Configure Console Only Login On Ubuntu 16.04+ Desktop

Occasionally we may want to login to our Ubuntu Desktop as console only mode (for eg: running our Ubuntu desktop as a bare metal hypervisor, only to launch Virtual Machines which will be connected remotely).

This will help to run the desktop with bare minimum memory (120MB RAM on Ubuntu 16.04) and CPU usage.

By default Ubuntu Desktop 16.04+ does not provide (which has Systemd than the legacy init system) this option, and you’ve to configure the same. Once configured you will get a new Grub menu entry on startup, to login as Console Mode.

1. Copy a sample menu entry from (/boot/grub/grub.cfg) to (/etc/grub.d/40_custom)

   Sample:

   menuentry 'Ubuntu' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353' {

          recordfail

          load_video

          gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode

          insmod gzio

          if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi

          insmod part_msdos

          insmod ext2

          set root='hd2,msdos5'

          if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then

            search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd2,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd2,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci2,msdos5  0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353

          else

            search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353

          fi

           linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-54-generic root=UUID=0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353 ro  ipv6.disable=1  scsi_mod.use_blk_mq=1

          initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.15.0-54-generic

   }

    

2. Update the copied entry as per below (highlighted text). The crux is ‘systemd.unit’ property.

   Sample:

   menuentry 'Ubuntu-TextMode' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353' {

          recordfail

          #load_video

          #gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode

          insmod gzio

          if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi

          insmod part_msdos

          insmod ext2

          set root='hd2,msdos5'

          if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then

            search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd2,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd2,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci2,msdos5  0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353

          else

            search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353

          fi

           linux /vmlinuz root=UUID=0e341ce4-5a12-4a6d-a997-5336d1670353 systemd.unit=multi-user.target ro  ipv6.disable=1  scsi_mod.use_blk_mq=1

          initrd /initrd.img

   }

   
   

3. Update grub using (Sudo update-grub2)

4. Reboot

5. Select the menu entry “Ubuntu-TextMode’