Installed Ubuntu 10.10 with windows installer and it runs in low graphics mode

[102jon]

I just installed Ubuntu on a laptop that is running windows 7. I accidentally tried installing a piece of software from the software centre before setting up my network. When I boot Ubuntu it now runs in low graphics mode only. What happened, and how can i fix it?

[102jon]

bump. I tried deleting ubuntu and am currently in the process of reinstalling it.

[sikander3786]

Welcome to the forums :-)

Sorry for the late reply. So, you are re-installing Ubuntu right now? I think you by mistake installer some graphics drivers from Software Center that were not intended for your graphics card and thus you were being booted to safe mode. Or it might be some other thing causing the problem but it is easily solve-able.

If it happens again, don't reformat your PC. Instead, please wait for some time to let some-one guide you with the solution.

And for installing graphics drivers, don't use Software Center. Instead use the GUI under System > Administration > Hardware Drivers/Additional Drivers.

[Mark Phelps]

Presuming your laptop can boot from CD, you'd actually do better NOT installing but running in LiveCD mode first. That would give you a chance to see how well Ubuntu detects your hardware and installs working drivers.

By just jumping in, you're discovering the problems AFTER you install -- which is OK, but it means you're working in poor environment while you're trying to fix it.

[102jon]

Thanks for the help guys. It's up and running now. Only thing is, when I choose which OS to boot, I have Ubuntu appear twice. Any way to get rid of that? Both selections load the same system.

[sikander3786]

Thanks for the help guys. It's up and running now. Only thing is, when I choose which OS to boot, I have Ubuntu appear twice. Any way to get rid of that? Both selections load the same system.
I think it is the recovery mode option that you are talking about?

Or even if it is a separate kernel, it is advised that you keep at least one older kernel so that if something goes wrong with the new one (updates), you can still boot the older and diagnose/solve the issue.

The output of this one will tell us more.


cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg

[102jon]

I don't think it's recovery mode. The screen asks me to select a system to run, and the following appears:

Windows 7
Ubuntu
Ubuntu

I tried typing that command in and got the following:



#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
saved_entry="${chosen}"
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
}

if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.35-22-generic" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 764a866c4a8628c7
loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
set root=(loop0)
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/sda2 loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.35-22-generic (recovery mode)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 764a866c4a8628c7
loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
set root=(loop0)
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/sda2 loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos2)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 764a866c4a8628c7
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda3)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 14eede64eede3da4
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

[102jon]

Also I believe both selections run the same kernel.

[102jon]

bump

[sikander3786]

Here are the entries you see in your Grub menu.


menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.35-22-generic"
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.35-22-generic (recovery mode)"
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda2)"
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda3)"

So, one of those Ubuntu entries is the recovery mode and hiding it is not recommended at all as you may need to boot into command line or safe graphics mode if something goes wrong with your gui.

[102jon]

Yeah i have those selections but that's not what I'm referring to. Before that, when I'm selecting my OS, I should see:

Windows 7
Ubuntu

But I get an extra Ubuntu selection as well. It's no big deal but I want to know if there's a way to get rid of that.

[sikander3786]

Is this a Wubi install i.e, Ubuntu installed inside Windows using the .exe installer?

Any case, the output of bootinfoscript might help us find out. Instructions and script here.

http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.ent

Please run the script and post the complete output.

If this is a Wubi install, that choices screen has nothing to do with Ubuntu or Grub. It is the boot.ini file on your C: partition that needs to be modified. Lets see...

[102jon]

Yeah, it was a Wubi install. What happened was I downloaded the wubi installer, installed ubuntu, and then deleted all the files from my C drive after ubuntu wasn't working. The ubuntu selection still appeared upon booting my computer though. I redownloaded the wubi installer, and only have one set of ubuntu files. But it created a new ubuntu selection, so I now have two ubuntu selections. I'd like to just have one. This is separate from the generic mode vs recovery mode.

[sikander3786]

You need to edit some of your Windows configuration files. It was as easy as editing the boot.ini file in Windows XP but no longer for Windows 7. You'll need to use EasyBCD. I don't have many suggestions on that. View the neosmart forums or wait for some-one experienced on that to pass-by your thread.

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

[102jon]

Great thanks for the help.