Ctrl-Alt-Del will not safely reboot all systems under all circumstances.
If you run Linux, your keyboard has a magic RysRq
key (sometimes not marked, but its the same key as the Print-Scrn
key) and the Linux kernel is still running not all is lost.
Due to link rot, the archived links are the most recent that have all the comments for [Wayback/Archive] Fix a Frozen System with the Magic SysRq Keys | FOSSwire which amend
You finally got your Linux environment to crash. Ctrl+Alt+Backspace does nothing, nor do the F-keys. You know you shouldn’t have installed that bad driver, but you did it anyway.
So you reach for the power button.
Stop.
Mashing in the power button to reboot could cause a problem if your hard drive is still being written to, and usually causes more problems than it solves. The Linux kernel includes a secret method of restarting your PC should it ever stop doing its job.
- Hold down the Alt and SysRq (Print Screen) keys.
- While holding those down, type the following in order. Nothing will appear to happen until the last letter is pressed: REISUB
- Watch your computer reboot magically.
This 2007 comment makes it easier to remember: REISUB is the reverse of BUSIER:
R E I S U B – is just the word busier in reverse.
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