X Windows hangs

Hi there

There is a way to "kick it in the teeth". When the screen blanks, i.e. when X starts up, you can use CTRL+backspace to force the X server daemon to shutdown and restart. (You can do this with a sucessfull X start as well. Remember any open application will loose/possibly corrupt open files!)

Linux has 5 standard runlevels that can be configured for different bootups and 2 for reboot and shutdown respectively.

Basically when X starts by default on bootup you are using run level 5. You can set your PC to first boot up into a console and you then ussue a "startx" command to bring up X. This is runlevel 3.

To make runlevel 3 permanent you need to edit a config file called /etc/inittab

Use an editor like Gnomeedit (you have to be the root user.) edit the file /etc/inittab (be careful, if done wrong, you will have problems with bootup).

Look for a line"id:5:initdefault:" and change the "5" to a "3". Note on the top is an explanation of the runlevels

To change runlevels after a bootup you can enter it on the command line e.g. "init 0" will shut down, "init 6" will reboot, if in level 5 you can issue "init 3"

Don't change /etc/inittab to default to 6 and 0, or you can and have some fun while your PC just reboots all the time :-)

I suspect you might have problems with your XFree (aka screen/video card configuration). Reconfigure the screen resolution etc. (even if it is the same as now.).

Regards and good luck