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When my Ubuntu 12.04 installed on the old HP PC Compact refused the 'Shut down'/'Restart' command as a result of e.g. unsaved files in gedit and stopped running the system menu (my formulation before July 2015 stated misleadingly 'freezed'), I briefly press the power button at the computer case, as I was used to in Windows. This will bring up a dialog Ubuntu "Shut Down" and it works like if I clicked on the "Shut Down" system menu. (This is probably set in the "setup" BIOS.) Until now, I have not observed any problems resulting from the procedure. Is the procedure OK generally? (I use it with a particular old hardware that is not certified for Ubuntu.)

Tomáš Pečený
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  • It doesn't sound like the button you are pushing is really the "reset" button. From the behaviour you're getting, it's the ACPI power button. The real "reset" button is usually much smaller and sometimes recessed a little in the case to make it harder to push - because it really does just reset things without prompting. The fact that you're getting a prompt means you're pushing the power button. Shutting down this way is completely fine - it really is just like using the "Shut Down" menu. For the "real" reset button, see the other question linked here. – Adrian Jul 10 '15 at 08:55
  • @ Adrian: I am editing the question once more to respect the term suggested. I'd prefer to vote for your comment, if you formulate it as a further answer. It really is the right answer I sought for. – Tomáš Pečený Jul 10 '15 at 17:18

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It would be better to press ctrl+alt+F1, F2, ..., or F6, then end the program from the terminal, using top or htop (if installed).

If you still can do some things with the GUI, you can open gnome-system-monitor, and kill the problem program/service. Or open terminal and use top/htop.

Or you can kill the x server (the OS GUI), using ctrl+ alt + backspace. But first you have to make sure that shortcut is enabled. Check this one:

How can I enable Ctrl+Alt+Backspace?

Any one of these methods is A. Faster and B. Less damaging to non-saved information than a hard shutdown/reset.

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No Time
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  • The hard shutdown comes only if I press the Reset button on the computer case and hold it for about 1 second. The Ubuntu 'Shut down' dialog coming after the very short push seems to respect non saved files as if I have clicked the system display 'Shut down' button. – Tomáš Pečený May 16 '14 at 13:50
  • @TomasPeceny so it sends an interrupt? What do you do then? Just wondering, because if you want more control of what you are stopping you can use a service/process manager like top/htop or system monitor, and at least see what is causing the problem if it is recurrent. – No Time May 16 '14 at 14:54
  • (I do not know how the system works in details, I guess that pressing the Reset button on the computer case sends an interrupt.) I am not sure enough with using command-line commands to use them for solving crash situation. By 'Ubuntu freezing' I mean that GUI does not respond; if GUI responds, I use the System Monitor to end a process that does not respond. After the Ubuntu 'Shut down' dialog appears I click at the 'Restart' button in it. The question is if the dialog enables best saving files opened by other processes. – Tomáš Pečený May 17 '14 at 06:09
  • To the negative vote at the question: It is a question about the particular hardware and asks for experience with the hardware. I of course know what happens when open processes are stopped by a hard reset. (I am preparing a general question about testing.) At the CPU, the "freezing" means that the above menu and launcher are not visible, but processes work and the Terminal can be started by keyboard. Is the dialog 'Suspend/Restart/Cancel/Shut Down' called by the short pressing the Reset button equivalent to the one called normally or should I use some Terminal command? – Tomáš Pečený Jul 03 '14 at 19:49
  • Now I see the 'top' or 'htop' command in the answer and care about it. – Tomáš Pečený Jul 03 '14 at 19:57
  • :I have realized that 'top' calls the System monitor I have locked to the launcher. Is there some command line command like 'Shut down' or 'Restart' in the Terminal, that asks what to do, when some file is not yet saved etc.? Is the dialog 'Suspend/Restart/Cancel/Shut Down' called by the short pressing the Reset button equivalent to the one called normally? Thanks! Of course, if the dialog works, also the System Monitor should work, but I like warnings like '...is not saved; save it?' – Tomáš Pečený Jul 03 '14 at 22:00
  • @TomasPeceny This article has sigterm, sigkill commands, and xkill (if you want a box to pop up) Here – No Time Jul 08 '14 at 22:33