How-To Geek
How To Switch to Console Mode for Ubuntu VMware Guest
If you are running an Ubuntu guest in VMware, you may have found that you cannot switch into the Console mode using Ctrl+Alt+F1. If you try, you will encounter a blank screen and won’t see a login prompt at all.
There’s an easy workaround for this, but it’s not an obvious one. I’ll have to thank larstr on IRC for this tip.
Open up /boot/grub/menu.lst using the following command (or use your favorite editor)
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
Find the section that looks like this:
## ## End Default Options ##
title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-386
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-386 root=UUID=8312b3d9-e087-439b-8f3b-21f4b00434f1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-386
savedefault
boot
Remove “splash” from the kernel line. Save the file, and reboot.
You should now be able to switch to console mode by using Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or F2-F6)
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Comments (8)
Programmer by day, geek by night, The Geek, also known as Lowell Heddings, spends all his free time bringing you fresh geekery on a daily basis. You can follow him on Google+ if you'd like.
- Published 12/13/06
Nice tips, love the site, but this one is not working for me. Running Edgy Eft with VMWare Wkst 5.5.3 and kernel 2.6.17-11. Anything I need to do in VMWare?
Thanks, worked for me. Using VMware Server 1.0.2 and Ubuntu 6.10.
Ummm…remind me how to get out of this :)
Never mind..I got it! (Alt F7)
You can also do the switch without changing the /boot/grub/menu.lst file
To get the CTRL+ALT key to go to the Client ( in this case Ubuntu ), you press CTRL+ALT+SPACEBAR , then release the SPACEBAR without releasing CTRL+ALT, and press F1 – F8
Philip Andersen!! Hats off to you dude!!
M using VMware Workstation 6.5, Ubuntu 9 and your “formulae” works superb.
Is the procedure same for Linux Guest OS as well..please mention the changes to be done for Linus will be appreciated…
@Philip Andersen: awesome man!!! thanks a ton..:)