Boot to black screen

[wanyal]

I have just installed Kubuntu on a laptop with:

1.6GHz single core processor (unknown manufacturer)
386MB DDR RAM
60GB HDD
and an S3 graphics chip (unknown model).

Installation would only work if i used safe graphics mode, but did install fine, but when i boot, you see the Kubuntu loading screen, and then it goes black. The screen does not change afterwards.

Can anyone help?

P.S I apologize for the lack of information on the laptop, as it isn't mine.

[arochester]

Re: Boot to black screen

The problem is probably caused by the S3 video card.

Look at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions . Page down to the table for Kernel Options. Try putting the command "xforcevesa" in the boot.

[wanyal]

Re: Boot to black screen

No change

[kyonides]

Re: Boot to black screen

Mmm, I think you may have the bare minimum of RAM to run Kubuntu on your PC... I usually use about 400 to 512 MB of RAM while browsing the internet or editing some OO document only...

[wanyal]

Re: Boot to black screen

Well, i have since tried Xubuntu, thinking the same thing, but i have the same problem.

[kyonides]

Re: Boot to black screen

Is your xorg.conf file almost empty? I mean, does it actually include some important settings? Or is it almost blank?

Enter this in konsole...

kdesudo kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf

You may also check out what GreyGreek said on this post...
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...4138#msg174138

[wanyal]

Re: Boot to black screen

I have tried entering this into the root prompt in recovery mode and in return I get "Cannot connect to X server". This is the only way I have managed to do this as i cannot get to a command prompt any other way.

GreyGeek's post also didn't help.

[flarson]

Re: Boot to black screen

Get to a virtual terminal (Ctl-Alt-F1) and upgrade the software "sudo aptitude update" followed by "sudo aptitude -f full-upgrade". Restart and see if it is better. If not at the boot prompt us esc->rescue->xfix.

[wanyal]

Re: Boot to black screen

Maybe I am not making myself clear.


The situation is, when i boot, i see the Kubuntu loading screen as normal. After that, the screens goes black and nothing happens. I have not managed to configure any internet access, as it has yet to boot properly even once.

The LiveCD would not load the OS, so i used the installer in Safe Graphics Mode, which worked fine.
When i press Crtl-Alt-F1, nothing happens. Same for Crtl-Alt-F2. I have tried fixing xserve but that has had no effect.

[flarson]

Re: Boot to black screen

If I am not mistaken after the Kubuntu progress bar the next thing is loading X and starting KDM. This means you are sitting somewhere after that and seeing nothing on VT7. Is anything showing on VT1-6? Is the system locked up?

[wanyal]

Re: Boot to black screen

I dont know what VT7 or VT1-6 is, sorry. And the system hasn't locked up as when i press Crtl-Alt-Del, the system reboots.

[flarson]

Re: Boot to black screen

In the rescue boot menu is there not an option to drop to a root shell with networking? I think if you choose that and your network is wired and using DHCP you will come up with a working network at a root shell, which will allow you to see what is going on.

[wanyal]

Re: Boot to black screen

There isn't a root shell with networking in the recovery menu.
EDIT: Found a command to enable it, and am updating aptitude.

[dibl]

Re: Boot to black screen

Although the RAM is pretty minimal, that won't stop Kubuntu from running, it will just cause it to be slow. The S3 video is obviously the problem. You need a video boot option, but I dunno which one. Check FAQ #2 in the links in my signature, and play with them -- try vga=788 and vga=791, for sure.

[flarson]

Re: Boot to black screen

I think the vga= kernel options are for setting up the framebuffer that is used to show the Kubuntu progress bar. That seems to be working, if I understand correctly. The problem is happening when X starts, or make when KDM starts. Hopefully the upgrade will fix it.