Macbook Pro 7,1 + Oneiric

[mulky]

Hi Aearenda, here's my log & lspci list

/var/log/Xorg.0.log

[    23.971] 
X.Org X Server 1.10.4
Release Date: 2011-08-19
[    23.971] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[    23.971] Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-29-server x86_64 Ubuntu
[    23.971] Current Operating System: Linux SAMURAI 3.0.0-15-generic #26-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jan 20 17:23:00 UTC 2012 x86_64
[    23.971] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=f2f399c4-adae-4d3f-bed1-956b346579cf nomodeset vga=791
[    23.971] Build Date: 19 October 2011  05:21:26AM
[    23.971] xorg-server 2:1.10.4-1ubuntu4.2 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support) 
[    23.971] Current version of pixman: 0.22.2
[    23.971] 	Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
[    23.971] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[    23.971] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Mon Feb  6 13:56:53 2012
[    23.971] (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
[    23.971] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[    24.040] (==) ServerLayout "Layout0"
[    24.040] (**) |-->Screen "Screen0" (0)
[    24.040] (**) |   |-->Monitor "Monitor0"
[    24.040] (**) |   |-->Device "Device0"
[    24.040] (**) |-->Input Device "Keyboard0"
[    24.040] (**) |-->Input Device "Mouse0"
[    24.040] (**) Option "Xinerama" "0"
[    24.040] (==) Automatically adding devices
[    24.040] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[    24.040] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
[    24.040] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[    24.040] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/" does not exist.
[    24.040] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[    24.040] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/" does not exist.
[    24.040] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[    24.040] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi" does not exist.
[    24.040] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[    24.040] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi" does not exist.
[    24.040] 	Entry deleted from font path.
[    24.040] (==) FontPath set to:
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
	/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
	/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType,
	built-ins
[    24.040] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-modules,/usr/lib/xorg/extra-modules,/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[    24.040] (WW) Hotplugging is on, devices using drivers 'kbd', 'mouse' or 'vmmouse' will be disabled.
[    24.040] (WW) Disabling Keyboard0
[    24.040] (WW) Disabling Mouse0
[    24.040] (II) Loader magic: 0x7e0220
[    24.040] (II) Module ABI versions:
[    24.040] 	X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[    24.040] 	X.Org Video Driver: 10.0
[    24.040] 	X.Org XInput driver : 12.3
[    24.040] 	X.Org Server Extension : 5.0
[    24.044] (--) PCI:*(0:4:0:0) 10de:08a0:106b:00c2 rev 162, Mem @ 0xd2000000/16777216, 0xc0000000/268435456, 0xd0000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x00001000/128, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072
[    24.044] (II) Open ACPI successful (/var/run/acpid.socket)
[    24.044] (II) LoadModule: "extmod"
[    24.137] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libextmod.so
[    24.137] (II) Module extmod: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    24.137] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.0.0
[    24.137] 	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[    24.137] 	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension XFree86-DGA
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension DPMS
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension XVideo
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension X-Resource
[    24.137] (II) LoadModule: "dbe"
[    24.137] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdbe.so
[    24.137] (II) Module dbe: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    24.137] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.0.0
[    24.137] 	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[    24.137] 	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[    24.137] (II) Loading extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
[    24.137] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[    24.137] (II) Loading /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-modules/libglx.so
[    25.487] (II) Module glx: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[    25.498] 	compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[    25.498] 	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[    25.498] (II) NVIDIA GLX Module  280.13  Wed Jul 27 17:12:07 PDT 2011
[    25.498] (II) Loading extension GLX
[    25.498] (II) LoadModule: "record"
[    25.498] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/librecord.so
[    25.498] (II) Module record: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    25.498] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.13.0
[    25.498] 	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[    25.498] 	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[    25.498] (II) Loading extension RECORD
[    25.498] (II) LoadModule: "dri"
[    25.498] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdri.so
[    25.499] (II) Module dri: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    25.499] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.0.0
[    25.499] 	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[    25.499] (II) Loading extension XFree86-DRI
[    25.499] (II) LoadModule: "dri2"
[    25.499] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libdri2.so
[    25.499] (II) Module dri2: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    25.499] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.2.0
[    25.499] 	ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 5.0
[    25.499] (II) Loading extension DRI2
[    25.499] (II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
[    25.499] (II) Loading /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-modules/nvidia_drv.so
[    25.604] (II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[    25.611] 	compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[    25.611] 	Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[    25.661] (II) NVIDIA dlloader X Driver  280.13  Wed Jul 27 16:55:26 PDT 2011
[    25.661] (II) NVIDIA Unified Driver for all Supported NVIDIA GPUs
[    25.665] (++) using VT number 7

[    25.673] (II) Loading sub module "fb"
[    25.673] (II) LoadModule: "fb"
[    25.673] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfb.so
[    25.673] (II) Module fb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    25.673] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.0.0
[    25.673] 	ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[    25.673] (II) Loading sub module "wfb"
[    25.673] (II) LoadModule: "wfb"
[    25.674] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libwfb.so
[    25.690] (II) Module wfb: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[    25.690] 	compiled for 1.10.4, module version = 1.0.0
[    25.690] 	ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[    25.690] (II) Loading sub module "ramdac"
[    25.690] (II) LoadModule: "ramdac"
[    25.690] (II) Module "ramdac" already built-in
[    25.708] (II) Loading /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/xorg/extra-modules/nvidia_drv.so
[    25.708] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libwfb.so
[    25.708] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfb.so
[    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
[    26.294] (II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
[    26.294] (II) Unloading nvidia
[    26.294] (II) UnloadModule: "wfb"
[    26.294] (II) Unloading wfb
[    26.294] (II) UnloadModule: "fb"
[    26.294] (II) Unloading fb
[    26.295] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[    26.295] 
Fatal server error:
[    26.295] no screens found
[    26.295] 
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
	 at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 
[    26.295] Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[    26.295] 
[    26.299]  ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

lspci device list

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP89 HOST Bridge (rev a1)
00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP89 Memory Controller (rev a1)
00:01.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d6d (rev a1)
00:01.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d6e (rev a1)
00:01.2 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d6f (rev a1)
00:01.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d70 (rev a1)
00:02.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d71 (rev a1)
00:02.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d72 (rev a1)
00:03.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP89 LPC Bridge (rev a2)
00:03.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP89 Memory Controller (rev a1)
00:03.2 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP89 SMBus (rev a1)
00:03.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP89 Memory Controller (rev a1)
00:03.4 Co-processor: nVidia Corporation MCP89 Co-Processor (rev a1)
00:04.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP89 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev a1)
00:04.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP89 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev a2)
00:06.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP89 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev a1)
00:06.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP89 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev a2)
00:08.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP89 High Definition Audio (rev a2)
00:0a.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP89 SATA Controller (rev a2)
00:0b.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0d75 (rev a1)
00:0e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation Device 0d9a (rev a1)
00:15.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation Device 0d9b (rev a1)
00:16.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation Device 0d9b (rev a1)
00:17.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP89 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1)
01:00.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Agere Systems FW643 PCI Express1394b Controller (PHY/Link) (rev 08)
02:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5764M Gigabit Ethernet PCIe (rev 10)
04:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Device 08a0 (rev a2)
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

since i can't access my installed ubuntu box right now, and i'm not quiet expert of CLI mode, i am currently using my oneiric's livecd to access these files, hope it could help

[hanbo]

I currently dont have access to that mbp, maybe tomorrow. But from what i remember my xorg.log looked very similar, espacially that nvidia errors, and i have the same device (08a0)

[Aearenda]

Well done mulky, and I have the same hardware and nvidia version - but the kernel boot line logged in Xorg.0.log on mine is different, and of course on mine nvidia does recognise the hardware.

On the kernel boot line, you have 'nomodeset vga=791' showing at the end, I have 'ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7'.

This is more interesting still, because in /etc/default/grub, where I would expect to find such things set, all it says in the relevant line is

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

I suspect your /etc/default/grub says something different, and I'm going to suggest you edit that line to match mine, then run update-grub, and reboot - BUT FIRST, if you have done any of the plymouth splash screen framebuffer tweaks involving running update-initramfs, undo them. You'll know what I am talking about if you have done them. All this will have to be done from a terminal - see below.

Another difference is possibly this: I'm not dual-booting. The drive only has Ubuntu on it, and so I'm not using refit or anything else. I have a separate drive for OS X. This may well affect the early initialisation of the nvidia hardware. If this is the cause, I have no idea what to do next.

For reference, here's my /etc/default/grub:

 If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

You need to run 'sudo update-grub' after changing this and double-checking it.

If you can't get a terminal session by pressing ctrl+alt+fn+F1 at the black screen after a normal boot, I suggest you boot into recovery mode (hold down the shift key at Grub boot time) and choose a root recovery terminal to do these changes using nano, then reboot again. If all this is gobbledegook, let me know and I'll see if I can find some better instructions.

Update: reading around, it looks like 'nomodeset' may be needed with refit - so if what I have suggested doesn't work, try putting this in, but still omitting the vga=791 part:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="nomodeset"

Also, it may be that refit is actally adding 'nomodeset vga=791' itself, in which case you won't find it in /etc/default/grub. I have no idea what to do with refit to sort that out, but if you hold the shift key as Grub starts, you may be able to edit them out again for test purposes.

[mulky]

sorry i forgot to tell you, last time i try to access the oneiric, i test some bootflag and the last logged is when using the "nomodeset vga=791" bootflag based on the thread about blank screen you mentioned before, actually my real bootflag is similar as yours ( "ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7" ) . quiet confusing

[Aearenda]

Well, I suspect that leaves the dual boot with refit as the cause then! Or are you using a separate disk too?

edit: Did you try just nomodeset without the vga=791?

[hanbo]

Well, I suspect that leaves the dual boot with refit as the cause then! Or are you using a separate disk too?

edit: Did you try just nomodeset without the vga=791?

I am using only ubuntu on my hd now, after having problems with refit and syncing the partition tables.

[mulky]

Well, I suspect that leaves the dual boot with refit as the cause then! Or are you using a separate disk too?

edit: Did you try just nomodeset without the vga=791?

I''m using dual boot of snow leopard and oneiric on my external hd with refit, also have tried swapping internal hd with that disk with no luck. Could refit really be the problem? I also tried to use wubi installer version embedded into my internal hd's bootcamp partition. All the results are the same, using any nvidia driver will lead into blank screen instead of getting dual display working

For the bootflag, yes i have tried without vga=791 too

Are you using oneiric with the internal hd ? What partition scheme did you use(gpt/mbr)?

[Aearenda]

Yes, Oneiric is on the internal drive, using MBR, but that shouldn't matter. I change the drive if I need to to switch over to OS X or Ubuntu.

I was thinking it might be refit causing the problem because of the effect Chameleon bootloader settings have on nvidia with OS X running on a Hackintosh. However, hanbo is not using refit now and has the same problem, so that rules refit out.

I'm wondering about firmware - I'm using OS X Lion; 'About this Mac' reports Boot ROM version MBP71.0039.B0E, and for graphics it reports ROM revision 3533. The boot ROM was updated in the last few days to add Lion remote recovery, and the previous version worked with Oneiric too, but it would be interesting to see if you have a different graphics ROM version. Also, I have 8Gb RAM - but I don't see how that should make any difference.

Update: Could try this from the terminal (not liveCD), and reboot:

sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current

(This was from http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...8&postcount=50)
Or maybe some suggestions here, including blacklisting nouveau: http://askubuntu.com/questions/37590...y-see-terminal
Also, could try the xorg-edgers ppa.
It might be worth starting again with installing Ubuntu!

Update 2: I have now proven that my installation works even if loaded from an external drive using refit.

Update 3: I've just noticed the file /etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-graphics-drivers.conf on my system, which blacklists nouveau. Make sure yours matches this:

# This file was installed by nvidia-current
# Do not edit this file manually

blacklist nouveau
blacklist lbm-nouveau
blacklist nvidia-173
blacklist nvidia-96
blacklist nvidia-current-updates
blacklist nvidia-173-updates
blacklist nvidia-96-updates
alias nvidia nvidia_current
alias nouveau off
alias lbm-nouveau off

[mulky]

Hi Aearenda,

i have made two fresh install of oneiric by now, 1st with dual boot w/ snow leopard using gpt, the 2nd one is single boot using mbr (both accessed by refit).

for the 1st one, since i'm curious about linux kernel, i try to install the nvidia-current by not updating the system, leaving my oneiric in default state
for the 2nd one, i make the complete system update before installing nvidia-current

and .. for both results, the black screen is still there, herewith i attach the info about my steps and error for the 1st method before it's rebooted and goes to black screen

FYI, seems like my MBP is really the same as yours, i have 8GB RAM installed with latest update of EFI for Lion firmware few days ago. if it's help, i'm also using 1TB Samsung HD for my internal storage (but since i'm not using it for oneiric installment, i guess it doesn't make any difference)

BOOT ROM

Hardware Overview:

  Model Name:	MacBook Pro
  Model Identifier:	MacBookPro7,1
  Processor Name:	Intel Core 2 Duo
  Processor Speed:	2.66 GHz
  Number of Processors:	1
  Total Number of Cores:	2
  L2 Cache:	3 MB
  Memory:	8 GB
  Bus Speed:	1.07 GHz
  Boot ROM Version:	MBP71.0039.B0E
  SMC Version (system):	1.62f6
  Serial Number (system):	------
  Hardware UUID:	DEE92B3F-F5E9-59AD-8954-913C1B4D3AE0
  Sudden Motion Sensor:
  State:	Enabled

Graphic ROM:

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
  Displays:
Color LCD:
  Resolution:	1280 x 800
  Pixel Depth:	32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Mirror:	Off
  Online:	Yes
  Built-In:	Yes
VGA Display:
  Resolution:	1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz
  Pixel Depth:	32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
  Main Display:	Yes
  Mirror:	Off
  Online:	Yes
  Rotation:	Supported
  Adapter Type:	Analog VGA Or Analog Over DVI-I
  Adapter Firmware Version:	1.30

so, back to square one, can you elaborate your process / method of oneiric installment on yours (from choosing partition table, boot loader, etc, until you made nvidia working) . i am really curious about this since i'm in need of using dedicated ubuntu on my system. i also curious about how you made the single installed ubuntu drive to work using MBR in MBP without refit, since i can't make it working (the MBP doesn't recognize any bootable drive, i use to install the boot loader on the same primary disk i installed, dev/sda for example, not into the ubuntu partition itself )

thanks for your help.

PS : note the the strange nvidia-settings error seems to be always there, please refer to the attached picture

here's also my generated xorg.conf :

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 280.13  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-03.nvidia.com)  Wed Jul 27 17:15:58 PDT 2011


Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

[Aearenda]

Well, to avoid using rEFIt I followed the 'Single boot: Ubuntu-only' instructions at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ma...elInstallation and then the notes at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBookPro7-1/Oneiric

How did you get the nvidia-settings screenshot? Did it drop back to low graphics mode?

I think the best thing would be for me to repeat my installation on another spare disk, noting what I do as I go, since I've already set out as much as I remember. Unfortunately I can't really do that until Monday, since Monday and Tuesday are my 'weekend'.

Update: I stayed up late and did my re-installation. Here is what I did:
1. Carefully install a suitable internal disk drive! CAUTION: THIS DRIVE WILL BE COMPLETELY WIPED BY FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS. DO NOT USE YOUR OS X DRIVE HERE!
2. Plug the network cable in.
3. Boot from standard Oneiric 64-bit Desktop CD by holding C down until it is clearly using the CD (or hold 'Option' and choose 'Windows').
4. Chose 'Try Ubuntu'
5. When it is ready, click the Ubuntu button, type 'part' (omitting the quotes) and press Return
6. In gParted's menu choose Device->Create Partition Table
7. Make sure 'msdos' is showing under 'Advanced' then click 'Apply'.
8. Close gParted
9. Double-click on 'Install Ubuntu 11.10'
10. To skip release notes, hit 'Continue'
11. To accept next page about checks and options, 'Continue'
12. To accept the default partition layout, 'Continue' (actually I never do this when I am installing a working system, but instead use a 10Gb root partition and a spare partition the same size as the root partition so I can always revert to an older installation if an upgrade fails, a suitable swap partition, and a separate home partition using the rest of the space - but that's another story).
13. Double-check and click 'Install now'
14. To accept location, click 'Continue'
15. Change the keyboard layout to English(US) – English(Macintosh) and click 'Continue'
16. Fill in user details and click 'Continue'
17. Choose a picture and click 'Continue'
18. Wait for a while
19. Click 'Restart Now'
20. Remove the installation CD and press Return
21. Wait for the white-screen delay (drive not 'blessed' yet) followed by Ubuntu startup
22. Login
23. Start a terminal by pressing control+option+t (or plug a mouse in and use that as the installed touchpad driver is flakey until updated).
24. Run 'sudo apt-get update'
25. Run 'sudo apt-get install nvidia-current nvidia-settings' and press return when prompted.
26. Run 'sudo nvidia-xconfig' which winges about the file not being there but creates /etc/X11/xorg.conf anyway.
27. Run 'sudo reboot'
28. Wait for the white-screen delay (drive not 'blessed' yet) followed by Ubuntu startup, showing big 'Ubuntu' splash and Nvidia logo (briefly).
29. Login
30. Note that nvidia-settings now works.

That's all I did, honest! Sorry about the terminal commands, but using them gets over the flakey touchpad and is much more precise about what we are doing.

To get the external screen to work using nvidia-settings:
1. Start a terminal window for use later
2. Start Nvidia-settings and choose Xserver Display Configuration
3. Select the external screen and change its configuration from 'disabled' to 'twinview'.
4. Select the internal screen and set its resolution to 'off'.
5. Click 'Apply' – screen goes funny then blank, sometimes with only the mouse pointer, end eventually returns as it was – click 'apply' again and it works after a moment or two, but this time you have to click on 'keep current settings' before it times out and reverts again.
6. Note that the unpatched unity might disappear while doing this! Do 'unity --replace' in the terminal might fix it - otherwise, press control+option+fn+F1, login to the terminal session, and run 'sudo service lightdm restart' then go back to step 1.