howto use Live CD/USB when no GUI appers

[abtabt]

hey have been active linux user about 20 year with various distro
and has for years had sometimes problems to use Live CD to work with GUI, some mac it works without problems
but with nvidia/ati cards, it becomes worse every distro upgrade,spec GeForce2 MX/MX 400 imac 700/800 ( ilamp )and some laptops have this card
and the nouveau driver get ugly 8 bit desktop etc.

This is one way to get the GUI to work with framebuffer tested L/Ubuntu 12.04 ,12.10 ,13.04,14.04 (nvidia card )
tested L/Ubuntu 12.04 (ati card )
start live CD and wait for the boot prompt and write

live video=offb:off nouveau.modeset=0 single (nvidia card )
live video=offb:off radeon.modeset=0 single (ati card )

each command with spaces

and wait one about 5 minutes until the CD stops and you write in the dark

code
modprobe nvidiafb mode_option=1024x768-16 (nvidia card some time you need to do this in tty7 i need this in Lubuntu 14.04 daily build)
(ctrl+alt and then F7 )

modprobe aty128fb mode_option=1024x768-16 (ati card )

then the CLI works if not retry .

code
Xorg-configure

give you a xorg.conf if you need one later

code
start lightdm

and you have hopefully a working live CD/USB


a couple of things that can be helpful to know at least in my case


with an IMAC G4 Globe 800 WITH Live cd

*-display
description: VGA compatible controller
product: NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400]
vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
physical id: 10
bus info: pci@0000:00:10.0
version: b2
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=nvidiafb latency=248 maxlatency=1 mingnt=5
resources: irq:48 memory:91000000-91ffffff memory:98000000-9fffffff memory:90000000-9000ffff


Lubuntu 12.04 and 12.10 cant i get working with toram

live video=offb:off nouveau.modeset=0 toram single

Ubuntu 12.04 it works with toram but you need to have
like 768 MB of RAM and swap active

Sound works
Suspend works
and this is a simpler driver for nivida card (nvidiafb)

one way too adjust swappiness default 60

sudo sysctl -w vm.swappiness=1 (1-10 for CPU with less power )

to check
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness



mode_option=1024x768-16

can be other values

and you can use the code when its installed on hd with some changes

hope it helps someone

Persistent Live USB
and Live USB have been used with succsess Lubuntu 13.04
edit and now 14.04 on a extern FW


and dont forget read
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ

edit even 13.04 works on this old iLAMP

edit now 14.04 works on this old iLAMP and zram is used (need to be in tty7 to get modprobe nvidiafb mode_option=1024x768-16 to work then good
GUI work )

16 12 2014
edit i use mate cd https://plus.google.com/111285327879...ts/2dTTB6qBHrA for a test ,works good i use nvidiafb driver
on a imac 700/800 with Persistent Live FW (its fast with FW disk )
so 14.04.1 works ok for a old Mac

[este.el.paz]

Mr abtabt:

Just following you over here on this thread, thanks for posting this information . . . and, question--do you have Lubuntu 12.10 running on your iMac 800, no problem, but having to install the retro driver for nv as per the 12.04??

Also, I personally am not understanding "toram" . . . whatever that is . . . I think on my iMac 8 I might have 612 MB of RAM??? so that might explain what? why suspend might not work? I'm still trying various ways to "clean" the system for any problems remaining from the series of KPs, and interestingly as I mentioned in my "analyze" thread, the instructions given for booting the liveDVD worked the first time I tried, but no longer work for booting DVD . . . it just goes to end of the "boot elf32" CLI stuff and hangs there . . . .

e.e.p.

[abtabt]

Mr abtabt:

Just following you over here on this thread, thanks for posting this information . . . and, question--do you have Lubuntu 12.10 running on your iMac 800, no problem, but having to install the retro driver for nv as per the 12.04??

Also, I personally am not understanding "toram" . . . whatever that is . . . I think on my iMac 8 I might have 612 MB of RAM??? so that might explain what? why suspend might not work? I'm still trying various ways to "clean" the system for any problems remaining from the series of KPs, and interestingly as I mentioned in my "analyze" thread, the instructions given for booting the liveDVD worked the first time I tried, but no longer work for booting DVD . . . it just goes to end of the "boot elf32" CLI stuff and hangs there . . . .

e.e.p.

1. no install on imac 800 12.10 only use live cd and its boot and can be
used surfing , etc i use the fbdev driver i have not tried nv ,the system need to be on the harddrive

2. only ubuntu 12.04 work toram its snappier (firefox )with more ram
its better

3. DVD and CD is not the same, CD can work but not DVD download and try
burn with slow speed

4.suspend works on mine with live cd (i use fbdev with live and nv with
Lubuntu 12.04 on the hard drive

i stick with 12.04 (safer)

5. toram means that you can use cd/dvd drive after boot and the files for live cd is in RAM

[abtabt]

updated

[abtabt]

updated Lubuntu 14.04

[este.el.paz]

updated Lubuntu 14.04

@abtabt:

I think we have the same machine, 800 iMac, just posting this over here on this thread since it possibly relates . . . in daily build 3/28 of Lu 14.04 I can boot the LiveDVD into a low resolution screen using "live nouveau.modeset=0" . . . .

But when I try to follow your instructions to change the module to "nvidiafb" or "rivafb" with the "mode_option whatever 1024x768" the screen doesn't recover from the black screen.

I've tried reading through the known issues and troubleshooting pages, so far nothing presents itself--I'd like to test out the Live DVD before doing an install and changing xorg.conf file. Any way to boot into a higher resolution GUI?

e.e.p.

[abtabt]

@abtabt:

I think we have the same machine, 800 iMac, just posting this over here on this thread since it possibly relates . . . in daily build 3/28 of Lu 14.04 I can boot the LiveDVD into a low resolution screen using "live nouveau.modeset=0" . . . .

But when I try to follow your instructions to change the module to "nvidiafb" or "rivafb" with the "mode_option whatever 1024x768" the screen doesn't recover from the black screen.

I've tried reading through the known issues and troubleshooting pages, so far nothing presents itself--I'd like to test out the Live DVD before doing an install and changing xorg.conf file. Any way to boot into a higher resolution GUI?

e.e.p.

i have see some trubble with 14.04 live dvd but i use Persistent Live USB and FW disk its easy to change and save for later boot (its like a install on the harddrive)
and i have a install on hd too but its need some tweak like blacklist etc

@abtabt:

I think we have the same machine, 800 iMac, just posting this over here on this thread since it possibly relates . . . in daily build 3/28 of Lu 14.04 I can boot the LiveDVD into a low resolution screen using "live nouveau.modeset=0" . . . .

e.e.p.

if you do in Terminal its show the hardware etc

lshw


if you get low resolution screen then open LXterminal if you have black background and the text is good then its possible to get good locking GUI (nvidiafb driver in use 32mb ram)
But if you have uggly background and uggly text when open LXterminal then you have nouvau driver active and thats the trubble like 1mb videoram

so whats need to do
nouvau driver must be removed
nvidiafb must be load with option like 1024x768-16
its tricky but i have tree system Persistent Live USB with GUI and real Install on extern FW disk with GUI and offcourse on intern HD but i think FW is faster or same then the intern drive

so try Persistent Live USB/FW no need to wipe our HD

have a nice day

[este.el.paz]

@abtabt:

Thanks for the reply . . . yeah, it seems like the DVD is having "issues" . . . maybe when I get a few minutes I'll try to get a fresh .iso and move it into a USB drive and see how that works . . . .

e.e.p.

[abtabt]

first post updated more 14.04 info

e.e.p.
this make the live cd work every time (tty7)
suspend works
need to login with lubuntu and no password needs

can you post your

lshw

[este.el.paz]

first post updated more 14.04 info

e.e.p.
this make the live cd work every time (tty7)
suspend works
need to login with lubuntu and no password needs

can you post your

lshw

abtabt:

Read your notes, thanks for following up on the details . . . probably be 24 hours before I can check the iMac . . . and get back to you.

e.e.p.