On the console Alt-F2 doesn't switch to tty2

wynnmc · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Dec 2019 Posts: 88

I have just installed Gentoo but I have found, after logging in as root, that I can't get to another console/workspace by Alt-F2 (for example). I have been doing this to login as a different user on this (old) machine for a long time. Has something changed and, if it has, how do I switch now?

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23477

This works for me. What happens when you press Alt+F2? Are you taken to a blank screen or does the system ignore your key press completely? If the former, what did you expect would be running on tty2? Do you have a getty or similar configured to run there?

wynnmc · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Dec 2019 Posts: 88

I'm not sure if I have stated the problem clearly enough: I am not in a GUI, I prefer to login to (whatever it's called) and start a GUI from there if I want to.
To answer your question: pressing Alt-F2 just shows "~", pressing Alt-F3 then just adds another "~" to it.

I would expect this function to be installed with the stage file -- I last installed Gentoo several years ago so I can no longer remember anything I may have done which wasn't in the Handbook.

CaptainBlood · Advocate Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 4048

For whatever reason, Ctrl+Alt+Fn required here for TTY switch.

Thks 4 ur attention, interest & support.
_________________
USE="-* ..." in /etc/portage/make.conf here, i.e. a countermeasure to portage implicit braces, belt & diaper paradigm
LT: "I've been doing a passable imitation of the Fontana di Trevi, except my medium is mucus. Sooo much mucus. "

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23477

OP: yes, I understood this to be a Linux text console. I was originally unclear on what was happening beyond that it was not what you wanted. I understand now. The kernel is not recognizing your request for a vt-switch. That ~ might be the result of your shell receiving the component bytes sent by Alt+F2. Are you sure your Alt key is recognized? Pressing a plain F2 might produce the reported result.

CaptainBlood · Advocate Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 4048

Yeap indeed,
Alt+Fn is enough here for TTYi to TTYj.
Ctrl+Alt+Fn also works but overkilling when not from X11.
Ctrl+Alt+Fn required here from Wayland (pure here).

Thks 4 ur attention, interest & support.
_________________
USE="-* ..." in /etc/portage/make.conf here, i.e. a countermeasure to portage implicit braces, belt & diaper paradigm
LT: "I've been doing a passable imitation of the Fontana di Trevi, except my medium is mucus. Sooo much mucus. "

Zucca · Posted: Sat May 17, 2025 4:55 pm Post subject:

Some machines (keyboards in case of desktop PCs), indeed, need Fn to be pressed to have F-keys to actually send F-key. If Fn is not pressed the F-key might send, say, "brightness up" -key.
_________________
..: Zucca :..

CaptainBlood · Advocate Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 4048

By Fn I meant F1 to F11 for example, sorry.

@Zucca,
I don't recall having ever seen Fn on desktop keyboard, but laptop's rather.... :roll:

Thks 4 ur attention, interest & support.
_________________
USE="-* ..." in /etc/portage/make.conf here, i.e. a countermeasure to portage implicit braces, belt & diaper paradigm
LT: "I've been doing a passable imitation of the Fontana di Trevi, except my medium is mucus. Sooo much mucus. "

wynnmc · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Dec 2019 Posts: 88

Spiffing! Alt-Fn works ... on this machine, Gentoo installed in October 2018, just Alt-F2 is enough

Thank you all very much for your help,

wynnmc

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23477

To be clear, do you mean that Zucca's suggestion was correct, that there is a key literally labeled Fn, which needs to be pressed in addition to the Alt key and the specific F<number> key? It's common to write Fn as a generic placeholder to refer to the F1-F12 keys as an interchangeable group.

wynnmc · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Dec 2019 Posts: 88

Hu: yes, this machine and the new one are both Lenovo ThinkPads and the 4 keys on the bottom row starting from the left are:

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23477

Many laptops that use an Fn key to skimp on providing actual keys have a firmware setting where you can choose either:

Key Fn + the F1 key produces F1, and plain F1 key produces some "magic" key, like audio volume up. Look at the other labeling on the F1 key to see what it does when it is not treated as F1.
Key Fn + the F1 key produces the magic key, and plain F1 key produces the F1 scancode.

You may have one machine configured such that Fn enables the magic mode (so you should press only F1 to get the F1 result), and the other machine is configured such that Fn disables the magic mode (so you should press both Fn and F1 to get the F1 result). In all cases, adding Alt will get you the Alt modifier on top of the magic scancode / F1 scancode.

wynnmc · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 01 Dec 2019 Posts: 88

Thank you very much, Hu, I had no idea it worked like that

CaptainBlood · Advocate Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 4048

sublogic · Posted: Sun May 18, 2025 9:51 pm Post subject:

@wynnmc, following up on Hu's earlier post and in case your laptop is like mine: my Left-Shift key has a secondary label "fn lock" in the lower right corner. Pressing Fn+Left-Shift toggles the action of the Fn key (and toggles an LED on said key). No need to change BIOS settings.