installer fails to create usable xserver config

[SteveG]

On lenovo t61p thinkpad with nVidia Corporation Quadro FX 570M graphics card the installer fails to create a usable xorg.conf file and the system reboots into an unusable black screen as x refuses to start. The installer selects the nv driver, which does not support this card.

The only fix for this is to reboot into rescue mode and hand-edit xorg.conf to use vesa driver until restricted nvidia driver is enabled.

Output of lspci -v and lspci -vvnn attached

[NKJensen (nkj)]

This problem is also present on IBM Thinkpad T20 series. I had to change to the VESA driver, on 7.04 (Edgy) as well as 7.10 (Gutsy).

In both cases, I installed using the Alternate-CD

I changed to VESA by booting into text mode and I then gave the command:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

[SteveG (steve-fpig)]

NKJensen wrote:
> This problem is also present on IBM Thinkpad T20 series. I had to change
> to the VESA driver, on 7.04 (Edgy) as well as 7.10 (Gutsy).
>
> In both cases, I installed using the Alternate-CD
>
> I changed to VESA by booting into text mode and I then gave the command:
>
> sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
>
That's the same thing I did, and what any experienced debian/ubuntu user
would do.

It's only a problem for users new to Linux and ubuntu--but that is a big
part of ubuntu's target market.

[Michael Leamy (michael-leamyarts)]

This bug has stopped me cold. I have a new T61p with the nVidia Quadro 570m, and I have been entirely unable to get (K)Ubuntu installed. I am aware of the advise to edit xorg.conf, but so far I have been unable to get the system to the point where editing a system file is an option. During each attempt to install, this bug bricks my system outright. Editing xorg.conf in this situation amounts to being asked to edit a file on an OS that isn't yet installed, and to do so on a hung system. Needless to say, this is a deal killer for me. After two weeks of trying to come up with ways around this I eventually had to install another distro. The local Vlug was unable to get through this one as well. FWIW, I am new to Ubuntu and Debian, but not new to Linux.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Please try hardy alpha2. 7.10 had version 2.1.4 of the driver which, according to upstream, does support Quadro FX 570M.

NKJensen: your issue is not related.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

actually, 7.10 had version 2.1.5.

[SteveG (steve-fpig)]

To Michael Leamy--
Have you tried an install with the 'alternate' CD? Because the installer is in text mode it should complete successfully on the t61p. After installing, edit grub so that you boot into single user mode and then edit xorg.conf.

[SteveG (steve-fpig)]

Timo Aaltonen wrote:
> Please try hardy alpha2. 7.10 had version 2.1.4 of the driver which,
> according to upstream, does support Quadro FX 570M.
>
> NKJensen: your issue is not related.
>
> ** Changed in: xserver-xorg-video-nv (Ubuntu)
> Sourcepackagename: xorg => xserver-xorg-video-nv
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
Thanks but
A) my laptop is a professional tool. I really can't afford to run alpha
software.
B) the real issue is with the installer and how it does x configuration.
  It currently uses a driver that doesn't work. It should use the vesa
driver--that would allow users to have x windows when the install
finishes. At that time the users can decide to install the binary
nvidia driver or not.

Cheers,
Steve G

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

You can try the livecd without actually installing anything.

You can also force vesa from the cd boot menu.

[Michael Leamy (michael-leamyarts)]

Been a long time.

Thanks for the advice, but my solution was to use Mandriva 2008. Worked
out of the box, and isn't that what a user should expect? This system is
stable and working well, and isn't going to be disrupted now after this
many months. In the future, I suggest the team at Ubuntu remember that
ideology is great, but in the end plain vanilla users like myself aren't
likely to tolerate weeks ... in this case months ... of screwing around.
I tried for two years to get a Ubuntu system installed, and each release
had something that made it a non-starter ... but I kept trying. Just in
case you are wondering, during this most recent install attempt I did
manage to get it on the system, but so many apps were badly broken ...
Apt was an unholy mess ... that I was forced to look to my
aforementioned old OS.

Good luck with the next iteration, sorry to be such a wet blanket.

On Mon, 2007-12-31 at 13:15 +0000, Timo Aaltonen wrote:

> Please try hardy alpha2. 7.10 had version 2.1.4 of the driver which,
> according to upstream, does support Quadro FX 570M.
>
> NKJensen: your issue is not related.
>
> ** Changed in: xserver-xorg-video-nv (Ubuntu)
> Sourcepackagename: xorg => xserver-xorg-video-nv
> Status: New => Incomplete
>

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Michael: Fair enough. Care to let us know what driver and which version is Mandriva using for your Quadro?