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I want my Ubuntu 16.04 to not start GUI on boot and show command line console only. I have tried the following recipies but none of them are for version 16.04 and so they do not seem to work — GUI starts anyway:
Ideally I also want to be able to start GUI by typig a command.
Greendrake
Posted 2016-07-28T17:26:25.383
Reputation: 647
27
You could disable the display manager service with systemctl. For example if your display manager is lightdm then run:
sudo systemctl disable lightdm.service
This will prevent the service from starting at boot.
Edit:
I forgot to mention how to start the GUI. It is as simple as starting the systemd service:
sudo systemctl start lightdm.service
Tristan Vigil
Posted 2016-07-28T17:26:25.383
Reputation: 548
17
Instead of text use runlevel 3:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="3"
# To remove all the fancy graphics you need to get rid of `splash`.
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet”
# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
GRUB_TERMINAL=console
Then update-grub and reboot.
But you really only need GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="3". For quick test hit ESC during booting to get into the grub boot menu. Then press e and find the line which specifies kernel and add 3 at the end:
linux /vmlinuz root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu ro 3
Boot it with CTRL+x
Ideally I also want to be able to start GUI by typig a command.
One of these:
$ sudo telinit 5
$ sudo service lightdm restart
$ sudo systemctl start lightdm
Tested on Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS.
A.D.
Posted 2016-07-28T17:26:25.383
Reputation: 416
2Replacing "text" by "3", worked for me ! Very efficient ! Thanks – ThomasGuenet – 2017-01-26T17:02:30.727
hi. the answer looks nice but its hard to understand. I just Ideally need one command to boot into text mode, do what I need, and go back into normal desktop mode. – nyxee – 2017-08-19T02:29:49.157
1@nyxee My answer has 3 sections. Follow the second: "For quick test hit..." – A.D. – 2017-08-19T06:29:27.003
I appreciate the information in your post. by the time people look for this information, they are normally exhausted with other options. I gave an example of a simple answer below. – nyxee – 2017-08-19T23:32:14.770
1Nice answer. I'm just used to post longer answers with a lot of information so we all can learn more. And also I'm familiar with grub cmd line options so it's faster for me to add 3 and I'm good to go + it's multi-distro solution :) – A.D. – 2017-08-20T16:40:55.433
I'm still looking at it to understand whats going on. When i'm done with the unity issues i'll be back . just had to uninstall ubuntu-desktop and unity (the original cause of my problems) – nyxee – 2017-08-22T10:31:06.203
great answer, which file contain the "linux /vmlinuz root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu ro 3" command ? – Max L. – 2017-09-30T16:01:59.990
/boot/grub/grub.cfg but this file is generated so you should be doing changes in /etc/default/grub instead. – A.D. – 2017-09-30T16:37:18.270
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systemctl set-default multi-user.target
systemctl set-default graphical.target
nyxee
Posted 2016-07-28T17:26:25.383
Reputation: 241
9
One of the following, as part of the kernel command line (editable via GRUB), should work:
systemd.unit=multi-user.target will override the default of "graphical.target" – this, along with systemctl set-default, is the equivalent of "default runlevel";systemd.mask=lightdm.service will forbid a specific service from starting, until manually systemctl unmask'd later;systemd.mask=display-manager.service – same;rescue aka systemd.unit=rescue.target is the equivalent of "single-user runlevel"; not for daily use, but useful when fixing broken GUI.
user1686
Posted 2016-07-28T17:26:25.383
Reputation: 283 655
it would be useful to mention how you return to normality from that "emergency setting" . – nyxee – 2017-08-19T02:27:36.353
1For the benefit of others, the actual CLI command you want is systemctl set-default multi-user.target (and I believe systemctl set-default graphical.target would reset it) – Andrea – 2017-09-17T20:19:27.363
That's only if you want it semi-permanent, and can reach a shell in the first place. The main post has nothing to do with CLI commands. – user1686 – 2017-09-17T22:08:31.197
3
for ubuntu 18.04 enable root user
sudo passwd
and then
systemctl set-default multi-user.target
Mohannd
Posted 2016-07-28T17:26:25.383
Reputation: 187
1This worked for me on 16.04 on a arm board. Thanks. :) – wojci – 2016-11-09T18:51:26.840
This did not work on my system. (16.04 LTS on a PC) It shows the initial screen with all the [ OK ] messages as the services start, and then freezes. – Paul Williams – 2018-03-30T03:24:43.690
BTW to re-enable the service the command is actually sudo systemctl enable lightdm.service – Paul Williams – 2018-03-30T04:25:07.730