How Do I Get From Command Screens to My Desktop in Suse Linux Commands?

Don't let text mode irritate you. Your SUSE Linux desktop is just a few keystrokes away.

It is a frightening scenario: you sit down at your SUSE Linux box, shake the mouse, and you are faced with a black screen decorated with naught but a blinking text cursor. Chances are you are stuck in text mode instead of graphical mode, where your KDE or GNOME desktop lives. If you came here looking for a "show desktop" command, see "Tips" and "Resources."

Things You'll Need

• Root password

Instructions

1. Do not panic! Grab a cup of herbal tea, find the sticky note you scribbled the root password on, and take deep, cleansing breaths.

2. Type "root" at the log-in prompt and hit the "Enter" key. If you aren't at the log-in prompt, type "exit" and the "Enter" key to log out of your regular user account and get a log-in prompt. Alternatively, you can use the "su -" command to set the current use to "root."

3. Type the root password and hit the "Enter" key.

4. Type "init 5" and hit the "Enter" key. The graphics mode loads. The "init 5" command tells the computer to enter the "runlevel 5" operating mode. Runlevel 5 is the graphical mode where the X11 (X Windows) graphical user interface system is available, allowing desktops, like GNOME and KDE, to run.

5. Log-in to the desktop using your normal user account, if necessary. If you have auto-login enabled for your account, your desktop was automatically launched and you should be back in widgety multitasking heaven.

Tips & Warnings

• If you reboot the computer, and it comes up in text mode again, you probably need to set the system's default runlevel. Run "yast" and go to System | System Services (Runlevel). Select "Expert Mode." Select "5: Full multiuser with network support and display manager" from the default runlevel menu, and hit "OK" to save.

• No desktop at all? Most likely, you chose to not install a desktop when you installed SUSE. Run "yast" and go to Software | Software Management. Select "Patterns" from "Filters," select the GNOME or KDE options, and continue with installation.

• Need a "Show Desktop" command to use from the terminal command line? SUSE has you covered. Use yast's Software Management tool to install the "wmctrl" package. Show the desktop from the command line using the "wmctrl -k on" command.

• Be careful when logged into the superuser (root) account. Superusers have permission to do pretty much anything on the computer, including wreaking havoc and destruction without warning. For example, the superuser can easily delete nearly every file, including your data and the operating system. The superuser command prompt is colored "Danger Will Robinson!" crimson as a reminder. When you are finished executing commands as the superuser, log out of the account and return to your normal user account.

References

• OpenSUSE: Switch Runlevel
• LINFO: Runlevel Definition
• XFree86: xeyes Man Page

Resources

• wmctrl: Command line interaction with compatible X Window Managers
• Linux Journal: Hack and / - Automate your Desktop with wmctrl