Tell me more ×
Ask Ubuntu is a question and answer site for Ubuntu users and developers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 5 down vote favorite
1

I've learned that I can switch between virtual consoles by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1–F12, and I've found that the graphical interface is usually running at either F7 or F8.

Why does this vary, and is there a way to predict it?

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

X uses the first free virtual terminal, and the first six are now allocated for gettys by upstart from /etc/init/tty[1-6].conf, and traditionally by init from /etc/inittab.

To choose a specific virtual terminal for X, you pass it the parameter 'vtXX' (see X -help) , where XX is the desired terminal number. There are a bunch of ways to pass parameters to X, but that is stuff for another question. :)

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

F7 is the default Xserver console. I believe that F8 is only used if there is already an Xserver running on F7, or if F7 is busy.

share|improve this answer
2  
To add to this, if you sign out and back in (and a new X session is started), your display will then be on F8. – Jacob Peddicord Oct 10 '10 at 20:35

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.