CentOS - Jan 2021 - Reboot/shutdown without login

I installed CentOS 8 on a Dell server and it's been running fine as a 
headless system, admin'd remotely by ssh. Now I'd like to allow someone
to
shut it down at the console without logging in. Is there a way to do that? 
Or do I need to get the GUI working?

I tried switching it into graphical mode ("systemctl isolate
graphical")
and the console freezes with nothing but a non-blinking text cursor at top 
left. The usual virtual console switching hotkeys (ctrl-alt F1-F7) don't do 
anything when it's hung like this. The system is still responsive in my ssh 
session. It doesn't recover if I switch back to multi-user target so I have 
to reboot it to make the console useful again. I'm guessing I'm lacking
a
good video driver. (It's an R720xd I inherited and the latest drivers on 
Dell's site are for RHEL 7.)

On Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:23:04 -0800
Kenneth Porter wrote:
> Now I'd like to allow someone to 
> shut it down at the console without logging in.
How do you want the person to shut it down without logging in?  Some computers
have a "smart" power switch pushbutton that you can program to do a
shutdown or a reboot depending on how long you hold the button down.  Otherwise
you'll need at least a keyboard, or possibly something like a joystick or a
mouse button?

-- 
MELVILLE THEATRE ~ Real D 3D Digital Cinema ~ www.melvilletheatre.com

Hello,

I had this problem on a Dell T7600 running CentOS 7.6 and 8.2.

The Dell does not have an embedded GPU so a PCIe one is used, typically
Nvidia.

The standard CentOS Nvidia driver does not work on a Dell T7***.

You need to apply the Nvidia driver from their web site.

Below are the detailed instructions for CentOS 7.6


Installation of Dell T7600 CentOS 7.6 Nvidia GPU Driver

Make sure that the Dell T7600 is attached to a network.

Install OS if required:	Boot USB CentOS 7.6 distribution
			Use arrow keys to position to 'Install CentOS 7'
			Enter <Tab>
			Use arrow keys to insert at the end of boot command
line:  <space>nouveau.modeset=0<cr>
			Build CentOS 7.6 making sure that the network is
enabled during the configuration phase
			Reboot making sure that the USB CentOS 7.6
distribution is removed

Common procedure:	At CentOS boot prompt enter <e>
			Use arrow keys to insert at end of line starting
'linux16':  <space>nouveau.modeset=0
			Enter <Ctrl+X>
			Log in, start a terminal window and become superuser
			Enter:  yum -y update
kernel-3.10.0-1160.11.1.el7.x86_64
			Enter:  cd /etc/default then edit the file grub
			Change:  GRUB_DEFAULT=0
			Append to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX before last ":
<space>nouveau.modeset=0
			Enter:  grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
			Enter:  grub2-mkconfig -o
/boot/efi/EFI/centos/grub.cfg
			Enter Browser and go to:
www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html
			Download Nvidia Legacy Driver 390.138 and save
*
			Reboot making sure the 1160.11 kernel is selected
			Log in, start a terminal window and become superuser
			Enter:  yum -y groupinstall "Development Tools"
			Enter:  yum -y install kernel-devel epel-release
			Enter:  systemctl isolate multi-user.target
			Log in and become superuser
			Change directory to where the Nvidia driver was
saved				*
			Enter:  sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-* and answer
Yes/Overwrite to everything
			Reboot making sure that the 1160.11 kernel is
selected
			The procedure is now complete
			To check the driver is installed correctly:  Log in,
start a terminal window and become superuser
			Enter:  lshw - numeric -C display
			The configuration line should have:  driver=nvidia
			nvidia-settings can now be used to change display
settings

Regards,
Mark Woolfson

-----Original Message-----
From: CentOS <centos-bounces at centos.org> On Behalf Of Kenneth Porter
Sent: 11 January 2021 18:23
To: CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org>
Subject: [CentOS] Reboot/shutdown without login

I installed CentOS 8 on a Dell server and it's been running fine as a
headless system, admin'd remotely by ssh. Now I'd like to allow someone
to
shut it down at the console without logging in. Is there a way to do that? 
Or do I need to get the GUI working?

I tried switching it into graphical mode ("systemctl isolate
graphical") and
the console freezes with nothing but a non-blinking text cursor at top left.
The usual virtual console switching hotkeys (ctrl-alt F1-F7) don't do
anything when it's hung like this. The system is still responsive in my ssh
session. It doesn't recover if I switch back to multi-user target so I have
to reboot it to make the console useful again. I'm guessing I'm lacking
a
good video driver. (It's an R720xd I inherited and the latest drivers on
Dell's site are for RHEL 7.)

_______________________________________________
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CentOS at centos.org
https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

> I installed CentOS 8 on a Dell server and it's been running fine as a
> headless system, admin'd remotely by ssh. Now I'd like to allow
someone to
> shut it down at the console without logging in. Is there a way to do that?
> Or do I need to get the GUI working?
>
> I tried switching it into graphical mode ("systemctl isolate
graphical")
> and the console freezes with nothing but a non-blinking text cursor at top
> left. The usual virtual console switching hotkeys (ctrl-alt F1-F7)
don't
> do
> anything when it's hung like this. The system is still responsive in my
> ssh
> session. It doesn't recover if I switch back to multi-user target so I
> have
> to reboot it to make the console useful again. I'm guessing I'm
lacking a
> good video driver. (It's an R720xd I inherited and the latest drivers
on
> Dell's site are for RHEL 7.)
You can configure a shutdown action for good old Ctrl-Alt-Del. That was
usually configured for reboor so you can just change it to shutdown.

Simon
>
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