One minor difference I just noticed - my external display is using the DVI connector, not analog (VGA). But that shouldn't cause what you are seeing.
Dark Roasted Ubuntu
One minor difference I just noticed - my external display is using the DVI connector, not analog (VGA). But that shouldn't cause what you are seeing.
Spilled the Beans
I think i found the reason. Like i said above, my Geforce 320m has the device id 08a0 and that id is not in the list of supported devices for the nvidia 290 driver. See http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...rtedchips.html (where it says that 320m has 08a5)
Found something similar on windows: http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?s...post&p=1076992
Maybe one can fake the device id or force the driver to accept it?
Aearenda, can you tell us your exact device id and nvidia driver version?
But anyway, i think i had enough fun with apple and will go for a HP or Dell Laptop.
Dark Roasted Ubuntu
My system shows:
This is identical to mulky's I think. It wouldn't surprise me if 0x8a0 is an Apple-specific 320m.Code:NVIDIA GeForce 320M: Chipset Model: NVIDIA GeForce 320M Type: GPU Bus: PCI VRAM (Total): 256 MB Vendor: NVIDIA (0x10de) Device ID: 0x08a0 Revision ID: 0x00a2 ROM Revision: 3533
The nVidia driver I use is 280.13, just as in mulky's Xorg.0.log posted above.
The log from mulky above finds the hardware ok - it complains that it cannot initialise it, and then claims it is unsupported, but I think that's a red herring:
This says to me that the hardware is in some state that prevents the driver from initialising it. This does not happen on my supposedly identical hardware.Code:[ 25.735] (**) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (--) framebuffer bpp 32 [ 25.735] (==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888 [ 25.735] (==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor [ 25.735] (==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0) [ 25.735] (**) NVIDIA(0): Option "NoLogo" "True" [ 25.735] (**) NVIDIA(0): Option "TwinView" "1" [ 25.735] (**) NVIDIA(0): Option "MetaModes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-1: NULL" [ 25.735] (**) NVIDIA(0): Option "RegistryDwords" "EnableBrightnessControl=1" [ 26.294] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the display subsystem for the NVIDIA [ 26.294] (EE) NVIDIA(0): graphics device! [ 26.294] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to get supported display device(s) [ 26.294] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize dac HAL
Spilled the Beans
Ok thats strange. As i dont really understand that uefi/refit stuff completely, here is what i did to install (i hope i remember correctly):
First tried like the mac ubuntu install guide says for dual boot with mac os x. But i could not complete the last step (fix partition tables gave me some error in refit).
Second try was install ubuntu with the special mac os install option in the ubuntu installer. After that i was able to boot ubuntu from grub, but not mac os x (had 32&64bit mac grub boot option, but it did not work).
Third try was to install ubuntu with the option to use the whole disk in the ubuntu installer.
So, do i dont have refit now, right? Because when i turn on the device i just see grub now.
Could the partition table type mbr/gpt play a role here?
Dark Roasted Ubuntu
I can't comment on this, I haven't done dual boot.Originally Posted by hanbo
I didn't do it this way either...Second try was install ubuntu with the special mac os install option in the ubuntu installer. After that i was able to boot ubuntu from grub, but not mac os x (had 32&64bit mac grub boot option, but it did not work).
Correct - this is what I did.Third try was to install ubuntu with the option to use the whole disk in the ubuntu installer.
So, do i dont have refit now, right? Because when i turn on the device i just see grub now.
It's MBR on mine. At this stage, we're clutching at straws - it's worth checking to see if this works for you.Could the partition table type mbr/gpt play a role here?
Spilled the Beans
Tried msdos and gpt partition tables and had once again not luck.
Interesting thing to note: when you create a msdos partition table with gparted and then start the installer and select to use the whole disk for your install, the installer creates a gpt partition table once again. I had to use the manual setup to keep the msdos partition table type.
Anyways, i think i will leave it this way and use a more Linux friendly device.
But let me thank you for your great support Aearenda!
Dark Roasted Ubuntu
The installer definitely didn't create a GPT for me. Are you sure you're using the standard desktop installation CD, and not a Mac special one?
UPDATE: I looked at my proper Ubuntu disk, and it definitely doesn't have a GPT. But I did create that using manual partitioning. Then I looked at the disk I set up to create the instructions in post 20 above, and it DOES have a GPT! So you are right, hanbo - letting the partitioning be done automatically creates a GPT, and an EFI partition too. It's probably a hybrid GPT/MBR, but I'm not sure about that. However, the GPT'd disk works for me as I describe, so that's not the cause of the Nvidia problem either!
Last edited by Aearenda; February 13th, 2012 at 01:04 AM. Reason: More info
First Cup of Ubuntu
hello guys, sorry for the late response, been busy trying to find the solution which will match my needs
apparently, after many trials and errors, i found out that the simplest way for the ubuntu to recognize your nvidia properly are (works for both GPT and MBR scheme method, internal and external disk):
1. do not create the partition manually, let gparted create automatically for you
2. do not boot your the installer disk (CD) using EFI Boot option, use the Windows option instead
Explanation (Please CMIIW) :
I'm not really expert about this, but according to some references that i read, the grub / ubuntu need the info of your correct H/W (in this case, our nvidia) from your BIOS (which we don't have, since macs doesn't use it) to recognize it. in order to make it working, the grub via automatic partitioning will create the bios_grub partition which (i assume) contains those infos and will going to pass it through the grub for booting process. if this partition is missing then ubuntu will guess the best H/W available for it, so that's why the installation of the nvidia drivers will always fail to work because the O/S itself didn't recognize that we have the right H/W, leads into that black screen
And for the EFI Boot, well, if we chose this method for installation then ubuntu will use it's latest technic to install on the EFI scheme, in this case, it will not create the bios_grub partition but rather inject the boot info directly to the mac's EFI bootloader partition. while it seems working and easier installment to do (we still can do manual partition if we use this method) seems like it hasn't working properly (the failure to recognize nvidia is still there, maybe this technic is still buggy)
once the ubuntu recognize your hardware properly (indicated by the presence of bios_grub partition), using Aearenda's way to install the nvidia driver, and there, you'll have your displays working porperly
i have tested it with many ways, include the usage of internal/eternal disk, GPT/MBR scheme, single/multi boot, with many oneiric's isos (desktop AMD64/AMD64+MAC). to sum it up, use the Windows boot otion for the cd, and just let the ubuntu create the partition for you in some free space you reserve for it. i haven't got the method of successfully create & fill bios_grub partition with the right data manually, so i guess this is the simplest way todo
The next problems for me are :
1. to make my old LCD display working (seems like it didn't give the proper EDID, so the resolution is stuck at 640x480).
2. to make my DisplayLink certified USB Display Adapter working properly
manually edit the xorg.conf makes me crazy, maybe anybody can help with this ?
Dark Roasted Ubuntu
Wow, glad you have made progress! But... a fly in the ointment. As hanbo pointed out, after using gParted to create the MBR partition table, the installer's automatic partitioning (which I used on my test installation in post 20) does create extra GPT/EFI partitions; but my main installation was done with gParted manual partitioning, does not have the GPT/EFI partitions, and still has a working Nvidia driver. I did boot the CD with the "Windows" option every time. I've been wondering whether there are hidden hardware differences. Maybe there are subtle things happening depending on the path taken through the firmware at boot time.
Anyway, this is all good, and I am so glad you managed to get it working.
I'm confident the EDID can be overridden, but I do think you will have to manually edit the xorg.conf to do it. That's been talked about in many threads before.
I'm not so sure about the DisplayLink adapter. That's probably a topic for a new thread if searching doesn't find anything. Update: see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1680056
Last edited by Aearenda; February 16th, 2012 at 10:06 PM. Reason: Added URL
Spilled the Beans
For installation I did always boot with holding down the option key and using a usb stick. So to get it work, you have to use a CD and boot while pressing the c key, did i understand it correctly?
And where did your bios_grub partition come from? Only from using the ubuntu installer and choosing to install on the whole disk (while using a cd and the c key)? Or do you need a working Mac OS X install beforehand and use a additional partition?
Posting Permissions
Adv Reply
Bookmarks