No desktop on LiveCD boot and black windows (nvidia)

[Fernando Tella]

I'm trying to install Elementary Luna Beta 1 in my laptop (Pentium IV 2.666GHz with 512MB of RAM and Nvidia GeForce4 488 Go). I usually have to use "nolapic" option with every linux distribution I've tryed and so I have to do with Luna. I'm installing from a USB made with Unetbooting and using Plop to allow booting from USB.

-If I choose the option to try without install (and nolapic) I get to a screen with a grid with blue background (the desktop background, I guess) and it stops there. I can see and move the arrow, I don't see the top bar, no desktop icon, no dock or anything.
-If I hit Ctrl+Alt+T I get a completely black window, just a black rectangle: no bars, borders or anything, but the arrow reacts to what is supposed to be under it: I can resize the window, move it or even write inside (I guess because I can't see what I write).
-If I hit Ctrl+Alt+Supr I get a small black rectangle (with the shape of a confirmation dialogue), hit enter and it logs out. Then I can see the top bar with some icons (shut down and so) and the login box; surprisingly this login box renders nicely (no black rectangle) and it even does the small window animation when I try to login without introducing any password. I doesn't show any text I try to introduce even with the screen keyboard (which shows nicely).
-If I try to shut down from the icon at the top bar it shows the menu (shut down, restart and so) but it doesn't work.

-If I choose the option to "install" instead of "try without install" I get to the same blue background with the grid and get the install windows but completely black. The windows seam to work though because I can hit enter and it seam to advance to the next screen (also black though).

-If I try to install Ubuntu 12.10 it behaves in a very similar way but instead of completely black windows I get visible content but the windows look like stripped of any decoration and without minimize, maximize or close buttons, no borders neither. The menu is a plain grey rectangle with File, View and so. I can type in terminal any see what I type.

[Abhinav (abhinavhardikar)]

There is a work around for this. Choose "nomodeset" while booting. This is how I installed it. After you installation, most probably you are going to face this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/gala/+bug/1079519

[Fernando Tella (ftella)]

For some reason my laptop doesn't like "nomodeset" option and it doesn't even boot. It stops in the middle of the booting process. Could it be that my graphic card doesn't support 3d acceleration?

[Steven Roose (stevenroose)]

When i boot from CD, I just get the intended background image with a black window in it. I can interact with the window (move it f.e.) and when I hit enter, something happens (I can hear that).

Do I have to boot using "nomodeset" as well? How do I do so when booting from a CD?

Will this cause problems once Elementary OS is installed?

[Steven Roose (stevenroose)]

Just to note: I did get a desktop on boot, so I've not the exact same bug.

Also Pentium 4, no idea of graphics card. I tried on two different (HP) machines, both Pentium 4, but different graphics I assume, will check.