Alienware AM17xR4 can't enter installer on 12.10

[Xcad Lex]

AM17xR4-7526bk
Specs:
Intel Core i7-3610QM Processor
2GB AMD Radeon HD 7970M Graphics

When I insert the latest Ubuntu disk, it hangs with these kinds of messages

[quote]
udevd[143]: timeout: killing '/sbin/modprobe -bv pci:v00008086d00000166sv00001028sd00000551bc03sc00i00' [259]
[/quote]

[quote]
udevadm settle - timeout of 120 seconds reached, the event queue contains:
/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0 (1204)
[/quote]

Running the disc's integrety check results in just a black screen, whereas the disk runs fine in other PCs. Also, Ubuntu 12.04 works fine.

This bug also affects the Linux Mint 14.1 installer iso

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. From a terminal window please run:

apport-collect 1121503

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Xcad Lex (peedidblaa)]

I might be able to get that command to work in version 12.04, but wouldn't that only mislead debuggers into thinking that those specs came from the versions of software being tested? Please get back to me, in the meantime I'll set this to confirmed.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Do you happen to know if this also happens with the latest Raring 13.04 image?

[Xcad Lex (peedidblaa)]

I just checked and it doesn't give the same error/ crash, though it's not functional.

It boots me into some kind of a UI with a menu bar at the top and the buttons on the right side of that bar. But in the middle of the screen, where I'm supposed to see a fancy orange desktop, I only see black. And the dialogue menu for "install" never loads (whereas it does get that far on an older desktop I have handy here).

The issue on the daily build may be unrelated to the issue on the 12.10 given the stark differences in behavior.

I'd be more than happy to try out any other testing ideas if you have them.

[Xcad Lex (peedidblaa)]

I googled a while back and the noun "x.org" came up. Maybe there's a package I could attempt to upgrade to that's in Ubuntu 12.10 or 13 that isn't in 12.04, then after the upgrade of that single package (and thereafter other candidates until the culprit is found)? Once everything goes foobar, we'd know which package to blame.

[Xcad Lex (peedidblaa)]

Hey, I returned the pos a while ago, but I forgot to mention that while I was doing more searching, I found out the ATI card I had was an 'AMD Enduro' card which meant the system was able to switch between using the discrete AMD graphics card for intense application and then back to the built in CPU integrated GPU while idling. That's a cool idea, but yeah... It's probably best to avoid gaming laptops that are using AMD graphics cards for this generation. Maybe in a couple years from now they'll have the bugs worked out on the vendors end =/

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Xcad Lex, this bug report is being closed due to your last comment https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1121503/comments/6 regarding you no longer having the hardware. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status. Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Please submit any future bugs you may find.