Blank Screen while booting

[slamelov]

Hi

I don't understand what's happening.

I was using Kubuntu 15.04 64 without problem. Then, I changed my graphic card and installed a nVidia GTX960 (driver 346.59). Since then, after selecting Kubuntu in Grub menu, system stop booting and I can't do anything except reboot. I only see a blank screen. No text, no messages... nothing.

So, I try to boot from an USB, and the same problem. The same with another distributions.

I have choose "recovery" from Grub Menu, select activate network and go to root console, upgraded system... then type exit and go to recovery menu. Select continue normal booting... and works. But then, reboot and the problem continues. If I go to recovery and choose "start normal booting", works.

Any help?

[Jimmy.P]

You probably need to add nomodeset to you're grub config

editor of choice /etc/default/grub

Then add nomodeset to this line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset

[slamelov]

Thanks, it works!

But now, after login, I can't see taskbar, menu or anything, right mouse button doesn't work... I see the mouse cursor, and ALT + F2 works, but nothing more.

Regards

[xennex81]

Make sure you don't have HDMI connected to something, just in case. nVidia cards give preference to HDMI so you *may* have two desktops accidentally!!!

[slamelov]

No HDMI connected.

[larbac]

I also had a similar problem. I even formated and reinstalled the system 2 times. After all the updates, I got a black screen with the mouse cross. Alt+F2 didn't worked (no terminal, nothing). Only thing was CTRL+ALT+F*, but couldn't make it work again.
Now everything is OK, but I didn't updated nothing, I'm afraid it does the same again.
Was this any kind of new update that came out?
My system was running all OK from 2 or 3 years ago, with all the updates of versions and no problems until now...
Thanks

[slamelov]

I still have the problem, I have upgraded the nVidia driver, uninstalled (purged), installed again... and nothing.

[NoWorries]

I have two systems where I have encountered the black screen. For me, this is associated with a Linux Kernel update which did not include video driver updates done by the video driver installation for the previous kernel.

My Vivid system has a GeForce GT 360M video card. To remove the video card I use alt+ctrl+F1 to get into the text mode which requires the login procedure. I then issue the command to remove the Nvidia driver by:

[FONT=monospace][COLOR=#000000]sudo apt-get purge nvidia*[/COLOR][/FONT]

After this I do:

[FONT=monospace][COLOR=#000000]
sudo apt-get update
[/COLOR][/FONT][FONT=monospace][COLOR=#000000]sudo apt-get dist-upgrade[/COLOR]
[/FONT] [FONT=monospace][COLOR=#000000]
sudo apt-get autoremove[/COLOR]
[/FONT]

I always find that after purging, there are left-over packages, particularly dkms which I remove with the autoremove.

I reboot and, in my case, my system has another VGA card which gives me a display that is quite workable. I them install the Nvidia driver using the Muon package manager. In this process dkms facilitates changes to parts of the kernel for the driver.

My other system which is Wily has a Radeon HD 6310 card. To remove the video video drivers after a Kernel update, I get into a text move with internet connection and issue the following commands:

sudo apt-get purge fglrx-amdcccle-updates
sudo apt-get purge fglrx-updates
sudo apt-get purge fglrx-updates-core
sudo apt-get purge dkms

After doing this, I them install these packages. Once again the installation involves kernel modifications involving dkms.

I hope this is useful for you as it is a pain to not have a system that works.

[larbac]

Thank You NoWorries.
For now, I didn't updated the vga driver. All OK.

[NoWorries]

Thank You NoWorries.
For now, I didn't updated the vga driver. All OK.

Sounds like you have two video cards like I have. I assume that you have successfully installed the NVIDIA driver which allows you to select either the VGA or the NVIDIA cards. On my system I get the following option from running Settings > NVIDIA X Server Settings.

.

[slamelov]

Thanks NoWorries, but the problem continues for me after doing that. I don't know if I should remove the .cache folder.

[NoWorries]

I have found that with the NVIDIA driver, I have to enable Auto Login. If I don't, I get a black screen. By waiting sufficient time for the "Invisible" Login screen to be written, I then enter my password and the system comes up.

I know that Auto Login is rather risky in some situations, but where I am is in a home environment in a safe area, so I take the risk. Alternately, I would use the Login approach with the black screen.

I will be interested to know if this approach helps with your problem

[slamelov]

Finally, I solved in this way.

Purged nvidia drivers as you said before, then autoremove.

Deleted the .cache directory

Installed nVidia latest driver downloaded from nvidia.com.

Then reboot (or Init 3 - Init 5). After login, desktop appears without panel, but now, Right Mouse Button let me activate the option "Add Pannel/Default Panel", and now everything is ok.

I think that deleting . cache solved the problem, may be using nouveau driver also works, probably there is not necesary privative nvidia driver.

Regards.

[NoWorries]

Well done, glad to know that you got it all sorted out and working. In the past ~/.cache has caused my system to misbehave, so I decided to try what you suggested. Unfortunately, on my system, I still have to continue with Auto Login as I still get a blank screen which contains the "Invisible" Login Screen if I disable Auto Login.