I have recently installed a VMware image of FreeBSD, although when I boot up I get the message: Welcome to DesktopBSD, select from the following options:
The trouble is when selecting options 1 - 4 I get the GUI and am unable to login as root, as its disabled in these modes.
How can I effectively exit and go into console mode, so I can login as root?
You can try to switch from GUI to any other vty with Alt+Ctrl+F1. FreeBSD usually have X running on 9th console, so first 8 works in text mode.
In an environment where the boot routine did not offer the customary option to boot to console – and where things such as Control-Alt-F2 were ineffective …
I experimented with making a comment of the line for ttyv8. So for example:
# Virtual terminals
ttyv1 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
ttyv2 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
ttyv3 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
ttyv4 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
ttyv5 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
ttyv6 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
ttyv7 "/usr/libexec/getty Pc" xterm on secure
# ttyv8 "/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon" xterm off secure
That did not have the desired effect …
[gjp4@cces3-gjp4-pc-bsd-ergovista621] ~% cat /etc/rc.conf.pcbsd | grep -i pcdm
# Enable the pcdm display manager
pcdm_enable="YES"
[gjp4@cces3-gjp4-pc-bsd-ergovista621] ~%
– changing the YES to NO was effective.
If there's a display management line in /etc/rc.conf you can make a comment of it, e.g.
# kdm4_enable="YES"
– or change the YES to NO.
slim_enable="NO" in /etc/rc.conf
The Image shown is the bootloader.
Normally 4 should get you to single user mode.
Another option would bee selecting 6 and then type boot -s
