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Previously on multiple boxes with Ubuntu 16.04 running I've been using 

sudo systemctl isolate multi-user.target

to go into CLI from the graphical.target mode. Or I have been using 

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

to permanently let the boot process stop at multi-user mode. I can remember that it worked roughly half a year ago, but when I was trying it today, it didn't go on any of the two, to this date, fully up to date 16.04 systems I had available.

All I'm greeted with is a blinking non-responsive cursor. It's possible to switch TTY via CTRL+ALT+F2 to be able to revert back to graphical.target mode, though, luckily.

I'm trying to figure out if this is a recent bug or if I have introduced some conflicting software. I'm not sure what to look for and where to look for it.

Both boxes are using the kernel version

4.4.0-134-generic #160-Ubuntu SMP Wed Aug 15 14:58:00 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I would be so glad for any guidance or bug confirmation!

zx485
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Mary Jane
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2 Answers2

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I just had the same issue! Fixed it by using the command:

systemctl enable getty@tty2

It forces the machine to use tty2 by default on boot.

Hope this helps you as much as it helped me

003miles
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Mary Jane, my experience confirms yours. I have a half-dozen systems on my network which were configured to default to multi-user mode, and have continued to perform as intended for over two years now, still are, and appear uncompromised by regular apt-get-upd-upg cycles. However, after doing clean installs of Xubuntu 16.04.6 on two new machines, I get the following error response:

systemctl enable multi-user.target

The unit files have no installation config (WantedBy, RequiredBy, Also, Alias settings in the [Install] section, and DefaultInstance for template units). This means they are not meant to be enabled using systemctl. Possible reasons for having this kind of units are: 1) A unit may be statically enabled by being symlinked from another unit's .wants/ or .requires/ directory. 2) A unit's purpose may be to act as a helper for some other unit which has a requirement dependency on it. 3) A unit may be started when needed via activation (socket, path, timer, D-Bus, udev, scripted systemctl call, ...). 4) In case of template units, the unit is meant to be enabled with some instance name specified.

I then tested a completely fresh install on another system, and this time it appeared to accept the 'systemctl enable multi-user.target --force'. However, when I re-booted, it had completely bricked the partition (meaning, hard-reset, followed by blank screen). I have noticed that there have been almost no postings by people who have encountered this problem, and no solutions that I can find.

Subjectively speaking, just for the record, when Ubuntu decided to force its user community to accept systemd, and later, 'snapd', I stopped using any new ubuntu releases beyond 16.04. It was only recently, while considering moving up to 18.04, that I decided to re-evaluate 16.04.6, and the most recent version of 18.04. I'm very close to departing from Ubuntu entirely. This particular situation may have been the last-straw for me.

Tb Thomas
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