Blinking cursor after install

[sandpvrr]

Hello All,
eMachines Intel ATOM powered netbook refuses to boot 10.04 netbook remix, if I install or go into the live cd and install from there. Numerous attempts - one or two got as far as booting one time, but locked up soon after and would not restart. Been pounding my head on this one. I have an usual install workflow, I burn the ISO to a CD and use a USB cdrom drive to install. Don't think this matters, but figured I'd mention it. Had 9.10 on this same netbook with no problems. Have changed the SATA setting in BIOS from its default to IDE and back, no difference. Also have downloaded the ISO twice, two different sources / methods - no difference - burned at least three copies, no difference either.
Grabbed a CD with Mandriva on it, worked like a charm. Machine itself is ok, but either I'm doing something wrong or I'm missing something.
Thanks in advance!
-Joey

[Catharsis]

Can you boot into recovery mode?

[sandpvrr]

Oh yes - forgot to mention I installed to an Eee PC with the same CD, USB cdrom drive, etc. Worked flawlessly. Not sure what it is with this eMachines netbook.
Thanks!
-Joey

[sandpvrr]

Can you boot into recovery mode?

No - I cannot boot into anything - just get a black screen, white blinking cursor and the machine locks up. (Must be hard restarted).
-Joey

[sandpvrr]

Bump....Thoughts?

[darkod]

Video issue?

Follow the instructions here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...4&postcount=13

to try and boot with 'nomodeset' added. If that works, you have instructions how to make it permanent or maybe you won't even need to if the fist boot into ubuntu offers to download new video drivers.

[sandpvrr]

I'm double checking by reinstalling now - (I had put Mandriva on just to use it) but I don't recall seeing GRUB come up either.....

[darkod]

I'm double checking by reinstalling now - (I had put Mandriva on just to use it) but I don't recall seeing GRUB come up either.....

In single boot systems (when not dual booting with another OS) the boot menu doesn't show up to speed up booting because there is no other OS to select.

In this case, for 10.04 and Grub2 press (or start hitting Shift) after the BIOS POST finishes, at the start of booting. That will make a grub menu show.

[sandpvrr]

In single boot systems (when not dual booting with another OS) the boot menu doesn't show up to speed up booting because there is no other OS to select.

In this case, for 10.04 and Grub2 press (or start hitting Shift) after the BIOS POST finishes, at the start of booting. That will make a grub menu show.

Well I'll be danged. I have no idea what caused it, but while hitting the shift key, the blasted netbook booted. As a matter of fact, I'm typing this on it now. First thing I did was to install the wireless network card drivers, then all updates available and I'm working on my base install of software packages. Thanks for the help, but not sure if that did it or not!
-Joey

[KL007]

I got the exact same behavior: Fresh installed Ubuntu 10.04, rebooted for the first time as requested by the install and got a blinking cursor on a black screen and a frozen system for my trouble. I had to power off the machine, and then held the shift key while it rebooted as suggested in this thread - and viola - now my system boots every time without keyboard assistance.

It may not be that the shift key helped as much as booting again (first boot failure for some reason). But now the world will never know. It's very odd that I'd get a boot failure right after install in any case....