Debian stretch has the opposite issue: there, rescue only works if no desktop session is active. Otherwise, whether systemctl is run from within that session or not, the console is left completely unusable; not even Ctrl+Alt+Del works.
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=858162 exists for that, but the Xenial issue is completely different: the console never becomes unresponsive. Instead, the system is stuck in some intermediate state where the normal getty is stlil alive, but login is not allowed, and the actual rescue prompt is never reached. ** Bug watch added: Debian Bug tracker #858162 http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=858162 -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1671991 Title: systemctl rescue leaves system inaccessible unless run from within active desktop session To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/systemd/+bug/1671991/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs