Got a black screen with Ubuntu 8.10 beta LIVE CD

[Markus Ortel]

I tried to boot my computer with the current Ubuntu 8.10 LIVE CD, but all i got is a black screen.
As i can seen my mouse pointer, X should be running. I can't change to a console (STRG+ALT+F1); it seems like the cpu runs on 100%.

My graphic card is an ATI mobility radeon 9700, my notebook is an Asus z9215.

===

I upgraded my system to 8.10 a few weeks ago. Everything worked perfectly and out of the box, after the upgrade (even the fancy 3D stuff, which i do not need) - until i rebooted. Since then, the screen remains black after GDM is loaded. First i used the vesa drivers, but then i downgraded to hardy's X server. Since then i can use my native resolution with the opensource driver.

I attach my xorg.conf and Xorg.0.log when i used the offical (not downgraded) X for Ubuntu 8.10.

I would like to have a propper running X server with the new ubuntu version. Please tell me, what i can do and i try to give every information i can.

Best regards!

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

And Xorg.0.log

[Guy Stone (stoneguy3)]

Same here. Locks up on any X activity after boot. Vid is integrated 82845G. dmesg shows

[ 1193.337523] Xorg[8571]: segfault at 38 ip b7a18d64 sp bfb35970 error 4 in libdri.so[b7a15000+8000]

as last entry

[Guy Stone (stoneguy3)]

I booted the same machine with newly released Mandriva Linux One 2009 Gnome edition.
Here's the xorg.conf it produced, so you can see Module and Device sections that work.

Any way to get Xorg 7.4 to reveal what it's using?

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

Guy,

 i took a look at your xorg.conf and you have an intel card? I have this
problem with an ati. Can you please add more information (notebook
manufacture, model no, graphic card) for the UbuntuX Guys?

Regards,
Markus

Am Donnerstag, den 09.10.2008, 23:12 +0000 schrieb Guy Stone:
> I booted the same machine with newly released Mandriva Linux One 2009 Gnome edition.
> Here's the xorg.conf it produced, so you can see Module and Device sections that work.
>
> Any way to get Xorg 7.4 to reveal what it's using?
>
> ** Attachment added: "Mandriva2009_xorg.conf"
> http://launchpadlibrarian.net/18380975/Mandriva2009_xorg.conf
>

[Guy Stone (stoneguy3)]

I noticed you're reporting against an ATI card. I think someone reported something similar with an nVidia chip too. Scary.

System is a minitower HP Pavilion a300n (Canadian model) with integrated video. WinXP reports it as an Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Celeron 2.6, 768MB RAM.

Made a last try at tweaking the Mandriva-derived x.org by commenting out the glx and dri lines. Still didn't work.

I'm at the limit of what I know how to do. If there's any more troubleshooting I can do from the LiveCD (this system won't boot from USB) let me know with a clear explanation. Otherwise I guess this one heads upstream.

[Guy Stone (stoneguy3)]

One afterthought after a day of Googling.

After booting in text mode, I edited xorg.conf, adding
  Driver "vesa"

startx got the X screen/mouse/kbd working, but of course there was no logged-on user.

I tried starting up calling
  /etc/init.d/gdm start
directly, but having the word "text" in /proc/bootcmd blocked it. Even tried altering the gdm script to delete that test, but still couldn't trick it into working.

There appear to be multiple grumbles about the intel driver in XOrg7.4 floating around the net.

[Salam Jari (salamaza)]

I have the Same problem with ATi 9700 Mobility too!, tried Ubuntu beta and a daily live iso(18.[1].10.08), the pc has been ubuntu compatible for years, but now its seems something with x.org or the kernel...., hope the team get hold of it before ubuntu 8.10 final, i cant either press Ctrl-Alt-F1 Sometimes the installer appers but after like 3 secounds the mouse "lags" (if i move it), then boom the picture freezes, as the pc still runs fine on ubuntu 8.04. I tryed to rush througn the installer (before it freezes) but i couldn't do it fast enough.

Pc is AcerTravelmate 8000 series
1 GB ram
160 Samsung ATA HDD(non orginal)
9700 Mobility
centrino 1.8(or something)
17''(non wide) Display.

[Guy Stone (stoneguy3)]

Salam,

I was advised to refile a separate bug report, as my vid is an Intel
integrated, which I'v done. You and Markus are both using ATI.

I'm attaching my debugging script to help you get files you can submit with
your bug report. Put the script on a thumb drive and make executable. Then
boot up your UbuntuLive test and change the boot command (F6) to come up in
single user mode. Drop thru to the command line when the menu comes up.

Now plug in the thumb drive and see where it lands. From the command prompt,
mkdir /media/thumb and mount the device there. Run the command
/media/thumb/debugX. Wait at least 60 seconds. When the write light on the
thumb drive stops flashing, shut down the system. Your flash drive now has
copies of files that are usually requested for debugging X, taken after
things tank.

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

Guy,

i took your script to get more and better debug files. It took me a while, as i'm currently very busy. But i still hope that someone from the ubuntu team, will take a loot at the files. The realease day is very close - but i would not mind if this bug will be fix in the next few weeks! ;-)

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

This is the xorg.conf.

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

Is it possible to add more than one file to a comment?
dmesg_out

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

And lspci_out

[Markus Ortel (markus-ortel)]

BTW: I tried Foresight Linux and X plus the compiz effects works for me.
Until today. I always starts the compiz effects with "compiz --replace". Since today X freeze after i started compiz and it fails -even if i reboot.

Strage? Yes, i think so.

[Guy Stone (stoneguy3)]

I'm dropping off this thread, as it seems to be ATI related. A few of us are building our own case around the Intel 845 chip in #285250. There's going to be a lot of unhappy users if this version gets released as it stands.

[teo (teo-tarita-nistor)]

I am one of the unhappy users. My PC has Intel video card. This is the first time since ubuntu 6 when I cannot run. It is very disapointing.

[ThorbjørnTux (martsummsw)]

Copy of my post in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/279004
I have marked it as a duplicate

CTRL+ALT+F1
And
sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
and adding

Driver "Vesa"

 to section "Device"

then PS -A | grep Xorg

and kill it with

sudo kill -9 id-for-xorg

made kde 4 start.

The 'ati' driver is not working.

[ThorbjørnTux (martsummsw)]

(The above post was for people with trouble booting the 8.10 CD)

[Dan Fouquette (cellwind929)]

I had a similar issue doing a fresh install of 8.10 on an 82845G/GL integrated intel board. I went ahead with the install since ubiquity gave me no issues, just getting to the desktop. Once installed I booted into recovery mode, dropped to a shell, then did sudo apt-get remove compiz compiz-core. Removing compiz fixed the issue for me.

[fcolcord (fcolcord)]

Thanks for the suggestion. Other suggestions seemed to focus on the
splash screen.

I've installed 8.04 and that runs like a dream.

2008/10/31 Dan Fouquette <email address hidden>:
> I had a similar issue doing a fresh install of 8.10 on an 82845G/GL
> integrated intel board. I went ahead with the install since ubiquity
> gave me no issues, just getting to the desktop. Once installed I booted
> into recovery mode, dropped to a shell, then did sudo apt-get remove
> compiz compiz-core. Removing compiz fixed the issue for me.
>
> --
> Got a black screen with Ubuntu 8.10 beta LIVE CD
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/277699
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

[robertg (orobertg)]

Thank you Dan Fouquette that worked like a champ!

I wasn't sure how to get to the Recovery Mode, until I hit the 'Esc' key in the 3 seconds before the system auto-boots.
Then once in Recovery Mode picked the Command Line with Root option.
Finally did your one liner

sudo apt-get remove compiz compiz-core

I hit Y to conifrm.
Then once it did its magic and removed compiz I typed
reboot
then pressed enter and booted up Ubuntu 8.10, logged in without the black screen of death.

[teo (teo-tarita-nistor)]

Removing compiz worked for me too. Thanks Dan.

[Stapel (wstapelberg)]

I also got the black screen when trying to boot from the 8.10 live cd. My screen actually displayed a message that it is turning off right after splash screen as if the computer was switched off, but doing <CTL><ALT><F1> got me to the shell, but I was unable to start x from there.

graphics card is an ATI 2400HD Pro

[Geir Ove Myhr (gomyhr)]

Changed the package from xserver-xorg-video-intel to xserver-xorg-video-ati.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[No need to have this open against xorg as well as -ati]

[chris.a.terry (chris-a-terry)]

This may be a duplicate, but it is #2 in google for the ranking. The problem appears to be with compiz. Remove compiz and compiz-core to fix.