restarting the video

[Michael Hirsch]

On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 12:53 PM, David McGlone <david at dmcentral.net> wrote:
> On Wednesday 20 May 2009 11:39:51 am Nils Kassube wrote:
>> Michael wrote:
>> > In 8.04, you could hit the ALT+CTRL+BACKSPACE and the video would
>> > restart.  How do you do this 9.04?
>>
>> K-Menu -> Computer -> Systemsettings -> Display
>> [x] Ctrl+Alt+Backspace restarts the xserver
>>
>> However it doesn't seem to reliably restart the Xserver.
>
> Ctrl + Alt + Backspace used to log out, but the other day I inadvertently hit
> Ctrl + Alt + Delete and I was presented with a menu with choices to log out,
> shut down or reboot.
>
> Seems Kubuntu swapped Ctrl + Alt + Backspace to Ctrl + Alt + Delete just like
> winders.

Not at all.  C-A-Backspace used to kill the X server.  All X programs
would lose their connection and die, too, usually not a clean
shutdown.  Then a new X server would start and the login manager would
display.  Finally, you would get a login screen.

C-A-Delete would (and has for years in KDE) open an exit dialog
allowing you to choose to logout, reboot, shutdown, switch users,
hibernate, suspend, etc depending on your config.  It also has an
all-important "Calcel" button.  If you choose to logout a signal would
be sent to every X application allowing it to cleaning exit.  Only if
the application doesn't exit on its own would X  kill it.  When all
the clients are gone the login manager would redisplay.  The X server
would not actually restart because it wasn't ever killed, but the
login manager would redisplay.

The results may be superficially the same, but you really don't want
to use C-A-Backspace unless you have to, or have some very good
reason.  Having a button like that with such dramatic consequence is
not a very good idea.  Reminds me of the old days when computers had a
reset button on the front, allowing your kids or your dog to instantly
reboot your machine in a second.

OTOH, as a power user there are times when I miss CA-Backspace.  I may
try to reactivate it.  It sounds pretty easy.

Michael