How to get started with no GUI

[dibl]

It often happens that the installer on the Kubuntu Live CD is unable to correctly identify and configure automatically the X server configuration for your graphics display chip or card.  For the noob, this means the first thing you see after you run the installation routine is a jet black screen with (or without) a blinking white "_" in the upper left corner.  The keyboard and mouse are apparently unresponsive.  Here is what to do:

1. Alt-F1 usually takes you to the Command Line Interface (CLI), aka "text prompt" -- sometimes it requires Ctrl-Alt-F1.

2. At the text prompt, just enter your user name, hit Enter, and then enter the password that you gave yourself when you went through the installation routine.

3. Congratulations!  You are now logged in to a marvelous and powerful Linux system, but oops, you're lacking a GUI interface.  We'll fix that now.  Enter the following command in a Konsole window, exactly as shown (if you had a GUI, you could just "copy" it with your mouse, then in the console window right-click on the cursor and paste it in):

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

This starts the X server configuration script. On the first screen, answer "NO" to the autodetect question (because we already know what happens when it tries ....), and on the second screen choose "VESA" as your display type.  Then you can accept the defaults until you get to the "monitor" section. On that screen, put an "x" only in one resolution that you can comfortably use, like 1024 x 768, or if it is a small display maybe 800 x 600.  Then enter refresh rates appropriate for your LCD or CRT monitor.  When completed, it will dump you back to the text prompt. At that point you can enter

Code:

startx

and you should get a reasonable GUI, in which to continue your excellent adventure.

4. Now you can use the Adept Manager to install Firefox, if you wish, and any other packages that you are in urgent need of.

5. When you are ready to exploit the potential of your actual graphics chip or card, you can open the KMenu>System>Konsole and enter

Code:

lspci

and the listing will show your hardware, including the specific graphic display hardware.  We will need to know this to help you identify the best driver available, and the process to acquire and install it.  Then you can make a post to request assistance, stating your motherboard or computer model, CPU, and graphics hardware.

For example here is a reasonable approach if you have an Nvidia or ATI graphics system.

 

 

[askrieger]

The only thing I can think of to add to Dibl's excellent advice is a little howto on finding the appropriate vertical refresh rate and horizontal sync frequency for your monitor.  In windoze, assuming you have a GUI there, google for the name and model number of your monitor.  Find the manufacturer's website or another page that lists the specifications of your monitor.  Now, when you start "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg", you can use the advanced option (don't worry, just accept the defaults) until you get to select the properties of your monitor (as Dibl suggested).

[myNigga]

Askrieger, setting the vertical refresh and horizontal refresh limits to something high allows xorg to use the highest refreshes the monitor can handle. For example, set them to seomthing like 20-200 or so. Since xorg won't be forcing the refresh, there is no risk to damage anything, you are just telling it to query the monitor for a particular refresh.

- Xorg: Hi, monitor.
- Monitor: Hi, Xorg.
- Xorg: Can you do 50Hz vrefresh?
- Monitor: Sure.
- Xorg: Can you do 60Hz vrefresh?
- Monitor: Of course.
- Xorg: Can you do 100Hz vrefresh?
- Monitor: Yes.
- Corg: Can you do 120Hz?
- Monitor: Sorry, no.
- Xorg: Ok, lets stick to 100Hz.

Xorg just queries, it doesn't TRY to set all refresh rates.

[Fintan]

Yes, excellent HowTo. Thank you.

[fivesmellydragons]

Hey thanks for the tip man!

I had this problem happen to me the other day and I almost started freaking out because I thought I would have to start all over again with Feisty from the beginning.

The steps were easy to read and they worked perfectly.

Thanks again!!

[eriefisher]

There is usually a way to fix just about anything in Linux especially if you have backed up before you edited. Unlike Windows where the best solution in usually to reinstall. More trouble than it's worth.

eriefisher

[CrimsonR]

I tried this, with both safe and normal mode.
I get to the console, for some reason.

And I reconfigure, only to get:

error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/libz.so.1: invalid ELF header

What could be the problem?
I get the same error when trying lspci btw.

My system is an amd64 based one, with a old GeForce 6600 card in it, 2gb memory and on a A8R-MX motherbord, AMD north bridge iirc.

[dibl]

And I reconfigure, only to get:

error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/libz.so.1: invalid ELF header

What could be the problem?
I get the same error when trying lspci btw.

Erkkkk.  That's a bad one, I think - not a commonly reported problem, and maybe only semi-related to video.  Were there any error messages during your installation process?  A quick Google turned up this:

http://ozlabs.org/pipermail/linuxppc-embedded/2001-November/005528.html

which suggests a hard drive or boot issue.  Has your system fsck'd itself lately? You might want to run a manual fsck on it (crossing my fingers ....).   

[Rog131]

Here Re: invalid ELF header
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=76791
the solution was

now goes  thanks to tseliot on ubuntu forum!
here are his suggestions:

Try envy:
http://www.albertomilone.eu/europeo/..._scripts1.html

if that doesn't work try point 4 of the Problems Section of my guide (even if the description of the problem doesn't match yours):
http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/Latest_Nvidia_Dapper

that is: i have run his script that adjusts packets and downloads+runs the latest nvidia driver script (first link).
then i adjusted xorg.conf and options file as told in his guide (second link).

Have you checked xorg logs ?

[CrimsonR]

One thing I forgot to mention (as I see now) is that this happens with the installation of the system.

In other words, the disk is clean, the system has nothing installed, I pop in the CD, boot, and never get to installing.

The harddisk is good, as far as i can tell, as are all the other system parts.

edir:
(Oh and thanks for the finger crossing, but it's unneeded, no critical data anywhere on that system :0 )

[CrimsonR]

I'd check em, if they were there.

But does the livecd save logs?

[CrimsonR]

I tried some more things, but to no avail;

Replaced the CD-Rom drive
Replaced the memory
Redownloaded the ISO from another site.

No help, still this elf error. Can anyone help?

[Flumuxed]

 

Many thanks for all the contributions on this post to my original query.  It sorted the problem a treat.  I'd got visions of having to do a reinstall!!

Thanks

[super_bunny32]

It often happens that the installer on the Kubuntu Live CD is unable to correctly identify and configure automatically the X server configuration for your graphics display chip or card.  For the noob, this means the first thing you see after you run the installation routine is a jet black screen with (or without) a blinking white "_" in the upper left corner.  The keyboard and mouse are apparently unresponsive.  Here is what to do:

1. Alt-F1 usually takes you to the Command Line Interface (CLI), aka "text prompt" -- sometimes it requires Ctrl-Alt-F1.

I tried doing this but it wouldn't work I tried both Alt-F1 and Ctrl-Alt-F1

[Jlgjt]

Yeah, I having the same problem as super_bunny32. From a LiveCD I made (which I'm reasonably sure is good as I can get to the boot menu) of the latest Kubuntu version (7.10) I tried to do those two same shortcuts and nothing happens within the next few seconds. I may not be waiting long enough (considering how slow a LiveCD is :-/) but once the kernel is loaded things should be relatively quick in responding, right?