can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

[anefalos]

Dear all,
I'm trying to install Kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740, AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual without any success.
I've a Windows XP SP3 running and I wanna have a dual boot machine.
After booting from Live CD I choose the language and then hit install. After that the screen goes black with a blinking cursor on the top left. Doing some research it looks like it is related with my video driver (Nvidia Quadro NVS 210S). I've tried several options:
1) 32-bit desktop (didn't work)
2) 64-bit AMD (didn't work)
3) both cited above with "nosplash" option (didn't work)
4) 64-bit AMD alternate text-based installer (didn't work). By the way, there is no option "text based install ...or something?!", just install like the other cds.
5) all images I've downloaded were checked with MD5 sums.

I don't know what to do. After hit install I've always the same black screen with the blinking cursor.
I'd appreciate any help on this.
Thank you

[lmilano]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Hi

You should get some display with the nv driver, I believe, even if you lack acceleration. Some people in situations like your have had better luck installing from a usb drive, which is really easy these days. Maybe that will get you going?

[dibl]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Sounds like maybe a framebuffer thing -- check #2 on my "20 FAQs" link in my signature. In particular, try these boot options:

vga=791
vga=788
vga=785

I would think one of them would work ....

[anefalos]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Hi,

Thank you for your suggestions but it didn't work.
First I've tried to install it from USB drive. It says:
Loading /ubnkern ...
Loading /ubninit ... ....ready.
and then the screen freezes with with the blinking cursor.

After that I've tried the vga=XXX options. None of those 3 codes worked. The boot options are:
file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quite splash -- vga=791

After setting vga=XXX the screen goes black but without the cursor. I've tried other vga codes also.
I've also tried boot from USB with vga=XXX option, but the result is the same.
My screen resolution is 1680x1050 using Nvidia driver looking under Windows.

Any ideas on what is going on??

[lmilano]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Wow! Sorry it didn't work! Have you tried passing noapic and nolapic at boot time?

[anefalos]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Hi, It didn't work either. Booting from USB, the command line says:

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quite splash noapic nolapic -- vga=791

Are the options correct?
How long do I need to wait to see if it works?

[lmilano]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

They seem correct, and you should't need to wait much!

[dibl]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic nolapic -- vga=791

Are the options correct?

NO.

Try this first:

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash vga=791

then

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash vga=788

then

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash vga=785

If those won't boot, then introduce noapic:

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic vga=791

then


/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic vga=788

then


/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic vga=785


If still no love, then add nolapic:


/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic nolapic vga=791

then


/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic nolapic vga=788

then


/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash noapic nolapic vga=785

There are no dashes or hyphens between boot options.

[lmilano]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Sorry, I was just focusing on the noapic part. Are you sure it is "quite" and not "quiet"? I would remove that anyway to see more output. Can you please remove the "splash" bit? That could help (it avoids having to load some graphics early on).

You may also try the nomodeset keyword (in case it is trying to use KMS, but I really doubt it in Karmic).

[dibl]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Are you sure it is "quite" and not "quiet"?

Oh geez, I did not see that. Of course it is "quiet". I'll go edit it.

[lmilano]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Yes, sorry, the question was more for anefalos, I think it was just a typo because you can't just copy and paste these things I wanted to make sure though. To be concrete, this would be my first try

/ubnkern initrd=/ubninit file=/cdron/preseed/kubuntu.seed boot=casper

After that, I would start adding things one by one like dibl suggested, but I would avoid splash and quiet, for the reasons I mentioned above.

[anefalos]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

Hi all,

It was a typo (quiet), indeed!! Sorry about that.
Regarding BOOT options, none of them worked. So, I've tried a different thing. Instead of using the "kubuntu-9.10-desktop-amd64.iso" image I tried the "kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso", and guess what? It worked!! I just added "vga=791". I don't know why the AMD64 version is not working. I don't think is a problem with the CD, since I also created a USB boot drive from the ISO.
Concerning the dashes between boot options, looking at the page linked in "20 FAQs" (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions) under the topic "Changing the Boot Option Configuration Line" it says you could leave the dashes and add more options after it. That's why I didn't remove them. At least, this is how I understood the instructions.
Now I need to tune my screen resolution, but I already did this before in my notebook.
Thank you very much for your help. You were fantastic.

[dibl]

Re: can't install kubuntu 9.10 in a Dell Optiplex 740

I tried the "kubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso", and guess what? It worked!!

Great!

Every once in awhile we see a post about hardware that appears to be 64-bit architecture, but will not run the 64-bit OS. I don't know whether there was was "cheating" in the hardware design, or whether there is a bug of some kind in the 64-bit architecture of the OS.

It's good that you got it running, somehow.