If you’ve managed to hard-lock your machine’s X server, and
you’re caught without a way to use telnet or ssh to get back in and
set things right, there’s always your trusty Palm.
Fortunately, I anticipated such an event and left
myself one more option. I set up Linux so that I could access it
using my Palm Pilot as a VT100 terminal connected to the serial
port. I logged in via the Palm Pilot, loaded the USB driver and
modules for my keyboard, and was back in business in a wink.There are other ways a Palm Pilot terminal can help you work or
get you out of a jam. I imagine it could really come in handy as a
debugging tool, especially if you’re building a full-screen
graphical application. You can redirect various types of error or
debugging messages to your Palm terminal while you develop your
application. Your Palm instantly takes on the role of a second
monitor.”