Xubuntu 8.04 Beta fails to start x

[DaveR]

System is Toshiba 1805 note book 800 MHz mobile Celeron 256 MB RAM with 224 available Triton CyberBlade/i1 graphics 1024X768 60 Hz display 14 GB hard drive (8.5 GB FAT 32, 5.6 GB ext3, 384 MB swap) This system has been running Xubuntu 7.04 (and ME) nicely but attempt to upgrade to 7.10 fails. Xubuntu 7.10 live CD has same problems as I describe here.

Xubuntu 8.04 Beta (d/l 28Mar08) progress' through starting the live CD up until it switches from text mode to the X server - I removed "quiet" from the boot options line before starting.
display becomes completely black - CD stops spinning - [ctrl] C, [ctrl][alt][del] and [ctrl][alt][F1] ignored - have to cycle power to shut down
I think I've tried all the start-up options (normal & safe graphics along with the F6 options) without any success
I'm willing to try just about anything to help you 'cause I'd really like to get 8.04 running on this notebook.

-------------------------
For what its worth I've tried these live CD's on this machine (hope that these give you some ideas):
   Each distro's iso md5sum was verified
   Each disk was verified as matching the iso
   Each disk was booted successfully on Compaq Presario 1265 mini tower

Knopix 3.9 dies scanning hard drive partitions (2) & creating fstab
Dam Small Linux dies somewhere before configuring X
Kanotix-2007-Thorhammer-RC7 says it can't find the CD it booted from!

Puppy-3.01-seamonkey (also 2.14, 2.15 & 2.17) won't start X
SLAX-6.0.3 won't start X
Xubuntu 7.10 (desktop or alternate) won't start X
Xubuntu 8.04 beta won't start X
antiX-M7.2 black screen after X started ...

Pclos-gnome2008 works so well I installed it but software is badly outdated
Pclinuxos-2007 works fine but I don't like KDE
Xubuntu 7.04 live CD display isn't right but installs and runs well
Dream linux 2.2MMGL works but can't get screen resolution right
SimplyMEPIS-CD_7.0-rel_32 works even with noted video errors on start - blinking underline in UL corner of screen

[DaveR (djrpublic)]

I have attached a tar ball with xorg.conf and Xorg.0.log from both Xubuntu 7.04 (which works) and Xubuntu 8.04 beta (which fails starting X). Does this help to locate the problem?

[Jonathan Carter (jonathan)]

Hi DaveR, does the final release of Ubuntu 8.04 work with this display chip? If not, do you mind trying out the 8.10 beta?

[DaveR (djrpublic)]

I just tried it with the 8.04 CD that I used to load on this box - files
dating Apr 24 and earlier. X didn't start. The Ubuntu screen with the
progress bar opens correctly - the little orange indicator moves back
and forth for a while - the "final" progress bar fills to completion.
The screen then goes black with a white underline displayed in upper
left corner for a few seconds. After that the screen remains completely
black. [ctrl]-c, [ctrl][alt]bksp, [ctrl][alt]F1 do nothing.
[ctrl][alt]del and power button get a 'beep'. The power button is the
only way to exit.

I will d/l the 8.10 beta but it will take a while - I downgraded to Road
Runner Lite and my d/l speed is about 11% of what it was ;-( but I save
$15/mo ;-)

David Rowell

Jonathan Carter wrote:
> Hi DaveR, does the final release of Ubuntu 8.04 work with this display
> chip? If not, do you mind trying out the 8.10 beta?
>
> ** Changed in: xorg (Ubuntu)
> Sourcepackagename: None => xorg
>

[DaveR (djrpublic)]

I installed today's 8.10 beta in the space where Arch had been installed
- took almost 6 hours! All appeared to go well. At the end the system
rebooted correctly to Grub. I chose a normal Ubuntu start with exactly
the same result as in my previous (4:10 pm) try with Ubuntu 8.04. I
tried a recovery start-up choosing to repair X with the same result again.

As long as it's installed I'm open to requests for information.

Jonathan Carter wrote:
> Hi DaveR, does the final release of Ubuntu 8.04 work with this display
> chip? If not, do you mind trying out the 8.10 beta?
>
> ** Changed in: xorg (Ubuntu)
> Sourcepackagename: None => xorg
>
>

--
Dave Rowell - KI4JVU - A computer without Windows
is like chocolate cake without mustard!

[DaveR (djrpublic)]

I've attached a tar ball containing some xorg configuration files and logs.

Ubuntu810NuOldXorg.0.log is the log generated if I use the Ubuntu 7.04
generated xorg.conf. 7.04 is the last _buntu that worked on this machine.

I'm open to suggestions and questions.

Jonathan Carter wrote:
> Hi DaveR, does the final release of Ubuntu 8.04 work with this display
> chip? If not, do you mind trying out the 8.10 beta?
>
> ** Changed in: xorg (Ubuntu)
> Sourcepackagename: None => xorg
>
>

--
Dave Rowell - KI4JVU - A computer without Windows
is like chocolate cake without mustard!

[DaveR (djrpublic)]

Another "thought" How can Ubuntu display the splash screen and the
progress bar so very nicely yet be unable to figure out the graphics
when configuration is done???? Doesn't it have to know what the display
is like to paint and update that screen?

Jonathan Carter wrote:
> Hi DaveR, does the final release of Ubuntu 8.04 work with this display
> chip? If not, do you mind trying out the 8.10 beta?
>
> ** Changed in: xorg (Ubuntu)
> Sourcepackagename: None => xorg
>
>
--

Dave Rowell - KI4JVU - A computer without Windows
is like chocolate cake without mustard!

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

No, usplash is done in framebuffer.