10.04 LTS RC: Blank Screen at startup

[sharkey77]

If I read this correct I too have the 855GM chipset

lshw

*-display:0 UNCLAIMED
             description: VGA compatible controller
             product: 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
             version: 02
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=0
             resources: memory:e8000000-efffffff(prefetchable) memory:e0000000-e007ffff ioport:1800(size=8)
        *-display:1 UNCLAIMED
             description: Display controller
             product: 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 2.1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
             version: 02
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=0
             resources: memory:f0000000-f7ffffff(prefetchable) memory:e0080000-e00fffff

lsmod

intel_agp              24177  2 i915
video                  17375  1 i915
output                  1871  1 video

lspci

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)

[twrock]

I followed the steps in http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...5&postcount=11 but it didn't help. I went to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/KernelModeSetting but don't know how to check my driver.

This is my grub file:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i915.modeset=1"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

I ran sudo update-grub after saving the above changes.

Looks like you have the same line in there twice.

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i915.modeset=1"

Delete the one in red and add i915.modeset=1 to the already existing line that ends in "quiet splash".

That's my guess.

[sharkey77]

You had me happy, I thought a simple error in my tiredness was to blame but I changed it and still no luck.

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i915.modeset=1"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

[sharkey77]

When I hold shift and the choose e on Grub I see that the changes I made are not saved, if I manually input i915.modeset=1 it boots fine.

Nevermind..... Just found the problem, I was running sudo update-grub in the same terminal without FIRST closing gedit so the command never actually ran even though the grub file was saved. I was tired.

[fitoo.]

does it work for intel 945 PL? i have the same problem, the black screen when boot linux....

[Jrichalot]

(NOTE: please see Post #38 below for something that worked much more simply on my Dell 700m.)

... So now I just need to edit my GRUB configuration file to make that permanent, and I should be in business. So a combination of Workaround A, editing the configuration file, and editing the GRUB configuration should finally work for me.

As always, YMMV.

Thank you very much for this fix. I am running 10.04 quite happily on a D400 now (a few more fixes needed for wireless and video but I´ll get there ;o)

Could you tell me/us which config file you entered the i915.modeset=1 option in to make it permanent.

I have tried a few of the files under /etc/grub.d/ (40_custom is a strong candidate) but they are all in a scripting language I am not familiar with and simply typing the line in does not pass the parameter to the main grub.cfg file (that now says DO NOT EDIT in big bold letters at the top!)

Thanks for any help you can give.

J.

[Manganic]

Thank you very much for this fix. I am running 10.04 quite happily on a D400 now (a few more fixes needed for wireless and video but I´ll get there ;o)

Could you tell me/us which config file you entered the i915.modeset=1 option in to make it permanent.

I have tried a few of the files under /etc/grub.d/ (40_custom is a strong candidate) but they are all in a scripting language I am not familiar with and simply typing the line in does not pass the parameter to the main grub.cfg file (that now says DO NOT EDIT in big bold letters at the top!)

Thanks for any help you can give.

J.

It really depends on whether you have Grub2 or Grub Legacy installed. If you install 10.04 LTS off the liveCD, you, by default, get Grub2, however on the computers where I upgraded from 9.10 (or earlier in some cases) it left me with Grub Legacy.

I suggest you upgrade to Grub2, as I found it somewhat easier to configure.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2

Once you've updated to Grub2, you edit /etc/default/grub, and look for the line that says GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" and change it.

Good luck!

[brucewagner]

I'm also experiencing this issue on my laptop (LG R405 with ATI Radeon Xpress 1250). I have managed somewhat of a workaround:

Hold down left-shift on boot to enter GRUB
hit "e" to edit the kernel
remove "quiet splash" and replace with "nomodeset single"
control-x to boot

(http://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+so...2/+bugs/511130)

A system recovery screen appears, I selected "start ubuntu normally" (or whatever option is similar) which put me through to a shell login prompt. After logging in to the basic shell I typed:

sbritton@Zarniwoop:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

Which, much to my surprise, launched the Lucid Lynx gui.

I'm using the standard drivers for my video card (I attempted, but failed to install ATI's catalyst control center.)

Where I'm at now is trying to figure out what changes I need to make to what files to get this gui to launch from boot. Hopefully this helps and moves us forward a bit. If anyone can make any suggestions towards what I did to get the to work this way, and what changes I can make to get this system working, I'd appreciate it!

Wow.

From the LiveDVD, I was able to do the, "Press the spacebar at the 'keyboard=man' icon screen to get the install menu"... And then the, "At install screen press F6 and select nomodeset and install Ubuntu as usual."

(Well, in my case, I am installing a LiveDVD version of Ubuntu 10.04 created using remastersys so I "Press Tab to edit options" and then I replace the words "quiet splash" with the word "nomodeset" and press Enter... and it boots to the LiveDVD desktop just fine... and I can install the OS just fine...)

But then, after installing Ubuntu... the next instruction was, "On first boot after install, press e on getting the GRUB bootloader."

SORRY GUYS! THIS IS WRONG!

For a newbie, you must say, "Hold down the left Shift key during boot to get the Grub bootloader menu."

It took tons of reading and re-reading before I finally found Manganic's post.... where he CORRECTLY included the, "Hold down left-shift on boot to enter GRUB menu" step! GEEZ

Thanks so much, Manganic.

So.... I was able to follow your instructions... and now I am able to actually get alot further. I am now able to get into the INSTALLED Ubuntu. Once in, I first did the System -> Administration -> Hardware Drivers ...and installed the Current (recommended) driver... I'm using the NVIDIA (version current). Next, I went to System -> Administration -> Update Manager and installed all new updates (in the hopes that they've fixed some things in the meantime). And....

IT WORKED!!!!

I am in. And it works. Thank God.

But what the heck happened!? Did Canonical fail bigtime due to a forced 6-month release schedule rushing the product out the door?

Perhaps the thinking was/is that fixes can always be done afterward... and continuously... HOWEVER, if the darn OS won't BOOT... from the LiveCD... You've got SERIOUS problems on your hands.

How can anyone recommend to their friends an OS which won't even boot (black screen of death) from the LiveCD...???

I think Canonical is going to have no choice but to do an interim update of their LiveCD ISO image asap... BEFORE the next release in October. We cannot have a LiveCD that won't boot... for 6 months... No way. Not acceptable. What happened to the quality control testing? This is an enormous fail. If they don't test ANYTHING else... They need to test that the darn LiveCD boots correctly on every known PC / video combination they can possibly come up with.

Everything else can be fixed with updates... But BOOTING is a total deal-breaker. Nothing works if you can't boot it, and install it, and then boot the installation.

I'm running a business where I am recommending Ubuntu to everyone. This is embarrassing, to say the least. I'm just going to have to tell people that they're going to have to have US install it for them. This process is nothing that any ordinary user should EVER be forced to even hear about... much less, attempt on their own.

I hope Canonical's quality control team has learned a valuable lesson from all of this.

And we, the users, might want to learn from this too. I've always said, the safest place to be is.... six months BEHIND...

[sharkey77]

I found an easier way that also got rid of another boot error.

This is Intel specific.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes

echo options i915 modeset=1 | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/i915-kms.conf
sudo update-initramfs -u

[Manganic]

Let's be fair here, Bruce. I know and understand your frustration. I spent many hours last night on Ubuntu (Karmic) getting my dual radeon 4850 video cards set up with the RadeonHD driver in Xorg.conf. This is all so I can preserve my xorg.conf file and upgrade to Lucid on the same system (fifth attempt) and get my three screens acting as one large expanded desktop without going to the (buggy) fglrx drivers.

Last time I did this, I lost all use of my keyboard and mouse.

But here's the thing. Ubuntu is free and community supported. I suppose I could pay Canonical and get support, but I find that when I dig deep enough, I tend to find solutions, and, in the process, learn a heck of a lot more than if I paid someone for support.

Remember: you don't get what you don't pay for.