rebooting into single user mode on a remote server

[pobox at verysmall.org]

Hello,

could somebody help me to understand the best way to enter into a single 
user mode on a remote server.

I need it for the moment, during rebuilding world, when I have to reboot 
into single user mode before 'mergemaster -p'.

The only solution I found so far is to do 'shutdown -r now' and when the 
server boots to login with ssh and do 'shutdown now' - which should drop 
it to single user mode.

I can ask the support at the hosting location to reboot in single user 
mode, but I do not know if I will have ssh then?

Alternatively I can ask them to do the last few steps.

Thank you for your advises,
Iv.

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