[NBLUG/talk] ADMTEK wireless Driver Update, sort of...

[Lincoln Peters]

On Mon, 2004-06-07 at 10:29, Dave Sisley wrote:
> Is there a way to unlock the machine without shutting down the machine
> and then turning it back on?  It's locked up in the sense that I can't
> use the mouse, and none of the keyboard combinations I try have any
> effect. I have to press and hold the power button until the machine
> turns off and then reboot.  During reboot I'm asked to run a file
> system check (which I do, if I'm not in a big hurry).

Perhaps the "magic" SysRq key will do what you need?  This is a feature
that can optionally be built into a kernel that is supposed to allow you
to do a few rudimentary things, even if everything but the kernel
crashes.  Try the following sequence of keyboard commands the next time
your computer freezes up:

Alt-SysRq-e
Alt-SysRq-s
Alt-SysRq-u
Alt-SysRq-b

You'll still end up rebooting the computer (which is what the last
command will do), but if the key combinations work, you'll be able to
cleanly shut down so that you don't need to run fsck when the computer
reboots.

You may need to recompile your kernel to support the "magic" SysRq key. 
If I remember correctly, when you use "make menuconfig", "make xconfig",
or any similar process, you can find it under "Kernel hacking->Kernel
debugging".

---
Lincoln Peters
<sampln at sbcglobal.net>

The British are coming!  The British are coming!