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Ctrl+Alt+Del didn't work, Alt+F2 and Ctrl+Alt+F2 don't open terminal.

I don't know what windows manager I accidentally went into but I know if I can log out and switch it I will be fine. All I get is a black screen with Ubuntu written on the bottom, like the flash screen on Fossa, which is what I'm running.

sotirov
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NotMyUsualAccount
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    Does this answer your question? Switching between virtual console (tty) and GUI – karel Sep 05 '23 at 10:29
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    ^D is the end of file character, thus if entered at the start of a line will cause a terminal, or session (if that's what is running) to end as end of command line input was reached (ie. you told it to logout/end session) A WM or window manager is a GUI tool, so if you're running a WM you've started a GUI session & your details are unclear. – guiverc Sep 05 '23 at 10:34
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    There are no buttons for me to press because this wm is broken. That's why I said no gui. Karel understood what I meant, thanks Karel. When I accessed the terminal thanks to karel it turned out I wasnt logged in to begin with and the problem is deeper thani thought. – NotMyUsualAccount Sep 05 '23 at 10:50
  • You can run a GUI without a WM; in the 1980s that was the usual way it was done.. X11 [now Xorg] allowed graphic mapping of screen, and you could move windows around via terminal command... a WM is a later tool that allows easier drag/resize (with a mouse) than using your GUI without a WM and thus being restricted to terminal commands. – guiverc Sep 05 '23 at 10:55
  • I suppose I meant a desktop manager. Anyway I've tried changing wm and dms and reinstalled lightdm and upgraded the os and still I have a black screen with a cursor – NotMyUsualAccount Sep 05 '23 at 11:47
  • A DM or display manager is likewise optional.. lightdm is a DM or greeter and allows you to enter username/password & start a predefined session, but isn't required for GUI either. It maybe helpful if you're specific as to what you're using, you mention focal which is vague; as Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Server is fossa, as is Ubuntu Core 20; both of which don't use GUI, DM or WM by default. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Desktop does use a GUI, but doesn't use lightdm either, as GNOME is the default GUI (thus GDM ir GNOME DM is used). Your details are unclear. – guiverc Sep 05 '23 at 11:51
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    Ok I figured it out. I had accidentally logged into openbox without knowing it, which I was calling a wm but I guess it's a DM, and I don't know what that is or how to use it. Finally I found a thread saying try typing startx into the terminal, and it started so I was able to log out properly finally and switch from openbox back to what they call "Ubuntu", which I guess is gnome – NotMyUsualAccount Sep 05 '23 at 11:55
  • openbox is a WM, it's the WM used by Lubuntu actually (Lubuntu uses LXQt which is WM agnostic, Lubuntu uses openbox as its WM). A default openbox has no config until it's created (excluding a rather limited skeleton), it also has no background/wallpaper (different tools are expected to do that; thus you may see a black screen OR even whatever was last seen on your screen before openbox started, thus not even realizing you've left the prior screen/DM) thus yes it's easy to get confused by a WM alone (its less featured than a DE or desktop). GNOME is a DE, which can use openbox – guiverc Sep 05 '23 at 11:58

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