Enabling Effects causes Black screen

[Guest]

Hi. I installed Kubuntu 8.04 with the latest KDE4.1 (I think, it was the latest .iso) and after I enabled the Propriotery Driver for my AMD X1950 XT and then when I choose apply the screen goes black and will not come back. I reboot and GRUB loads and then the KDE boot icons appear and then black screen with only a mouse curser visible. This did this with my suse linux 9.0 and thats why installed Kubuntu. I have Ubuntu 8.04 on my laptop Nvidia G-card this is my desktop Dual boot with XP. Any thoughts without having to re-install.

Thanks,

Camzl1

[Christopher Walken]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

This happened to me as well. I have since downgraded to kde 3.5 because I like it better. However, I believe this to be an issue with not having a 3-d enabled graphics card. I have an evga nvidia 8800 gt 512 mb, which is 3d enabled. I am not familiar with yours and don't know if it is or not.

[Primal_scream]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

I'm having the same problem.I found another post that was relevant and had suggestions of adding the line vga=791 to the parameters in menu.lst (sort of worked--- changed the video mode during boot up but had no effect on the gui).also suggested updating the driver for the video card (did that before i changed to enabled effects).I'm using the wubi version of kbuntu 4 and the video card is an ati radeon 9800

[Primal_scream]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

Camzl.Cristopher and I might have disrupted your post by putting our 2 cents worth in.The people who know what they are doing probably look for posts with no replies to them.You may want to go to the bottom of the page,delete this post and repost it.

[Rog131]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

Enabling Effects causes Black screen

If the problem is: System settings > Desktop > Enable desktop effects => Black screen

TRY #1
Maybe this helps:

When you are in the login screen - don't login - press: Ctrl + Alt + F1.
This should start virtual console /1/.

Login in the text mode. After you are in, type (Hardy - .kde4):

nano ~/.kde4/share/config/kwinrc

this is same as

nano /home/<USER>/.kde4/share/config/kwinrc

Intrepid or later:

nano ~/.kde/share/config/kwinrc

this is same as

nano /home/<USER>/.kde/share/config/kwinrc

<USER> is your username

Kubuntu 8.04 is using kde4 directory with the KDE 4 settings . Kubuntu 8.10 is using kde directory.

man nano

nano is a small, free and friendly editor

My kwinrc (Intrepid Ibex, KDE 4.1.1) has

[$Version]
update_info=kwin_on_off.upd:kwin_on_off,kwin.upd:k de3.0r1,kwin.upd:kde3.2Xinerama,
kwin_focus1.upd:kwin_focus1,kwin3_plugin.upd:kde3. 2,kwin_focus2.upd:kwin_focus2

[Compositing]
Enabled=true

[Desktops]
Name_1=
Name_2=
Name_3=Desktop 3
Name_4=Desktop 4
Number=4
....

Change

Enabled=true

to

Enabled=false

save and exit nano.

Press: Ctrl + Alt + F7. Now you should be in the graphical login screen. Login - do you get black screen ?


TRY #2

or maybe this helps:

When you are in the login screen - don't login - press: Ctrl + Alt + F1.
This should start virtual console /1/.

Login in the text mode. After you are in, rename /2/ your existing kde folder:

mv /home/<user>/.kde4 /home/<user>/kde4backup

Press: Ctrl + Alt + F7. Now you should be in the graphical login screen. Login and KDE should build new Kubuntu/KDE desktop with default settings.

Your old kde settings and autostart files (if you are using) are in the kde4backup folder.


/1/ Virtual console (PC)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_console_(PC)

Usually in Linux, the first six virtual consoles provide a text terminal with a login prompt to a Unix shell. The graphical X Window System starts in the seventh virtual console. In Linux, the switching is performed with a key combination of Alt plus a function key -- for example Alt+F1 to access the virtual console number 1. Alt+Left arrow changes to the previous virtual console and Alt+Right arrow to the next virtual console. To switch from the X Window System, Ctrl+Alt+function key works. (Note that users can re-define these default key-combinations.)

/2/ man mv

MV(1) User Commands MV(1)

NAME
mv - move (rename) files

SYNOPSIS
mv [OPTION]... [-T] SOURCE DEST
mv [OPTION]... SOURCE... DIRECTORY
mv [OPTION]... -t DIRECTORY SOURCE...

DESCRIPTION
Rename SOURCE to DEST, or move SOURCE(s) to DIRECTORY.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options
too.

--backup[=CONTROL]
make a backup of each existing destination file

-b like --backup but does not accept an argument

-f, --force
do not prompt before overwriting

[Chessmaster]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

Rog131,

Thanks for the tips. I used the second option you gave to create a backup of my .kde folder. Thanks.

As for the problem with the screen going blank when Enabling effects. I looked at my "kwinrc" file in kate. It didn't have part that says "[Compositing] Enabled=true". It only had [$Version] and [Desktops].

Anyway, I changed the name of my .kde folder to .kde-backup and restarted. This created a new .kde folder etc. I Enabled Desktop effects and the screen went black again.

I used my backup .kde folder to restore original settings but still have the problem of not being able to enable desktop effects.

Any other suggestions?

[Chessmaster]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

After some investigation it appears that (most?) SiS (Silicon Integrated Systems) graphics chips do not run opensource 3D effects (they do for Windows though).

http://taufanlubis.wordpress.com/200...-pc-or-laptop/

So, if you are getting a Black Screen when you select "Enable Effects" check to see if you have an SiS graphics chip as that may be the problem (although I realise this isn't the case above for the original poster). I do not know of any solution to this until SiS decide to be nice to Linux.

Will update if I find things change.

Cheers

Edit: I got Desktop Effects working, see below. Haven't got multiple desktops working as yet though.

[Chessmaster]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

HI,

I managed to get desktop effects going without the black screen!

In desktop effects, select advanced options and change the composting option from OpenGL to XRender, then apply. I now have desktop effects.

It worked for me so it might be worth a try.

Cheers

[timjohn]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

My problem is even worse than these. I've just managed to install Kubuntu Intrepid on my elderly notebook and after what appeared to be a successful installation, I rebooted. Now, no desktop, no access to tty1, tty 2 etc and certainly no tty7.
I have a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo P4 1Gb RAM using an Intel 82845 Video Card. Prior to this it ran Ubuntu 8.04 with full compiz effects without a problem.
Please help me get my KDE up & running!

[gryedouge]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

Can I just add my 2c worth? A friend of mine had the same problem and when i installed 8.1 to my new HP Pavilion dv7-1135nr, i got the same problem as well. I rebooted and re-installed at least 13 times, trying to isolate the possible option which would cause the black screen "of death". I have come to a conclusion that the problem could be caused by the iso we both downloaded from the same website, where they offered upgrades/updates. Maybe the iso is corrupted? I re-installed and just did not select the specific options under effects and now I have no problems.

[Snowhog]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

It (almost assuredly) isn't the downloaded .iso file. The problem is almost certainly due to conflicts with these settings and the video card/driver you are using.

[Paul77]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

TRY #2

or maybe this helps:

When you are in the login screen - don't login - press: Ctrl + Alt + F1.
This should start virtual console /1/.

Login in the text mode. After you are in, rename /2/ your existing kde folder:
Code:

mv /home/<user>/.kde4 /home/<user>/kde4backup


Press: Ctrl + Alt + F7. Now you should be in the graphical login screen. Login and KDE should build new Kubuntu/KDE desktop with default settings.

Your old kde settings and autostart files (if you are using) are in the kde4backup folder.

Everytime I try this it just says "bash: file or directory doesn't exist" or it tells me it's an unknown command.
Is there anyway to explain it even simpler... in terms of renaming as this didn't work for me.



I'm brand new to kubuntu and I have 8.10 installed.

[Rog131]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

"...directory doesn't exist"

...I have 8.10 installed.

Maybe - as said:
"Kubuntu 8.04 is using kde4 directory with the KDE 4 settings . Kubuntu 8.10 is using kde directory.


So with the Kubuntu (8.10) Intrepid Ibex or later:


TRY #2

or maybe this helps:

When you are in the login screen - don't login - press: Ctrl + Alt + F1.
This should start virtual console /1/.

Login in the text mode. After you are in, rename /2/ your existing kde folder:

mv /home/<user>/.kde /home/<user>/kde4backup

Press: Ctrl + Alt + F7. Now you should be in the graphical login screen. Login and KDE should build new Kubuntu/KDE desktop with default settings.

Your old kde settings and autostart files (if you are using) are in the kde4backup folder.

[Paul77]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

Sorry I didn't mention that I had tried that too.
I'll try again though.

Thanks for the continued help.

[Paul77]

Re: Enabling Effects causes Black screen

Solved, I missed a space.

Thanks again for the help.