Do you know about alt-sysReq + R E I S U B? If you can't do anything but
the keyboard still responds it does a safe reboot closing open files etc.
Hold down alt-Sysreq and press the keys one at a time, pausing long enough
to be sure there is no more disk activity after each - maybe 15 seconds. To
shut right down use REISUO (letter "o", not number).

This almost always works and gives a clean shutdown or reboot. It's true
your way works most of the time but REISUB protects the file system and is
safer.

Where are the sysReq and R E I S U B keys on a regular standard PC-type
keyboard?

The [sysReq] key is usually on the [Print Screen] one, and it's
holding down the [Alt] key that activates it.

R E I S U B refers to the keys on the keyboard, pressing one at a time
and then pausing before pressing the next in the sequence.

There are a few acronyms for remembering the key sequence:

Raising Elephants Is So Utterly Boring

or make one up for yourself that you'll remember

You learn new things all the time. I have a degree in computer
networking, but never heard the REISUB acronym. I thought the person
was referring to a specific key.

That method of shutting down an otherwise unresponsive system is specific
to Linux, built into the kernel. Networking was mainly a Novell world with
a small side order of Windows NT even 10 years ago. When I taught those
NOS's, prior to 2001, I had never heard of REISUB either.

Unix was too expensive and Linux too experimental to be a serious
contender. Very different now!

The sysreq is on every standard keyboard that I've ever seen. Sometimes it
has a slight variation on the name. If you look for the one key you have
never used - that will be it. Find it in the upper right corner area of the
keyboard. Note that you have to hold down alt with it.

I hope you can find the alphabetic keys yourself. Nothing special, its just
the ones with R, then E, then I etc. on them. One at a time, while
continuing to hold down alt and sysreq. Lower case works fine.

It's a bit awkward but not as hard to do as to describe.

I do know my ABC's and type 90 wpm (LOL!). I was looking for
the exact title you had indicated (sysReq) and did not look closely
enough. It's there under the Prt Scrn key in very small type as SysRq.

it reminds me of trying to teach people to do cntrl, alt, del or that
you could pick up and move mouse. Remember when a person would take the
mouse off in impossible positions not realizing, they could pick it back
up and place it? LOL. Or on the old Apples, when you hit insert and
txt disappeared until you finished editing......LOL We sledge hammered
computers for Y2K everyone kept a set of cntl, alt and del keys for
their pockets. I have always done my mouse on my leg which freaks
people out.

Regarding "alt+sysrq+reisub" being a bit awkward: If I remember correctly,
"Alt" must be held down during the entire sequence, but sysrq can be let go
of once hit... or maybe I've got that backwards... but I do remember that
after so long of trying to type "reisub" with my nose, some kind person
finally informed me that I could let the one go. :) It was on one of
these lists...

You would laugh. My UBUNTU box is a broken netbook with an external
keyboard and mouse. It is really sad. My mentor is going to help me
build a "real machine". I often max out it's capacity and it gets very
very very very angry at me. LOL. It refuses to respond and just beyond
freezes or dies. My mentor Stu says all the time that I need a "real
machine". I so love my netbooks and the ability to take computers to
bed with me. LOL. I suppose one day I will meet someone and there will
be someone other than the cat to care that I sleep with various
computers. LOL. Some girls sleep with stuffed animals, Terri takes
various OS to bed with her in Netbooks with Wi Fi. OH JOY JOY at my new
apartment I am going to have ULTRA high speed fiber optic.