LTSP thin client to single user mode

Is it possible to boot a LTSP thin client to single user mode? I've updated the default entry under /var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/pxelinux.cfg to read as follows: -

append ro initrd=initrd.img root=/dev/nbd0 init=/sbin/init-ltsp nomodeset quiet 
splash **single** plymouth:force-splash vt.handoff=7 nbdroot=:ltsp_i386

This kind of works!

I see the boot progress to the point where it asks me to either enter the root password or Ctrl+D to bypass.

However, the boot process just seems to continue without providing an chance to do either.

Solution 1:

Not certain this will work, but believe that the issue lies here with the virtual terminal handoff. At the present, you are forcing the single user splash, but still handing off to virtual terminal 7. Alter this code to the following:

vt.handoff=1

which should place you into the correct state. Have not tried, but know that grub2 used to have an issue with this particular code. See Bug #916306 in Launchpad.

Solution 2:

I am very skeptical that it would work because single mode does not enable network in a usual way.

If I'm right, when you'll succeed : you'll be able to manipulate only what the tftp has provided.

just in case : try to change :

append ro initrd=initrd.img root=/dev/nbd0 init=/sbin/init-ltsp nomodeset quiet splash **single** plymouth:force-splash vt.handoff=7 nbdroot=:ltsp_i386

into :

append ro initrd=initrd.img root=/dev/nbd0 init=/sbin/init-ltsp nomodeset single vt.handoff=7 nbdroot=:ltsp_i386

But I repeat : Making it work is quite unlikely/paradoxical because single mode or init 1 is without network and LTSP needs a network link to be able to work. You may have it to work but it would be very ugly and without any possible use.