Ubuntu Installer Exits When Monitor Cannot Be Identified

[[e-mail]]

What Happened:
Currently, Ubuntu cannot be installed unless the monitor type is determined automatically during installation. Since many monitors are NOT correctly detected, many unfortunate users cannot try live CD or install Ubuntu. Ubuntu/Kubuntu installer exits to a command prompt, and installation fails!

Expected Action:
Other Linux distributions use a generic monitor (800x600 resolution, 60hZ vertical frequency) in this case and the GUI installation successfully completes. For example, Mepis 8. After the installation, the user can optionally select the make and model of his monitor from the list.

I suggest that users be prompted to specify the required parameters for a Generic monitor parameters should be used whenever the user's plug-and-play monitor is not correctly identified by the installer:
   a. Resolution: 800x600 or 800x600 or 1024x768
   b. Vertical frequency: 60 or 65 or 70 or 75 or 80 or 85 hZ

Thus, the installation will complete successfully. Moreover, the selected generic monitor parameters can be used after installation since they SAFE for the unknown monitor and preferred by the user.

Note: Windows XP and even Windows 98 offered the user to select a 'generic monitor' whenever automatic plug-and-play detection fails. Lack of this capability seriously limits Ubuntu/Kubuntu live CD and installation!

Ubuntu Version:
9.04 (and all previous versions)

[[e-mail] (geo99)]

Package: ubiquity

[Victor Vargas (kamus)]

package reassigned to ubiquity

[Evan (ev)]

Can you please run the installer until it crashes and attach /var/log/syslog, /var/log/installer/debug, /var/log/installer/dm, and /var/log/Xorg.0.log to this bug report.

Thanks

[[e-mail] (geo99)]

It dows NOT crash, but the display is not updated after a certain step. It never completes the installation process when an actual monitor cannot be determined or is not in the monitor database. Instead it should default to a generic SVGA 800x600, 60 hz monitor or preferably ask the user for safe monitor resolution and vertical frequency.

> Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:53:49 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 433951] Re: Ubuntu Installer Exits When Monitor Cannot Be Identified
>
> Can you please run the installer until it crashes and attach
> /var/log/syslog, /var/log/installer/debug, /var/log/installer/dm, and
> /var/log/Xorg.0.log to this bug report.
>
> Thanks
>
> ** Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Ubuntu Installer Exits When Monitor Cannot Be Identified
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/433951
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.

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[[e-mail] (geo99)]

Attached please find the requested files. Please note that file debug does NOT exist.

[Evan (ev)]

It is not the job of the installer to determine a suitable resolution, or prompt for one when such a choice cannot be made automatically. This bug could be fixed by implementing the live CD portion of BulletProofX. Moved to the xorg package.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

It isn't that the monitor isn't detected - it can't tell what video card you're using. In fact it *is* loading vesa, which will do 800x600 on unknown monitors just fine. So the work around you're suggesting is irrelevant. The real problem here is this:

(EE) VESA(0): Driver can't support depth 24
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Unfortunately you did not include enough information for me to see what precisely went wrong. It's not clear to me what video card you have installed. I'd need to see 'lspci -vvnn' output to be sure.

[[e-mail] (geo99)]

1. I had to replace the motherboard on my computer, but Ubuntu still hangs during the "Try" mode. The last line on the screen:
      Checking battery status [OK]
Attached is the output of lspci -vnn for Ubuntu 9.04 live cd.
2. Moreover, my old installed Mepis 8 still works correctly. I have also attached its output of lspci -vnn command.
3. Please let me know if you need any additional information.
4. Is there any way to try/install Ubuntu on this system?

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

This system's has video hardware not officially supported by Ubuntu, however there is a driver available in universe, "glint", which is supposed to work for this hardware. I'm sorry to say it is not a driver the X team actively maintains. If it doesn't work you could also try "vga".

[[e-mail] (geo99)]

1. Since the Ubuntu installer stops without completing installation, how can I force it to:
a. use Glint driver
or
b. use VGA driver
and complete installation?
2. Why Mepis 7 and Mepis 8 installs without a problem?

[[e-mail] (geo99)]

1. Since the Ubuntu installer stops without completing installation, how can I force it to:
a. use Glint driver
or
b. use VGA driver
and complete installation?
2. Why Mepis 7 and Mepis 8 installs without a problem?

> Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:30:37 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 433951] Re: Ubuntu Installer Exits When Monitor Cannot Be Identified
>
> This system's has video hardware not officially supported by Ubuntu,
> however there is a driver available in universe, "glint", which is
> supposed to work for this hardware. I'm sorry to say it is not a driver
> the X team actively maintains. If it doesn't work you could also try
> "vga".
>
> ** Package changed: xorg (Ubuntu) => xserver-xorg-video-glint (Ubuntu)
>
> ** Changed in: xserver-xorg-video-glint (Ubuntu)
> Status: Incomplete => Triaged
>
> --
> Ubuntu Installer Exits When Monitor Cannot Be Identified
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/433951
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.

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[[e-mail] (geo99)]

1. Since the Ubuntu installer stops without completing installation, how can I force it to:
a. use Glint driver
or
b. use VGA driver
and complete installation?
2. Why Mepis 7 and Mepis 8 installs without a problem?

[bugbot (bugbot)]

This bug report was filed against an old version of Ubuntu.
Can you confirm whether this is still an issue in natty?

If you don't mind, it would be very helpful if you could update the bug
report in launchpad to 'Fix Released' if it is no longer an issue for
you, or if it is still occurring under natty, please tag the bug 'natty'
so it's easier for us to track.

[bugbot (bugbot)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.