HOW-TO reboot only if all else fails

[xyz]

I searched the forum but didn't find this HowTo. Sorry if I missed it somehow.

I learned it when I was using Mandriva.
If your system doesn't react at all, you are totally stuck, and even Ctrl+Alt+backspace gives nothing, try and 'save' the following phrase somewhere in your mind:

Raising Skinny Elephants Is Utterly Boring

Hit the following key sequences; do give it some time between each keystrokes:
( SysRq = print screen ) (Use the LEFT Alt key )

Alt+SysRq+r 
Alt+SysRq+s
Alt+SysRq+e
Alt+SysRq+i
Alt+SysRq+u
Alt+SysRq+b

The r stands for put keyboard in raw mode The s for sync the disk The e for terminate all processes The i for kill all processes The u for remount all filesystems read only The b for reboot the system

Use it as a procedure only if all else fails!!

Please pay attention to the following:

PS: If your filesystem is Ext3 or ReiserFS and on reboot it wants you to do a filesystem check, don't touch any key when it asks you to press "Y" and let it recover the journal automatically. NOTE: For the skinny elephants to work you need to have the sysrq-key enabled in the kernel. (CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ) You can check if it is enabled by typing 'ls /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq' if it's there, it's enabled. Thanks to Mischa for pointing this out.

I found out about this here:
BY BRUNO

[outofnicks]

Is this preferable to a hard shutdown? That is, holding the power button in on my Dell tower until it powers down--?

[xyz]

I think ANYTHING is better than a hard shutdown!
The "Raising Skinny Elephants Is Utterly Boring" allows for gradual 'shutdown'.

[kackler]

run the command "shutdown -r now" to reboot or "shutdown -h now" to power down completely.

[dbott67]

Originally Posted by kackler run the command "shutdown -r now" to reboot or "shutdown -h now" to power down completely.

As the original poster mentions:

If your system doesn't react at all, you are totally stuck, and even Ctrl+Alt+backspace gives nothing, try and 'save' the following phrase somewhere in your mind

If you're system is locked/frozen/stuck, you won't be able to open a terminal...

[ajm2005]

[flargen]

I prefer to use alt + sysrq + k to kill all processes on the current terminal. It is especially useful if the X server dies and alt + ctrl + backspace doesn't work, because it allows you to log in again without restarting you computer.

[xyz]

alt + sysrq + k

Just wondering if that wouldn't be a bit drastic?

[mdowney]

Is there any way to do this with a Mac keyboard? I don't have a SysRq key.

[outofnicks]

My Macs don't have Ubuntu so don't know if this would work but the F13 key is in the same location, and also is labeled "Print Screen" as on the PC keyboard. But on my 97-key USB Mac keyboard, which you may have, that block of keys doesn't exist. There is a "help" key to the right of the F12 key, which may also work? Or possibly this is a PC-only thing?