How do I enable Ctrl-Alt-Backspace to kill the X server?

13.04 xserver kill

25,849

I only tested this on 13.10+, but you could do the following on the terminal type:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

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This will open the keyboard configuration script. Press enter 5 times if you don't want to change any keyboard configuration and only want to kill X. When you get to the Kill X option which looks like this:

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Select YES and press enter. Wait a bit while everything configures and after that you should have the ability to CTRL+ALT+BCKSPC right on the current session. After saving any work you have pending, try it yourself.

Perfect to solve any visual issues or annoying apps.

25,849

Author by

greenGlitz

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

greenGlitz over 1 year
Unfortunately, there's still a need to kill the XServer from time to time.

Since upgrading to Raring ctrl+alt+backspace is disabled and I can't find this option in the keyboard settings any-more:
- How can I enable Ctrl+Alt+Backspace?
Is there a way to re-enable it in Raring?
- Admin over 10 years
  
  I think this answer is the closest: askubuntu.com/a/81394/235 though we should leave this open in case there's a GUI way, then merge it into that question.
- Admin over 10 years
  
  askubuntu.com/questions/10622/… this solution does not work with the new keyboard setting...
- Admin over 10 years
  
  Yeah, the command line one should still work though.
- Admin over 10 years
  
  yup! setxkbmap -option terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp thanks!
- Admin over 10 years
  
  Ok I'll fix that one up, and we'll close this one as a dupe, thanks!
- Admin over 10 years
  
  Good work everyone!
- Admin about 10 years
  
  Found the link provided by Jorge. In any case I'll leave an answer here for you to try out.
William S over 7 years

Confirmed to still work for Ubuntu 16.04