[TriLUG] How to get to text terminal when Ctrl+Alt+F1 doesn't work?

[Nathan Yinger via TriLUG]

I'm quite certain the text terminals are running, because I can get to them
if I plug a regular keyboard in.

The function keys are hidden behind media keys, so Ctrl+Alt+F1 is really
Ctrl+Alt+Fn+F1, and I suspect it is a keyboard limitation.

The question is how do I get around that limitation? Is there another way
to switch between GUI and text? I could start in text mode, but I also want
to have a web browser on it, so if I switch to GUI to use the browser how
would I get back to text mode?


On Sat, Dec 15, 2018 at 8:15 PM Kenneth Parker via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org>
wrote:

> On Sat, Dec 15, 2018 at 12:11 PM Nathan Yinger via TriLUG <
> trilug at trilug.org>
> wrote:
>
> > I recently got a Pi-Top. Obviously, when I booted it up, the first thing
> I
> > did was hit Ctrl+Alt+F1 to do to the text console...and nothing happened.
> > Plugging in another keyboard and hitting Ctrl-Alt-F1 on the other
> keyboard
> > works, but not with the built-in keyboard. The Ctrl, Alt, and Fn keys all
> > work normally, except when trying to get to the text console.
> >
>
> I concur with other responses, that the "supplied keyboard" may not
> register three keys, pressed at once.
>
> | <snip>
>
> If you don't mind starting with Text Mode, there should be an update to
> Grub to do this.  A few years ago (pre-SystemD), I ran an Ubuntu Server
> (but with LXDE Window Manager) 24 hours a day.  Back then, it was as simple
> as replacing  the words, "quiet splash" to "text".
>
> I'm pretty sure this has changed, with SystemD!
>
> Good Luck and Best Regards,
>
> Kenneth Parker
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