[tlug] Switch the VT?

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Dave M G writes:

 > What is the "VT", and how do I switch it?

VT == virtual terminal.  On the Linux console, you can press (usually)
Alt-F1 up to Alt-F6, and the screen will switch to a display for a new
terminal.  Alt-F7 (usually) switches to the X11 display.  In X, you
normally need to use both Alt and Ctrl to switch away from it, eg,
Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to the first VT on console.

One way to think of it as seven windows, each of which always covers
the whole display.  Pressing the VT switch keys puts a different one
on top.  Obviously the keyboard has to get attached to that terminal
only as well.

Historically, sometimes if the mouse driver gets stuck, switching from
X to a console VT and back will unfreeze the mouse.  Maybe this is a
related effect.