Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

[zetski210]

OK, so after 27 years of Windows I decided to try and install Kubuntu 7.10.
Ive been told it's praises and glory and decided to give it a crack, but for the last couple of days I've been having serious problems installing it and/or running it.


Problems:

Install hangs (for friggen ages, like 3 hours) at 85% "preparing X11 common"

Install completes (dunno how I managed to pull that off), but won't boot (no video signal), and ALT+CTRL+F1/F2, etc does nothing. Can, however, boot recovery console, changed xorg.conf to try and get display running, but nothing. X will not run - cannot find screen

Will not boot from Live CD - same problem, video signal stops, no konsole, ALT+CTRL+F1/F2, etc still does nothing!

Grub often fails -> therefore cannot boot any OS whatsoever (even XP Pro x64)


System:
Intel E8400
Asus P5E main board
4GB memory (Kingston HyperX DDR2)
Asus 8800GTS 512MB graphics
crappy old 15" 1024x768 LCD (Philips 150p)

400 GB partition for XP Pro x64
10 GB partition EXT3 for /
5 GB partition for swap
30 GB partition EXT3 for /home

I've even obtained help from a software engineer friend of mine (degree in systems engineering) and we still cannot get it working!

I'm suspecting that it may be a problem with the graphics card/screen, but it seems strange that the installer can display on the screen, but not the actual OS.

So, I was wondering if anyone can suggest anything that we may have missed?


And, yes - I have checked the install CD for problems, it's fine!

[ghillan]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

I think that installation was not finished... when installation it's almost done last steps is installing grub ... finding other os's ( tipically windows) . cleaning installation etc. I suggest you to reinstall from scratch.

TO be honest also to me happened once that graphical installation hanged... so i reinstalled using text mode install. If your friend is used to linux he will have not any problem using the non graphical installation. Maybe your hardware gives some problems to the installer, so the text mode should be safer.

[andreasj64]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

Kubuntu killed my LCD, leterally. Be careful. i had an old uslogic LCD, and the refresh defaulted to 68, so i changed it to 60, which really shouldn't make a damn bit of difference on an LCD. :It look okay after the change, so I hit apply. The screen started scrolling left to right really fast, so I shut it all down because I could not regain control. When I turn it back on, the screen went completely white, and I have not been able to get it working since. It's dead.... The refresh rate must have fryed some circuits in the LCD.

[ghillan]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

Changing frequencies of a display it's always a dangerous operation, sincerelly it's long time that i havent seen linux detect correctly a display. Also LCD work at a specific frequency .. its not like a CRT that have a operationg range. Always leave it as it is unles u are 100% sure of what's you are doing and have a valid reason to do that.

[andreasj64]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

it didn't detect it correctly. It was way too big and wouldn't scroll over to the menu. :I changed it from 68 to 60, and the screen shrank to the proper size. Everything looked fine, so I hit apply. BAM!!!

Technically, an LCD does not even use a refresh rate like a CRT, so it shouldn't have done anything as far as I understood. I've been building PC's for almost 15 years, and have never seen or heard of a problem like that, especially when turning the frequency down. No idea what happened. All I know is, it's dead...

[ghillan]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

well.. we are going off topic.. but if it was too big, maybe it was not a display problem.. just a video card detection problem. I realy dont undestand why you changed the refresh time istead of resolution, but now without the whole xorg.conf its hard to understand whats happened. Anyway we are off-topic so it's better stick to the topic at least in this thread. ;-)

[zetski210]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

OK, thanks for the info about the screen - but hey, if my current LCD dies it's only good news as it will just mean that I'll need to get my 24" now,

Anywhoo, the first time I installed kubuntu it completed (grub installed), but X wouldn't boot. I used the recovery mode to try and change the xorg.conf file to match up the H/V sync rates with those of my monitor, but it still wouldn't work.

I then deleted all the data from the three partitions (see above) called my friend and tried again. This time it asked me some extra details (like stuff about the kernel) and then it failed at 85% with the "preparing X11 common".

So, you think I should re-install (from text mode) or erase my partitions first?

Additional: I managed to partially complete an installation, and it will boot, but there is no GUI. This way I can now select to boot Win. XP x64 from grub. Should I erase all the kubuntu partitions (from Windows) and start again from scratch?

Also, is it worth trying the i386 version instead?

[zetski210]

Re: Install of Gutsy hangs, kubuntu won't boot and other probs

OK, problem sorted

Booted into recovery console, downloaded drivers from nVidia and after a bit of stuffing around, got it to work.

Thanks for all your help!