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LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:35 am
by wilberfan
I just tried installing the new .iso from a thumb drive (created drive with unetbootin from 32bit .iso). I get several screens of boot verbiage (in verbose mode), and right after I see mention of 'gdm3' the screen goes to black. There is no disk activity light, and the keyboard is unresponsive.

Someone in IRC suggested adding 'vga=normal' to the grub entry--but that made no difference...

I have an nvidia graphics card; I think I saw mention of this same problem in another thread last night?

[edit] I'm using an nvidia graphics card--if that makes any difference...
I downloaded both versions, 32 and 64 bit
Created live USB, 64bit works fine, the 32bit won't boot at all, always end up with a black screen...
I tried to redownload the iso, nomodeset, etc.. No luck... any tips?
TIA
[edit]
oh and you might want to change the topic - it's not an installation problem per-se. It's more about the live-session itself not working
Point taken..

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails During Install

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:50 am
by some1
have the same problem, also tried "vga=normal"

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails During Install

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:07 pm
by gotjazz
same problem here. THe last lmde iso worked without a hitch though.
I have an up-to-date lmde system so no harm done but I would like to move to another partition and I need the new installer for that because then /home anr root will be on different HDs.


I had the same thing with another distro I wanted to test some months ago - with a combination of nomodeset and forcing a specific resolution and I think also refresh rate by way of boot parameters (don't remember how atm - but should be "googlable") I got that one to work.

Don't know if it's the same problem though as my screen should go into standby after a few seconds if it gets a signal it can't work with. And with the new LMDE iso it didn't. It just stayed black.

edit: oh and you might want to change the topic - it's not an installation problem per-se. It's more about the live-session itself not working ;)

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:43 pm
by Dennis99
Same problem also, I too have 2 working LMDE's on 2 different computers but the live dvd will not start normally or compatibility mode. :(
Also have nvidia graphics.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:50 pm
by gotjazz
oh should've mentioned earlieer. I have ati graphics. So it seems like it's not nvidia specific

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:57 pm
by defcon
The problem seems only to affect 32bit. Today i installed 64bit without any problems.

Cheers and merry xmas.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:10 pm
by Nottyl
Intel mobile graphics here, no luck trying to boot into the live session, 32bit. I test distros quite extensively and can't remember not being able to boot into live before on this hardware. Makes me a little apprehensive about LMDE itself to be honest if the iso has been uploaded with problems like this.

From the release notes, it sounded like a really improved version though, so I thought I'd give it a try...

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:19 pm
by gotjazz
played around a little more.

xforcevesa doesn't let me boot properly but at least I get a white blinking cursor instead of a white screen. And then ctrl+alt+F2 let's me drop into a console. FIrst I tried just stopping and restarting gdm3 - no luck there. Even faster blinking white cursor and no reaction at all anymore. So reboot - same play again but this time I was at least able to mount an HD and grab a Xorg.0.log.
http://pastebin.com/AQ9T9dzH

edit: Don't really know how to read any of it but line 110 "(EE) No devices detected." Does not look good

edit2: Oh: Fatal server error:
no screens found

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:20 pm
by mikeymouse
I cannot load live the new linux mint Debian.
When i try to load on my desktop it loads casper/vm and casper/initrd then says ready and nothing else happens it just
sits there.
It will load just fine and run live on my laptop:
Anyone have any suggestions..
thanks
mikeymouse
Merry Christmas all.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:31 pm
by gotjazz
I took the liberty to post a bug-report https://bugs.launchpad.net/linuxmint/+bug/694177

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 5:16 pm
by spsf64
Nottyl wrote:Intel mobile graphics here, no luck trying to boot into the live session, 32bit. I test distros quite extensively and can't remember not being able to boot into live before on this hardware. Makes me a little apprehensive about LMDE itself to be honest if the iso has been uploaded with problems like this.

From the release notes, it sounded like a really improved version though, so I thought I'd give it a try...
I agree with you on quality, the team did not release any beta or RC, this bug would have appeared before...
I posted this problem yesterday here: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 04#p358492
I managed to boot 32bit in my nvidia system using the safe mode WITH "nomodeset" switch
The 32bit did boot correct on my netbook (intel video), however I did not try to install.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:18 pm
by wilberfan
They've apparently come up with a work-around: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 43#p358943
:)

[edit] Sadly, it doesn't work for me--at least not with a USB thumb drive (haven't tried the DVD route yet).

Now, in addition to my screen going black--I get rapid, repeated system beeps! The box sounds like it's gonna blow!

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 12:06 am
by gotjazz
hrm that's very nvidia specific - i mean i guess it could be done similarly for ati but ix x would work without mode settigns than it'd have at least started for me too when I tried (see above)

also why would this problem only arise with the 32 bit version? I had no problem whatsoever installing the 64 bit version

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 1:23 am
by justin
Hi all

I am feverishly working on something for this. Please try running your bootup in compatibility mode and pass nomodeset as a boot option. I had crashes in Nouveau which were bypassed using these options. The driver was getting address errors and rendering the kernel as tainted. If you don't do it in compatibility mode, you will see the hangups after loading the initrd. There's stuff going on behind the scenes.

Please test and let me know the results. I am not sure of the effects on ATI or Intel cards
I have also posted to a relevant bug on Launchpad, I will get the link and type a fuller response when I'm not on my mobile phone.

Dmesg reports are handy. Any feedback is. We rely on you guys to let us know. Thank you all.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 2:01 am
by brobdinag
I have the same issue with both 32 bit and 64 bit LMDE. It runs as far as the "ready" and then stops. The usb keyboard and mouse appear dead so I get stuck. Interestingly, if I hit tab right as the dvd is being read on screen, it will take me to the splash screen. Unfortunately, my keyboard goes lifeless at this point, and I can't add an option to grub or even choose to start linux. In 16 years, I've never had a problem like this with a linux installer! Weird!

FYI - Dell E510, 3gb ram, ati video card (x600 radeon), 64 bit etc.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 2:48 am
by justin
@brobdinag

Your keyboard goes dead at the GRUB menu? That shouldn't happen. If you can press keys to stop the countdown, you should be able to tab and pass on the nomodeset option.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:51 am
by Dyfi
Hi,

The problem exists for me also, (32bit). Just boots into a black screen - no disk activity at all.

Interestingly the same DVD on the same PC will load correctly and install into Virtual Box.

I guess a lot of people will be unhappy with this iso!

Regards,

Dyfi

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:01 am
by darknetmatrix
Dyfi wrote:Hi,

The problem exists for me also, (32bit). Just boots into a black screen - no disk activity at all.

Interestingly the same DVD on the same PC will load correctly and install into Virtual Box.

I guess a lot of people will be unhappy with this iso!

Regards,

Dyfi
Here the same problem, works fine in virtualbox but the iso will not boot up, to bad.

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:21 am
by seeley
Hi!
After having booted 201012/ 32bit It's loading some seconds... NWM -> eth0 okay... black screen on 2 computers!
Md5sum checked; second DVD the same problem (burned with K3B, I never had waste with it).
seeley

Re: LMDE 201012 Fails Starting Live Session

Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:35 am
by defcon