[Problem]
On LiveCD boot, desktop is split into several unequally sized overlapping areas on the screen. Works okay with -vesa at 800x600.
[Tested with]
Live cd of Ubuntu 8.04 ( Hardy Heron ) and Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 4 and Beta 1 ( Intrepid Ibex )
Dell Inspirion 8000
Processor: Intel PIII mobile 900\700Mhz speedstep, MMX SSE
Cache: 256 KBytes
Bus speed: 100 Mhz
Chipset: Intel 815E
Southbridge: Intel 82801 BA (ICH2-M)
AGP version 2.0
ATI Mobility 128 M4 AGP 4X 16 MBytes RAM graphics adapter
[Original Report]
I expected Ubuntu to load normally and be able to recognize the graphics adapter without any problems since this is an old adapter this should not be a problem since both new and old hardware should work with it anyway. Mobile drivers are not as common as desktop variants but today laptops are outselling desktops in most segments.I don't know what kind of experience Ubuntu would have given me on this old low spec hardware since the live cd may not have given it justice though i know that it would become e waste if it isn't possible to use it. It is really loud and flaming hot but it could work as some kind of server or backup to my other computers. Sure I'm mostly interested to know that it can work rather than that i need it to work still support would be a great thing.
Under the Safe Graphics mode Ubuntu seem to be able to display the desktop correctly though not at full size\resolution. Rez 800x600 pixel
What happened under the live cd was that the screen was corrupted with screwed desktop where it was wrongfully positioned and where it look like having a part of two desktops on one screen overlapping each other, though in reality and after investigation the screen were shopped up into three different fields and then thrown around so that when the pointer moved from one field to another the pointer might appear on a different part of the screen. The fields were not equally sized there were two-three bigger ones and one-two smaller ones. The CD was working very hard all the time as well as the CPU and many times the computer seemed to freeze though this could be just the poor performance of the live cd when i ran the hardware test in Gnome to send you a report which I decided would be easier to write by myself instead since it just didn't finish.
It is very hard to get a feel for Ubuntu when things don't work or just barely works thus I want to say that improvements of the live CD is welcome.
Also the loading screen of Ubuntu have a progress bar that moves back and forth this isn't really any helpful since you don't have any visual clues about how much is left in the loading process the same goes for when scanning hardware in the hardware test.
Testing with Ubuntu 8.10 Appha 4 Intrepid Ibex:
Both as Live CD and installed with Wubi:
I've now tried using the computer with Intrepid Ibex and some improvement seem to have been made. For starters
This is probably a combination of improvements to ATI drivers and the design of X.Org.
The result is not the same for the live CD and when Ubuntu is installed through Wubi. Why this is I don't know.
Crashes with Intrepid Ibex Alpha 4 under live CD wasn't able too boot all the way to GDM nor to the Ubuntu loading screen, This was displayed: Version number of Busybox and then ash and something called Initramfs and a prompt to write commands.
When Intrepid Ibex Alpha 4 was installed with Wubi several errors appeared during boot up if this is the result of the unstable Alpha 4 or the physical CD I don't know.
Though the praphical boot up could finish I noticed screen corruption during the Ubuntu boot screen where the progress indicator was duplicated and\or half visible on other places than the right one. It (the screen) seemed to flash more than before with the Ubuntu 8.04 stable version.
Though the graphics has slightly improved pointing devices has actually worsened since Ubuntu 8.04. Under the Intrepid Ibex Alpha 4 neither the laptops keyboard pointing stick or mousepad worked neither could an USB HID compliant wired mouse from A4Tech with 2 wheels and 3 buttons I tried.
The sound did not work out of box with Ubuntu 8.04 we need to test this as well though it should be filed under a new bug that can be linked to this one.
Haven't tested the IR port or the docking station since I don't own one.
I will continue to report findings with later versions of the Alphas and Betas during the test up to release. I suspect though that my CD\DVD drive might be damaged and might not work properly or that my CD Burner not quite burns good images of the ISO files so if anyone else can help test this bug, it wont depend only on my findings.
New test with Ubuntu 8.10 Beta:
Done on: 2008-10-15
Both as Live CD and installed with Wubi:
Test 1: Live CD
Result: Still corrupts display. Still no pointing device support nor full keyboard support though GNOME insist that their is support for the laptops keyboard.
Test 2: Live CD + external display
Result: Works on laptop display with native resolution but external display not working at all. You only have to log out of GNOME and remove the external display and log back in to again get the corrupted display. Somehow the external display helps. Don't know why though. External display isn't recognized in the screen resolution dialog. The screens resolution isn't changeable to a lower resolution though. Its a Samsung 21 inch LCD display model: 213T. Still no pointing device support nor full keyboard support though GNOME insist that their is support for the laptops keyboard.
Test 3 Installed with Wubi:
Result: Corrupts display image. Still no pointing device support nor full keyboard support though GNOME insist that their is support for the laptops keyboard.
Test 4 Installed with wubi + external display:
Result: Just like the Live CD + external display picture returns to normal on the laptop screen but no image can be seen on the external display. Desktop is in the displays native resolution and you can remove the external display without anything happening as long as you dont log out and in again.The screens resolution isn't changeable to a lower resolution though.
Still no pointing device support nor full keyboard support though GNOME insist that their is support for the laptops keyboard.
Because of the problems in testing this laptop I have been forced to resort to test it with an external display, keyboard and mouse that is supported. Though the test mostly was done only with an external mouse since some keys on the keyboard worked and since my user name and password was very simple I luckily could log in with a more complicated one I would not be able to have done that. Especialy the keys on the middel was not functioning. Like G,H,T,Y,U,J,B,N,M and more.
I also will upload some log files since I now have been able to grab them so look out for them here.
Logfile 1: live.cd.xorg.0.log is the log file from the Live CD running without external display that I managed to copy
Logfile 2: wubi.ext.display.xorg.0.log is the copy of the log file that I copied from the wubi installation with an external display connected.
Just remove anything "Before" xorg in the filename to get the original filename as seen when copied.
Anyone have any thoughts on why it seems to work with an external display somewhat?
Cheers Peter
I have the same problem. Just installed on Inspiron 8000. The screen display is split in three overlappint "columns"--like three screens of the same thing (1/3 of a screen) overlapping each other. There must be a solution... but no one has posted anything. I'm a newbie to UBUNTU, although I'm familiar with HP-UX. I would imagine a driver would solve the problem; please do explain how to install, if there is such.
Thanks,
Vlad