12.04 boots to black screen; then reboots

[Roxy_Robinson]

WinXP on Dell Dimension E310, 3 Gigs Ram, NVidia GeForce 8400.
Installation appeared to go OK and I wound up with the following menu:
GNU GRUB version 1.99-21Ubuntu3.15
Ubuntu, with Linux 3.20-67-generic-pae
Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2-67-generic-pae (recovery mode)
Memory test (memtest64)
Memory test (memtest64, serial console 115200)
Dell Utility Partition (on /dev/sda1)
Windows NT/2000/XP (loader)(on /dev/sda2)
If I choose the first option, it will never boot into Ubuntu. It boots through a quick purplish screen, then to a blank screen for several seconds, shuts down, and then boots back to the above menu.
If I choose the second option (recovery mode) I can boot into Ubuntu.
And there is no problem booting into XP, although that is the ONLY way I can Shut Down from any mode. If I choose either restart or shutdown from Ubuntu, it reboots.
After choosing the first option, and going through the reboot bit several times, I chose the second option - recovery mode. From there I chose Repair Broken Packages, thinking that some thing might be broken. It ran and when everything stopped it said that there were 198 updates that needed to be installed. I chose to continue. This was about midnight. When it passed 198 (by quite a few), I went to bed. When I got up and checked it, it had downloaded and installed over 550 packages.
But I am still having the same boot problems, EXCEPT, that I now have an extra added option - Previous Linux Versions??????
So that is where I am. XP boots and runs just fine. To get into Ubuntu, I have to use the recovery mode, and then go to Resume. Today when I was checking to see if anything was different, once I was in Ubuntu it asked me if I wanted to upgrade to 14.04? Would this help the situation any? What do I need to do to get the continual reboot to stop? What do I do to get it to boot to Ubuntu without going through recovery mode? Why do I have the 2 MemTest options? Why do I now have the Previous Versions option???

[mörgæs]

I would delete all Buntu partitions and begin with a fresh install of 14.04.1. If you want something faster than Ubuntu you could consider X/Lubuntu.

Does the nomodeset boot option help?

Are you aware that Windows XP is out of support?

[Roxy_Robinson]

That has got to be just about the worst answer I have received on any forum, ever, since I started using them back in the early 90's.
1. There is only one Ubuntu partition - were in the heck did you get "all" from????
2. What nomodest boot option????
3. Yes, I am very aware that XP is out of support. I also know that it is one of the best versions Microsoft has ever put out. I've never had any kind of problem whatsoever with this XP machine. I also know that as long as I keep it off the internet it will continue to be a good machine and I can continue to use all the programs that are on it.
4. You have been absolutely no help whatsoever to someone who has just tried for their first use of any kind of Linux program. And I would think that your personal icon is a good "description" of you!

[Iowan]

... and that would be one of the most ungracious responses I've seen for awhile.
1. Ubuntu usually creates a swap partition and some users create separate partitions for /home.
2. More help for nomodeset (http://askubuntu.com/questions/207175/what-does-nomodeset-do).
3.
4. I hope you realize that your personal attack may have "poisoned the pond" for anyone else who might have considered helping.

[Roxy_Robinson]

That's too bad if someone gets hurt by the truth, as that response was, like I said, absolutely no help whatsoever to my situation. I posted what happened and received no explanation or help to get the situation turned into a good outcome!!!!

[lisati]

Seeing that the suggestion about nomodeset did not help, I'm inclined to agree that a fresh install might be the best option.

[Roxy_Robinson]

I don't know if nomodeset helped or not, I never saw any such animal, nor know how to get to it!!!!!!

The link "More help for nomodeset" is all mumbo jumbo to me!

[QIII]

This (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1613132) may be easier to understand.

Go down to the section starting with "How to temporarily set kernel boot options on an installed OS (not wubi)"

It's a bit old, but I believe things should still be the same.

[Roxy_Robinson]

Well, the last answer did not seem to work. I followed the instructions about the temporary set and it worked OK. I then followed the instructions for the permanent set and it would not stay in the code. So I was back to where I was as in my original statement. So, I took the first responders "advice" and installed 14.04. MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now its like - click on something . . . . . .wait . . . . . wait for it . . . . . just another second or 2 . . . . oh, wow, I'm finally where I clicked to be. And I can't see everything on my screen any more. It has set the monitor at 640X480 and I can't change it. It shows my monitor as "Built-in display". It is a really old, lcd, 15" monitor, but at least when I had 12.04 it would use the much higher resolution so that I could see everything on my monitor, and could change to a lower resolution if I wanted to. Going to 14.04 did correct one thing though - it will boot straight through without having to go to a "disabled" version to get to Ubuntu. It does still reboot every time you ask it to SHUT DOWN. So, what say ye now??????

[oldfred]

Your nVidia required nomodeset to get into the low resolution screen. Then you need to install the correct nVidia driver for your version of card to have the correct resolutions.

But Ubuntu repository does not yet even have the recently released 340.xx version.
NVIDIA is ceasing to support their older GeForce 8, 9, 200, and 300 series from their mainline driver but the NVIDIA 340.xx driver series will become a long-term legacy driver that they will commit to supporting until April of 2016.
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3473
http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3142/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNDAyMzMzMDI0L3NpZC9fVTZwRW9XbA%3D% 3D


It looks like you can use the most current version in repository.
nVidia driver versions:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html
Legacy drivers by GPU model
http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_32667.html
Updated driver search by nVidia model
http://www.geforce.com/drivers

Screen shot of my install of nVidia driver from System Settings. I have a slightly newer 9600GT version.

[Roxy_Robinson]

Well, I did find something that helped. Software and updates section - showed using the Ubuntu display driver. Changed that to the most recent NVidia drivers - now I at least have a 1024X768 resolution choice. It renamed the monitor to - Do Not Use - WAN 15". But do still have the problem where we you choose Shutdown, it reboots!!! Only way to actually Shutdown is when it reboots back to the Menu is choose Windows and then Shutdown from there. Pain in the butt!!!!

[Roxy_Robinson]

Thanks for the info on the nVidia drivers. The most recent one I found for XP was the 3.31 something version, and that is what showed up in the Ubuntu window. Along with 3.04. I used the 3.31. Maybe at some point Ubuntu Software will pick up the new 3.4, but I will have find it for my XP partition. Your UEFI boot install & repair - is there something there about the continuous reboot?

[oldfred]

Some of the new UEFI systems have a strange boot process as Windows wants to control it.
But older BIOS based systems are different. It seems like some process is not shutting down correctly.

Try this:
sudo shutdown now -H

see man shutdown for other options

Did you change any grub settings in /etc/default/grub like this were servers do want to always be rebooted?
For a server that you want to reboot even on shutdown
GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=0

Also you can do this.

Never force shutdown your system. Use Alt+SysRq R-E-I-S-U-B instead. (For newer laptops they don't bother adding the SysRq print to the key, but it's the same as the PrtScr key)

Holding down Alt and SysRq (which is the Print Screen key) while slowly typing REISUB
R-E-I-S-U-B to force shutdown
A good way to remember it is.
Raising Skinny Elephants Is Utterly Boring ...or
Reboot System Even If Ultimately Broken ...LOL.
xhttp://kember.net/articles/reisub-the-gentle-linux-restart/

[Roxy_Robinson]

Where do I "Try this:"
See man(ual?) shutdown for other options - where?
I didn't change anything on 14.04. I followed the instructions changing the grub menu on 12.04 (which only worked with the temporary)
Sorry about all the questions but I am an absolute NEWBIE, and am trying to set this XP/Ubuntu machine up for my grandson so that he can play all of his old Windows games, but yet have a safe way to connect to the internet.

[oldfred]

Those are terminal commands. You can copy & paste. Often best not to try to type anyway as even spaces make a difference.

Get a terminal by <ctrl_+alt+F1> & back to gui with ctrl alt f7
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsingTheTerminal/
In Ubuntu you start a terminal window with ctrl + alt + t
or via the menu Program -- Accessories -- Terminal

[Roxy_Robinson]

OK, I entered "sudo shutdown now -H" and here is what I got:
It exited the Ubuntu home page and went to a page that was headed by Ubuntu 14.04 with 4 dots under it - 2 orange colored, 2 white (next, below this line
[ 435.163228] reboot: System halted gnal, shutting down...isabled; edit /etc/default/speech-dispatcher
*Asking all remaining processes to terminate... [OK]
ModemManager [620]:<info> ModemManager is shut down [OK]
nm-dispatcher.action: Could not acquire the org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher service
Message: 'Connection was disconnected from the system bus, exiting.
*Deactivating swap... [OK]
*Will now halt
And it halted right here with all of the above on the screen. Had to complete the shutdown with the power button

[oldfred]

Not sure if messages are normal or not. My system just shuts down, although I almost never shut it down.

Are you running nm-dispatcher?
It seems to be part of Network-Manager
http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise-updates/i386/network-manager/filelist

Are you having any networking issues then?

[Roxy_Robinson]

I don't know if I'm running nm-dispatcher or not. I am using a USB wifi connection and it is working very well. Especially since it is going through a couple of walls and around a couple of corners.

[oldfred]

That is not the issue and it must not work anymore.
I just did the sudo shutdown on my system and it full shutdown, but did not power off. Same messages as you got.

Update -h works for me. Capital H just shutsdown.
see
man shutdown

Found this:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/187071/how-do-i-restart-shutdown-from-a-terminal

Which has these as suggestions.
sudo shutdown now -h
sudo poweroff
sudo halt
sudo init 0

And others that are reboot or other commands.

[Roxy_Robinson]

I tried every option listed above, those listed at the link given, and everything else listed in the help file. The option with Capital H and "halt" both stopped Ubuntu at the screen I described above, but no shutdown. Everything else shut down Ubuntu and rebooted back to the systems option menu. I have looked in the machine BIOS settings but cannot find anything that would be causing this. It seems like it has to be something inherit with the machine code as it did the same thing with 12.04. I also looked at all the XP Power settings and couldn't find anything there either.

[oldfred]

Then I also am out of ideas.
I would not think it is an XP issue as that should be separate. But what Ubuntu thinks is full power down setting is not then correct.