power button to
> >>> power off the machine? If not, what alternatives do you suggest?
> >>
> >> Simple test: if CapsLock and/or NumLock and/or ScrollLock still work 
(keyboard
> >> light reflects change in state), you have a shot at the Alt-SysReq-≤key> 
stuff.
<SNIP>
> > Thanks, David and all other respondents. In case lights works, how can
> > one get a console?
> 
> Ok, I'll play.
> 
<SNIP>
> If you're running a LAN/home network and you have other machines on the 
> network, and provided those machines have some ssh/telnet client software, 
> and the (blanket-wrapped) frozen machine is running a telnet/ssh daemon 
> and set to receive requests, you try accessing the (supposedly) frozen 
> machine by ssh/telnet client.
<SNIP>
CTRL+ALT+F2 through CTRL+ALT+F6 (where F# = Function key #) will bring up an
alternate console.  Hold down Control and Alt then pick a function key.  Get
back to the GUI with CTRL+ALT+F1 on Fedora or CTRL+ALT+F7 on RHEL and clones. 
If the system is busy, you may have to wait a little while for it to respond. 

Another choice is CTRL+ALT+Backspace to kill the GUI.  If you start in graphical
mode, the GUI will restart.  If you start in text mode, you'll get back to your
original login session.

Cheers,
Dave