At wit's end trying to run Live CD/install Ubuntu Studio or Xubuntu

**Bolwerk** · June 25th, 2013

So I downloaded and burned DVD's of Ubuntu Studio and Xubuntu to take them for a spin.

Initially tried to use the built in dual boot help included with Ubuntu Studio. That brought up the Windows failed start-up screen every time I selected Ubuntu from Window's dual boot screen.

I tried doing it without the dual boot screen; just booted from the DVD via changing the boot order via the BIOS menu. Got some sort of "security header" message (I forget the exact message, but it was something in that vein) in the top left corner of my screen. So I do some research, find out about the secure boot debacle, and thus promptly go into the BIOS and disable secure boot. No more message, just a black screen.... forever.

Then I find out that it's probably a video card/driver issue (especially since my video card is an AMD Radeon); so I press e when selecting an option from the GRUB 2 boot menu, and try the nomodeset suggestion after quiet splash and also deleting quiet splash. I also try adding pci+noacpi based on a suggestion from another post I've read in these forums.....nothin'. (of note, is that the GRUB 2 editing menu options for Ubuntu Studio and Xubuntu seem rather small; i.e. only 2 lines of code/settings/options in comparison to the paragraphs of options I've seen from screenshots of other Ubuntu distros)

So................. due to the fact that most other posts and tutorials that are tangentially related to this issue seem geared towards experienced Linux users, I'm officially at my wit's end.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**mastablasta** · June 25th, 2013

have you checked the md5sum of the downloaded file before burning it on DVD?: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ho...ToMD5SUM%29%29

have you verified the burned files?

looks like your downloaded image is not the same as the one on server. and yet it has to be exactly the same for it to work.

graphics card will be supported (at least some basics) with default opensource drivers. but you might need the nomodeset boot parameter.

**Bolwerk** · June 25th, 2013

Just checked the md5sum of both files and they are identical to the originals.

**halevuli** · June 25th, 2013

I have an AMD Radeon card and I'm using Ubuntu right now so I doubt it's your video card.

**holycow131415** · June 25th, 2013

Is this a laptop?

Does the dvd appear to be spinning when it is a black screen (do you hear it loading the livecd) ? If so, use your keyboard shortcut to change the brightness. There was a recent kernel bug that makes screens black.

**Bolwerk** · June 25th, 2013

No, it's a Windows 8 tower that I bought recently.

I'm going to try again to see if the DVD is spinning. Btw, what's the keyboard shortcut to alter the screen brightness? I'm checking here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/KeyboardShortcuts but no luck; or are you referring specifically to laptop shortcuts?

**Bolwerk** · June 25th, 2013

Okay, so I burned a DVD of a different flavor of Ubuntu (Linux Mint) to try out. Same GRUB 2 screen; same black screen after pressing enter on the option to start it; but I can hear the DVD spinning like a hurricane.

**Bolwerk** · June 25th, 2013

Also tried the "install from Windows" option with Linux Mint; goes to 'windows failed startup screen' at boot and whenever I select Linux Mint from the Windows 8 dual boot screen; just like when I performed a similar function with Ubuntu Studio.