Black screen/Screen turns off during bootup

[Megalorian]

I just installed Hardy Heron on my Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop, dual booting with windows XP.

When I boot up, I can see the operating system begin to load. But when it comes to displaying the login slash screen, the screen goes black. I know it's still working in the background because the sound that plays when the Ubuntu login screen comes up is still played after a minute, so I have sound but no video. I can login by typing blind. But when my desktop loads, I still cannot see anything except a black screen.

The problem is also intermittant. Sometimes if I restart, the splash screen does actually appear and I can log on without difficulty. I can also boot from the live CD without any problems.

My graphics card is an onboard intel graphics card.

Based on looking at other threads on the problem, I have checked the resolution settings in the '/etc/usplash.conf' file. The resolution is set to exactly what it should be: 1024x768.

I noticed under System->Change Resolution, I cannot change the resolution.

[dstew]

Can you get a desktop if you boot in Safe Graphics mode (F6 at opening menu I think)? If so, you can probably reconfigure your regular desktop.

[Megalorian]

I can reboot in standard mode if I hit the reset button enough times. I tried changing the resolution (unsuccessfully).

[Megalorian]

Here is the contents of my xorg.conf file. Perhaps it hasn't detected my graphics card?


# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics Touchpad"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Protocol" "auto-dev"
Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Synaptics Touchpad"
EndSection

[sp0nge]

I have been dealing with a similar issue on my Inspiron 1000 for some time now. I have found the root of the problem lays within the wiring of the LCD. Apparently, this product line is notorious for having problems with the flex cables used to connect the monitor to the mobo.

Some of the articles I read had me open the machine up and locate the area where the flex cable is grounded (in my case, that is under the keyboard, just to the left of the TAB and CAPS LOCK keys. Some have found that by moving this cable from the hole it is in to the second hole (there are 2 holes in the metal frame around the keyboard), the problem is fixed. When I attempted this, I was unable to reassemble the machine- the second hole was used for a piece of the plastic case to slip into apparently. I don't know if this will work for you, but ultimately I had to accept the defeat and replace the screen altogether. A costly repair at $300 but it works like a charm now.

Hope this helps!

[Megalorian]

Well I know it's not a hardware problem in my case because I have never seen anything like this happen under Windows on my Inspiron.

[dstew]

Certainly that xorg.conf file looks funny. No real device section for the display. Boot to Recovery Mode, and on the command line do
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xerver-xorgto create a new xorg.conf file. Just to be safe, choose the vesa driver (you can always choose a different driver later). As highest resolution, choose the resolution you actually use. After you have re-configured, enter startx to start the xserver.

By the way, what Ubuntu flavor is it?

[Megalorian]

Certainly that xorg.conf file looks funny. No real device section for the display. Boot to Recovery Mode, and on the command line do
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xerver-xorgto create a new xorg.conf file. Just to be safe, choose the vesa driver (you can always choose a different driver later). As highest resolution, choose the resolution you actually use. After you have re-configured, enter startx to start the xserver.

By the way, what Ubuntu flavor is it?

The version I'm using is Hardy Heron. I think I have found the solution. I came across a thread which recommended doing what you suggested. But that didn't appear to have any effect oddly enough.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=651451

After that, I removed the splash line from menu.lst (as recommended by post #10 in the thread above). I then shutdown and restarted about 6/7 times and only had one instance of a black screen.

[brigadoon]

I have a Toshiba and had similar problems. My NVIDIA driver wasn't configured to talk to the flat panel display. I had to customize a binary file so that I could change to higher resolutions. My solution is at...

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=773391

It may offer up some ideas that you can try with your system.

[dstew]

But that didn't appear to have any effect oddly enough.Did you get the reconfiguration questions about the display when you did the dpkg-reconfigure command? I have heard that Hardy does not re-configure the display that way. There is a graphical tool, I think it is
gksudo displayconfig-gtkThis only works if you have the gnome display manager working, though.

[Megalorian]

*sigh* Sometimes I wonder why I bother with Linux at all...At least my Windows partition actually boots up properly.

I booted up the laptop again...4 times in total. 3 black screens and then finally on the 4th try, I could see the login screen. It's the randomness I really don't get.


I have heard that Hardy does not re-configure the display that way. There is a graphical tool, I think it is
I only found one entry for configuring the display. I tried both 'Yes/no' choices and it still black screened. I can't recall what the exact text was. Something about auto detecting the card.

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg.
I ran this from the terminal. I could see my graphics card listed, so I selected that option. On bootup, the display looked real screwy like a TV with static and vertical lines in the picture.

After that, I downloaded a Linux driver for the graphics card from the Intel website. Tried compiling the driver and it crapped out with an error.

[dstew]

I could see my graphics card listed, so I selected that option.Do you mean your graphics card driver? Pick the vesa driver instead, if you can. It might get you a working desktop. Then update. Then see if there is a restricted driver or HAL for your display.

On the occasions when you get a graphical interface, you might try Alt-F2, and enter
gksudo displayconfig-gtk

[Megalorian]

Do you mean your graphics card driver?
Yes


Pick the vesa driver instead, if you can. It might get you a working desktop. Then update. Then see if there is a restricted driver or HAL for your display.

What's a HAL?

I ran gksudo displayconfig-gtk and selected the vesa driver. on bootup I got the same black screen again. D'oh!


On the occasions when you get a graphical interface, you might try Alt-F2, and enter
I was able to switch to cmdline mode without any problems during bootup.

[Megalorian]

I noticed this error during bootup.
"intel_rng: FWH not detected"

Is this anything graphics related?

[Megalorian]

I tried this solution as well. But to no avail...


edit /etc/initramfs-tools/modules
add the following

vga16fb
fbcon
vesafb

edit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-framebuffer
comment out the following (prefix with #)

blacklist vesafb
blacklist vga16fb

last but not least, run the following in a terminal

sudo update-initramfs -u

[brigadoon]

I have a different driver (NVIDIA) and got a black screen on boot up as well on my Toshiba laptop. I had to add a line to my XORG.CONF file directing my driver to see the flat panel display on my laptop. Try adding Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP" to the Section "Screen" portion of your XORG.CONF file.

[Megalorian]

I have a different driver (NVIDIA) and got a black screen on boot up as well on my Toshiba laptop. I had to add a line to my XORG.CONF file directing my driver to see the flat panel display on my laptop. Try adding Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP" to the Section "Screen" portion of your XORG.CONF file.

I changed the screen section of my XORG.CONF file to:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP"
EndSection


Still hasn't worked.

If I restart the X server or reboot 2/3 times, it eventually displays the login screen.