blank desktop on ubuntu install (kubuntu install is fine)

[c-roc]

When I installed Ubuntu 8.04 on my roomie's computer, it results in a blank screen with mouse.
When I try Kubuntu it works fine.

I think I'd rather have Ubuntu because that's what I use and this guy doesn't even have an email address yet, so he's pretty green and I think Ubuntu's a little simpler.

So I'm guessing it's a gnome problem? any ideas on what I can try?

thanx

[spiderbatdad]

did you verify the cd md5sum? Can you post any specs regarding the computer?

[c-roc]

I'll run lshw when I get home and post the results.
the same disk was used in a couple other problem-free installs, but I haven't actually checked the md5sum.

[c-roc]

description: Desktop Computer
product: PROD00000000
vendor: OEM00000
width: 32 bits
capabilities: smbios-2.3 dmi-2.3 smp-1.4 smp
configuration: boot=normal chassis=desktop cpus=1
*-core
description: Motherboard
product: GA-7VAXP
vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
physical id: 0
version: 1.x
*-firmware
description: BIOS
vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
physical id: 0
version: F11 (05/09/2003)
size: 128KiB
capacity: 192KiB
capabilities: isa pci pnp apm upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppy360 int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer int10video acpi usb agp ls120boot zipboot
*-cpu
description: CPU
product: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2500+
vendor: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD]
physical id: 4
bus info: cpu@0
version: 6.10.0
slot: Socket A
size: 1837MHz
capacity: 2800MHz
width: 32 bits
clock: 167MHz
capabilities: boot fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse syscall mmxext 3dnowext 3dnow up ts
*-cache:0
description: L1 cache
physical id: 9
slot: Internal Cache
size: 128KiB
capacity: 128KiB
capabilities: synchronous internal write-back
*-cache:1
description: L2 cache
physical id: a
slot: External Cache
size: 512KiB
capacity: 512KiB
capabilities: synchronous external write-back
*-memory
description: System Memory
physical id: 1b
slot: System board or motherboard
size: 768MiB
capacity: 768MiB
*-bank:0
description: DIMM 266 MHz (3.8 ns)
product: None
vendor: None
physical id: 0
serial: None
slot: A0
size: 256MiB
clock: 266MHz (3.8ns)
*-bank:1
description: DIMM 333 MHz (3.0 ns)
product: None
vendor: None
physical id: 1
serial: None
slot: A1
size: 512MiB
clock: 333MHz (3.0ns)
*-bank:2
description: DIMM 333 MHz (3.0 ns) [empty]
product: None
vendor: None
physical id: 2
serial: None
slot: A2
clock: 333MHz (3.0ns)
*-pci
description: Host bridge
product: VT8377 [KT400/KT600 AGP] Host Bridge
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 100
bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
configuration: driver=agpgart-via latency=8 module=via_agp
*-pci
description: PCI bridge
product: VT8235 PCI Bridge
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 1
bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pci pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list
*-display UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: NV34 [GeForce FX 5200]
vendor: nVidia Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
version: a1
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: pm agp agp-3.0 vga_controller bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=32 maxlatency=1 mingnt=5
*-storage
description: RAID bus controller
product: PDC20276 (MBFastTrak133 Lite)
vendor: Promise Technology, Inc.
physical id: f
bus info: pci@0000:00:0f.0
version: 01
width: 32 bits
clock: 66MHz
capabilities: storage pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pata_pdc2027x latency=32 maxlatency=18 mingnt=4 module=pata_pdc2027x
*-usb:0
description: USB Controller
product: VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 10
bus info: pci@0000:00:10.0
version: 80
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm uhci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=32 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:1
description: USB Controller
product: VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 10.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:10.1
version: 80
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm uhci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=32 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:2
description: USB Controller
product: VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 10.2
bus info: pci@0000:00:10.2
version: 80
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm uhci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=uhci_hcd latency=32 module=uhci_hcd
*-usb:3
description: USB Controller
product: USB 2.0
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 10.3
bus info: pci@0000:00:10.3
version: 82
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm ehci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=32 module=ehci_hcd
*-isa
description: ISA bridge
product: VT8235 ISA Bridge
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 11
bus info: pci@0000:00:11.0
version: 00
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: isa pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
*-ide
description: IDE interface
product: VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 11.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:11.1
logical name: scsi2
logical name: scsi3
version: 06
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: ide pm bus_master cap_list emulated
configuration: driver=pata_via latency=32 module=pata_via
*-disk
description: ATA Disk
product: Maxtor 6E040L0
vendor: Maxtor
physical id: 0
bus info: scsi@2:0.1.0
logical name: /dev/sda
version: NAR6
serial: E13VDHJE
size: 38GiB (41GB)
capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=e94aeb46
*-volume:0
description: EXT3 volume
vendor: Linux
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@2:0.1.0,1
logical name: /dev/sda1
logical name: /
logical name: /dev/.static/dev
version: 1.0
serial: 6482e867-372f-4364-8798-d5d4912435a4
size: 37GiB
capacity: 37GiB
capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files recover ext3 ext2 initialized
configuration: created=2003-01-01 06:25:13 filesystem=ext3 modified=2008-07-29 21:15:22 mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2008-07-27 19:34:47 state=mounted
*-volume:1
description: Extended partition
physical id: 2
bus info: scsi@2:0.1.0,2
logical name: /dev/sda2
size: 729MiB
capacity: 729MiB
capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
*-logicalvolume
description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
physical id: 5
logical name: /dev/sda5
capacity: 729MiB
capabilities: nofs
*-cdrom
description: CD-R/CD-RW writer
product: CD-RW GCE-8400B
vendor: HL-DT-ST
physical id: 1
bus info: scsi@3:0.1.0
logical name: /dev/cdrom1
logical name: /dev/scd0
logical name: /dev/sr0
version: 1.02
capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw
configuration: ansiversion=5 status=open
*-multimedia
description: Multimedia audio controller
product: VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 11.5
bus info: pci@0000:00:11.5
version: 50
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm cap_list
configuration: driver=VIA 82xx Audio latency=0 module=snd_via82xx
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
physical id: 13
bus info: pci@0000:00:13.0
logical name: eth0
version: 10
serial: 00:20:ed:6d:f8:fc
size: 100MB/s
capacity: 100MB/s
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=8139too driverversion=0.9.28 duplex=full ip=192.168.200.177 latency=32 link=yes maxlatency=64 mingnt=32 module=8139too multicast=yes port=MII speed=100MB/s
*-firewire
description: FireWire (IEEE 1394)
product: IEEE 1394 Host Controller
vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
physical id: 14
bus info: pci@0000:00:14.0
version: 46
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=ohci1394 latency=32 maxlatency=32 module=ohci1394
*-scsi
physical id: 1
bus info: usb@4:5
logical name: scsi4
capabilities: emulated scsi-host
configuration: driver=usb-storage
*-disk:0
description: SCSI Disk
product: USB 2.0 Reader
physical id: 0.0.0
bus info: scsi@4:0.0.0
logical name: /dev/sdb
version: 1.05
capabilities: removable
*-medium
physical id: 0
logical name: /dev/sdb
*-disk:1
description: SCSI Disk
product: USB 2.0 Reader
physical id: 0.0.1
bus info: scsi@4:0.0.1
logical name: /dev/sdc
version: 1.05
capabilities: removable
*-medium
physical id: 0
logical name: /dev/sdc
*-disk:2
description: SCSI Disk
product: USB 2.0 Reader
physical id: 0.0.2
bus info: scsi@4:0.0.2
logical name: /dev/sdd
version: 1.05
capabilities: removable
*-medium
physical id: 0
logical name: /dev/sdd
*-disk:3
description: SCSI Disk
product: USB 2.0 Reader
physical id: 0.0.3
bus info: scsi@4:0.0.3
logical name: /dev/sde
version: 1.05
capabilities: removable
*-medium
physical id: 0
logical name: /dev/sde

[spiderbatdad]

Not sure what to suggest. I'm thinking it's a driver issue related to your video card. Google ubuntu GeForce FX 5200 might provide the answer.

Have you tried booting into safe graphics and then looking for a restricted driver in the Hardware Drivers menu?

This might work from a shell (recovery boot), of course you have to use apt-get, as you wont have a graphical environment:http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-21554.html