[SOLVED] Cannot launch Kubuntu 18.04 installer - nor 16.04 for that matter

[Spectrum]

Hi, all! I have trouble getting any Kubuntu version about 14.04 to install and run. I have tried several things:

Option 1
I have made an USB stick with kubuntu-18.04-desktop-amd64.iso (using guidus). I have tested the USB stick on another computer, and there I can at least launch it, so I am pretty sure the stick itself works. On my main computer, however, I cannot start the installer. When I select it in the boot menu, I get the following screen for a little while:



Then the monitors go blank and start saying "no signal". I do not get prompted to "try" or "install".

Option 1b
I also tried making a 32-bit installer (even though I'm pretty sure my system is 64-bit), using kubuntu-18.04.2-desktop-i386.iso. That yielded the same result.

Option 2
I have tried a 16.04 installer with the same result. In fact, I wrote about that in 2017 but was unable to solve it.

Option 3
I have tried to go the upgrade route: Make a fresh installation of Kubuntu 14.04, install all upgrades, restart, then upgrade to 16.04 when offered. This resulted in the same thing: As soon as I boot this installation, my monitors go blank and start saying "no signal". No KDE, no terminal, no error message, no Kubuntu logo, no nothing.

I was, however, able to start up Kubuntu 16.04 in recovery mode. Do you think this might be a viable route? Do you think I might be able to repair my 16.04 installation and upgrade it to 18.04?

Cause
Now, my hardware is pretty old. My computer is from 2010. This might be part of the problem. My BIOS might not support UEFI.
My computer is a desktop.

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks in advance!

[jlittle]

I've seen that before, on an old Acer. When I saw it, I had to press a key, Enter I think, and nothing else. If I pressed any other key, or waited too long, nothing would work, even pressing the key it wanted. I'll try and find that old Acer and a Kubuntu USB to see if it still does it.

Upgrading 14.04 to 16.04 is not recommended. More strongly, is recommended to not upgrade 14.04 to 16.04. I only got that recommendation after doing a couple of times, and the 16.04 installs ran very slowly.

[Spectrum]

I've seen that before, on an old Acer. When I saw it, I had to press a key, Enter I think, and nothing else. If I pressed any other key, or waited too long, nothing would work, even pressing the key it wanted. I'll try and find that old Acer and a Kubuntu USB to see if it still does it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

It is true that if I press enter while the icon in the screenshot above is showing, I get slightly further. Then I get a menu where I am prompted to try Kubuntu, check the disk for errors or other things. I can navigate around in that menu fine. However, as soon as I select "Try Kubuntu", I get the same as before - my monitors lose signal. There is no noticeable noise from the computer, suggesting that it is doing nothing.

If I select "check disk for errors" I get the same result.

It is worth noting that on my other machine (an HP laptop), when I boot from the same USB stick, it looks different. I do not get the icon shown above. I just get a GRUB-like menu with the option of trying Kubuntu or checking the disk for errors. Maybe that is due to different BIOS? I don't know.

I tried "check disk for errors" on the laptop, and it said the disk was fine. I can also "try Kubuntu" on the laptop.

Upgrading 14.04 to 16.04 is not recommended. More strongly, is recommended to not upgrade 14.04 to 16.04. I only got that recommendation after doing a couple of times, and the 16.04 installs ran very slowly.

How about installing Kubuntu 15.10 and upgrading from that? Is that considered sane? Or is that also discouraged?

Update: I tried making a USB with regular Ubuntu 18.04 (without the K). That gave me the same result. So the problem is unrelated to KDE.

[claydoh]

A little info about your computer might help here a teennsy weensy bit. Make, model, and ram at the very least.
At that screen you get, I think you hit the spacebar to bring up various options.


The installer boots either legacy bios or uefi, so this is likely not the issue.
What options have you used in the media creator software?
Have you tried different tools? While U have not had an issue with Mkusb, the options are not always clear. Etcher is dead simple and seems to also be dead reliable.
I know they seem to at least boot on other systems, but I'd still suggest different tools, USB sticks, and even USB ports, from past personal experiences.

Also, checking for the latest bios update for the system can help, too.

[Spectrum]

A little info about your computer might help here a teennsy weensy bit. Make, model, and ram at the very least.

The computer is a "Vision Game 80" from MM-Vision.
My processor is Intel Core i7-860 4x2,80GHz (Turbo 3.46GHz).
I have 8GB DDR3-1333 RAM.
My graphics card is an AMD Radeon HD 5700.

What options have you used in the media creator software?
Have you tried different tools? While U have not had an issue with Mkusb, the options are not always clear. Etcher is dead simple and seems to also be dead reliable.
I know they seem to at least boot on other systems, but I'd still suggest different tools, USB sticks, and even USB ports, from past personal experiences.

All right. I will try some more combinations later today.

Also, checking for the latest bios update for the system can help, too.

I will not update the BIOS. That is simply too risky. I did it once several years ago and converted my motherboard into a doorstopper. I do not want to do that again.

[claydoh]

So Boutique manufacturer , likely using of the shelf motherboards. At least we can search for info on Linux compatibility issues on that, perhaps.

Nvidia is a butt pain on older systems, more so if the mainboard also has an onboard Intel GPU. If it does maybe there is a bios setting that might involve graphics selection?

You may have to try using the nomodeset thing At the grub screen to boot

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1029...o-blank-screen


Other options might be to see if using the onboard graphics (if present) to install works, or to use the Ubuntu server (ncurses text based GUI) to install then install kubuntu-desktop to "convert" the headless system to Kubuntu.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

[jlittle]

However, as soon as I select "Try Kubuntu", I get the same as before - my monitors lose signal.

I would try "nomodeset". It used to be easy to set that, and I know how to set it when booting an iso from grub, but I'm not sure how when you get that "Try Kubuntu", unless it is to press F6 and use the arrow keys to move down to "nomodeset" and press space to set it.

[jlittle]

I would try "nomodeset". It used to be easy ...

Been experimenting... for a BIOS boot, the old start screen still appears, where one can press F6. But with a UEFI boot, there's a basic grub menu that times out quickly; pressing shift will make you see it. Then, for nomodeset, press e and edit the long linux line so that it's got "nomodeset" after or instead of "quiet splash".

[Spectrum]

Woo! It turns out that nomodeset was indeed the correct eldritch incantation!

1. Boot from USB.
2. Press enter quickly when the USB icon (screenshot above) shows up.
3. Press F6.
4. Select nomodeset.
5. Now I can try and install Kubuntu.

Thanks a lot for the help, everyone!

Now I have a separate problem with it not recognizing my monitors, but it is still much better than before.

[jlittle]

Be aware that if you can do the F6 thing, my finding was that the Live USB has been booted in BIOS mode, and so will do a BIOS install. The Acer might be old enough that it came before UEFI, in which case that's good. Some people prefer BIOS booting, even on UEFI capable hardware, too.