10.04 final + intel 855GM + upgrade disaster

[Themotorman]

Though I read the release notes, I failed to note the warning, which was at the end of the notes, spoke of 8xx chips I didn't realize I had, and failed to have big blinking letters telling me that a machine that has been working fine for years was suddenly going to be rendered completely incapable of booting in any mode whatsoever.

I couldn't even boot off the CD. I had to boot from a 9.10 CD in order to make the changes.

I have tried, I believe, all the workarounds mentioned in various posts. None worked for me. Some spoke of getting a newer kernel, which I had tried but decided to try again.

Success!


This worked for me:

1) edit /etc/defaults/grub (as root)
2) add i915.modeset=1 to the default line:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="splash i915.modeset=1"
(Mine previously had i915.modeset=0 nomodeset, otherwise the machine froze on resuming)
3) save and run the command update-grub (as root)

That let me boot. But my system still crashed if I attempted to run any kind of video with any program. Firefox and some other programs would get stuck as soon as they opened and leave trails all over the screen if I grabbed and moved them.

The new kernel fixed that:

4) go to http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/ and find the newest directory (I used v2.6.34-rc7-lucid)
5) download the image and header files, and install them with dpkg -i or gdebi-gtk
6) reboot and choose that kernel.

I missed the notice about the 855 too...I am glad that this worked: Can someone put these steps into something that a newbee can do? PLEASE!! I have win machine that i can access. I can use a Mem stick or burn a CD OK, not sure how I would use a cd with my blank screen 10.04 laptop!! Alternatively can I just go back to 9.10 Ubuntu how do I do that please ?
Thanks for any detailed help..

[James Keating]

If, like me, you can't boot after upgrading to Lucid, and can't boot off a Lucid CD, you need to

A) get a CD for a Ubuntu version before Lucid 10.04
B) change your boot parameters
C) optionally, install a newer kernel that fixes the Intel 8xx graphics problem

I have tried everything in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes and a number of other suggestions. I have only had success with this method.

A)
1. Go to the Ubuntu Releases site, http://releases.ubuntu.com/
2. Choose Karmic or 9.10 and download one of the desktop CD .iso files.
3. Burn its contents to a 700 Mb CD.

B)
Boot from that CD.

You must edit a boot file as root. Nautilus has no options for editing files as root, so you must use commands.

1. Open a terminal.

2. The easiest way to go from here is to start Nautilus as root with "sudo nautilus" and edit files the usual way, without running each editing command below.

You will need to edit the boot file on your hard drive, not on the CD. The CD makes this confusing, since directories will not be in their usual places.
From the command line, your hard drive will be under /media/(long-nonsensical-name)
From Nautilus, it will show under Places as "106 GB Filesystem" or something.
If you have multiple partitions and there is more than one such listing, find the one that contains your home directory.

3. Navigate to /etc/default on your hard drive

4. Edit the file called grub
sudo gedit grub
On the line that begins GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT, add i915.modeset=1
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="splash i915.modeset=1"

If your /etc/default/grub doesn't exist, you are using the old Grub.
In that case, go to /boot/grub/ on your hard drive
and edit the file called menu.lst
There is one line that begins with # defoptions. Add i915.modeset=1"
# defoptions=quiet splash i915.modeset=1

5. Save and run the command
sudo update-grub

If gedit doesn't work, try another text editor. At the very least, nano should be present (control-o saves; control-x exits).

6. Reboot.

C)
1. Go to http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/ and find the newest directory (I used v2.6.34-rc7-lucid)
2. Download the kernel image and header files
3. Install them from a terminal with the command
sudo dpkg -i (kernelfilename.deb) (headersfilename.deb)
or run sudo gdebi-gtk
3. reboot and choose that kernel.

[Catharsis]

Can someone put these steps into something that a newbee can do?

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes
This is the link that the Release Notes point to.

If anything in there is confusing or poorly explained, please let me know and I'll change it. Alternately, if anyone else feels comfortable enough to update it, all you have to do is click "Edit" at the top.

[BXL]

It's explained very clearly in the Release Notes. You *do* read the Release Notes before you upgrade, right?

Actually I disagree with you. Both alpha and beta worked fine and there was NO problem with the Intel 8xx chip before updating to RC or the final release. Since 10.04 should be a stable version offering LTS I expect that everything works out of the box. This is imo an upgrade disaster, no matter what is written in the Release Notes or not.

[Catharsis]

Actually I disagree with you. Both alpha and beta worked fine and there was NO problem with the Intel 8xx chip before updating to RC or the final release. Since 10.04 should be a stable version offering LTS I expect that everything works out of the box. This is imo an upgrade disaster, no matter what is written in the Release Notes or not.

That's not my point. I totally agree with you that blacklisting KMS for i8xx chips was a terrible decision.

What I'm saying is it isn't the end of the world to workaround it. Like a responsible Ubuntu user, I read the Release Notes before I upgraded. I saw the warning about i8xx cards and then tried the LiveCD to see if I was affected. I was. Then I followed the workaround and everything was fixed. So I installed Lucid and applied the fix permanently. The whole ordeal took maybe five minutes to solve because I followed the correct upgrade procedure.

All I'm asking for is a little responsibility and common sense while upgrading.

[cchi]

All I'm asking for is a little responsibility and common sense while upgrading.

Well, I disagree with this too. Most of us, have the common sense to come here, and find the solution to *our* problem.

But, what about the granny next door, the teenager down the road, the wife that we introduced Ubuntu to, as a "respectable and viable alternative to Windows or Mac, that was at least as easy to use".

How to do we answer them when they phone us, and tell us that they ran the auto update, and they can only boot into a black screen. What do we say when they say, "I would have never deleted my Windows PC and used your Linux thing if I knew this would happen"? What do we say?

"Didn't you read the release notes? Didn't you know that your graphics card is mentioned in there? Oh - you don't know what a graphics card is? Oh..."

I don't appreciate having to do this... I'm sorry, but if we want Linux to have a chance of becoming mainstream, the fundamentals have to be right... That includes, being able to see something on one's screen.

[Catharsis]

Well, I disagree with this too. Most of us, have the common sense to come here, and find the solution to *our* problem.

But, what about the granny next door, the teenager down the road, the wife that we introduced Ubuntu to, as a "respectable and viable alternative to Windows or Mac, that was at least as easy to use".

How to do we answer them when they phone us, and tell us that they ran the auto update, and they can only boot into a black screen. What do we say when they say, "I would have never deleted my Windows PC and used your Linux thing if I knew this would happen"? What do we say?

"Didn't you read the release notes? Didn't you know that your graphics card is mentioned in there? Oh - you don't know what a graphics card is? Oh..."

That's exactly what I'm saying. There's nothing I can do about this now that it's released. But I can point people to the Release Notes and stress its importance so they don't end up like the hypothetical people you mentioned. What else am I supposed to do? It's all damage control at this point.

I'm sorry, but if we want Linux to have a chance of becoming mainstream, the fundamentals have to be right... That includes, being able to see something on one's screen.

So do something about it. Run the development releases and report bugs. Triage X bugs so the devs can actually fix things instead of wasting their time cleaning Launchpad. Attend meetings, follow development, and contribute to decisions you care about. That's the great thing about Ubuntu; everything's completely transparent. If you really want to make Ubuntu better, you have the power to do so.

[Themotorman]

[QUOTE=Catharsis;9264429]Hmm? I have an i855 and used Workaround A from the link, and my Lucid is great now. Certainly no reason to forsake it.[/QUOTE

I tried to do the workaround but cannot edit the grub as i do not have permissions. This is because i am booting from a live CD 9.10 and then trying to edit the boot/menu.lst file.. I can edit but not save due to permission problem. Please anyone tell me how to get around this or how to just revert to 9.10 ( it was fine )
Thank you.
I need very simple instructions, I am not a unix or software guru just an ex win user..

[Catharsis]

Hmm? I have an i855 and used Workaround A from the link, and my Lucid is great now. Certainly no reason to forsake it.

I tried to do the workaround but cannot edit the grub as i do not have permissions. This is because i am booting from a live CD 9.10 and then trying to edit the boot/menu.lst file.. I can edit but not save due to permission problem. Please anyone tell me how to get around this or how to just revert to 9.10 ( it was fine )
Thank you.
I need very simple instructions, I am not a unix or software guru just an ex win user..

You have to open it as root.

gksudo gedit FILEPATH

where FILEPATH is wherever the file manager tells you the file is, i.e. /media/data/boot/grub/menu.lst or whatever it is.

Alternately, I *think* you can edit it through the file manager if you open the file manager as root

gksudo nautilus

Then just find and edit the file as you did before.

[jamsh]

I am now using 9.10 after using 10.04beta successfully for several months, but after pressing the button to install the RC a few weeks ago, disaster.
I haven't been able to boot 10.04 at all on my Dell Latitude x300 and have reinstalled 9.10.
I must agree with a previous writer who said that to release this OS with a major bug was very shortsighted. Really,it's not too much to ask for a LTS to 'just work' without the convoluted workarounds I have seen proposed.
Is there going to be a simple fix for this?