WYNTK: UNIX System Admininistrator

If the terminal is running, but there is no login prompt, check the cables and brightness control.

What if you know the terminal is running but there’s no login prompt? You hear the fan going, maybe you feel that the terminal is warm, but there’s no sign of life. Lots of things might have gone wrong, but there are a few commonsense things you can try before you give up.

First, check the cables. The terminal may be powered on, but some other connections may have come loose.

Check that the keyboard is attached. If you have a mouse, make sure that it is attached as well. Nothing you do on your keyboard or with your mouse can be read by the computer unless the keyboard and mouse are attached to your terminal. If your keyboard or mouse was unattached, you may need to reboot the terminal before you can use it again.

If your terminal has a base that’s separate from the monitor, make sure that the cable connecting them hasn’t come loose. Also, the monitor may get its power through a separate power cord that connects to the computer or directly to the wall outlet.

On UNIX, it is unlikely that the machine you use is “stand-alone.” Most likely, you use a terminal that must be connected to a network in order to run properly. So you need to pay extra-special attention to your network connector. The network connector may be a T-shaped adaptor attached to the back of your terminal, it might be something that looks like a phone cord, or it might be a small serial connector with anywhere from nine to ...