Using the Magic SysRq Key The SysRq key is located near the Scroll Lock key on your keyboard – the Sys Rq key is generally the same as your Print Screen key. The “magic” SysRq combination is Alt+SysRq. To use this key combination, your Linux kernel must have been compiled with the CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ compile option – most Linux distributions will have this enabled by default. Assuming it’s compiled into your kernel, it can be enabled or disabled on a running system by changing the value of /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq. To check if it’s enabled, run the following command: cat /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq If you see a “1”, the magic SysRq key is enabled. image If you see a “0”, you’ll have to enable it yourself by running the following command as root: echo “1” > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq Dealing With a Frozen X Server If your X server (the program that runs your graphical deskt...