Quick way to exit terminal login attempt Bash login will usually give three attempts before giving back the prompt. Sometimes it will give many more - like today which were infinite. Using control-c didn't abort that process it just entered the characters ^C. Likewise for escape — ^[.
In any case, how can I abort the login without going through with three attempts or more?
Eventually it will time out with:
login: Login timed out after 300 seconds. But I don't want to be held hostage by my terminal.
Login incorrect
login: ^C
login:     
login: 
login: 
login: 
login: ^C
login: ^C
login: ^C
login: ^C
login: exit
Login incorrect
login: ^C
login: ^C
login: 
login: 
login: 
login: 
login: 
login: ^C
login: ^C^C^C^C^C
login: 
login: 
login: 
login: ^C
login: ^C
login: 
login: 
login: 
login:  
Login incorrect
^[
^C
login: login: ^C
login: ^[
Login incorrect
^[^C




^C
^C
login: login: ^C^[^[^[
Login incorrect
^[
login: Login incorrect
login: Login timed out after 300 seconds
Sometimes ^D can also exit terminal CLIs. I just tried it on my own computer, and ^D does exit this properly.