Screen Starts Blinking

[deadlytackler]

Hi everybody,
Am loving Linux Mint despite of some issues related to my knowledge of Linux (just completed 10 days). Till date solved my all the problems with your help and fellow members in other Linux forums.
Now, I have installed Chess game through software manager, however when I started it, desktop started blinking, ultimately i had to reboot the system. Same goes with when I try to do something with screen savers. May I request your help o:-
1. what's causing problem?
2. when screen start blinking, what alternates I have? (Alt+F2 key doesn't respond).

Here is the screen shot of my system information:- (I am not sure what info to provide, if you need anything else please mention, also how to derive that info). I'll appreciate your efforts in solving my query as till then I'll not be in position to enjoy chess.

-Computer-
Processor : Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
Memory : 759MB (171MB used)
Operating System : Linux Mint 9 Isadora
User Name : deadlytackler (deadlytackler)
Date/Time : Tuesday 31 August 2010 05:52:52 PM IST
-Display-
Resolution : 1024x768 pixels
OpenGL Renderer : Mesa DRI Intel(R) 845G GEM 20091221 2009Q4 x86/MMX/SSE2
X11 Vendor : The X.Org Foundation
-Multimedia-
Audio Adapter : ICH4 - Intel 82801DB-ICH4
-Input Devices-
Power Button
Sleep Button
Power Button
Macintosh mouse button emulation
AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse
-Printers (CUPS)-
MP140-series : <i>Default</i>
Print_to_PDF
-SCSI Disks-
ATA ST380011A
HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GSA-H55N
HL-DT-ST CD-RW GCE-8525B

[deadlytackler]

OK friends found some interesting discussion on the Linux forums on the same issue-

1. http://superuser.com/questions/100654/u ... 0-graphics
2. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/KernelModeSetting
3. Here http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1318523 is an exact description of the very same problem
4. And here http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.p ... 07879.html is an explanation of a possible answer

However it has generated a new problem for me-

As solution seems to be is disabling Kernel probing by setting the option i915.modeset=0 in the kernel boot command line.
[b]how to enter in Kernel boot command line ?[/b] (I promise bear with me today, tomorrow I'll guiding others. No way going back)

[deadlytackler]

hi it's becoming tooooooooooooo.....
this is what is coming at terminal

deadlytackler@deadlytackler-desktop ~/Desktop $ sudo /boot/grub/menu.lst
[sudo] password for deadlytackler:
sudo: /boot/grub/menu.lst: command not found
deadlytackler@deadlytackler-desktop ~/Desktop $ /boot/grub/grub.cfg
bash: /boot/grub/grub.cfg: Permission denied

Now How to get the permission. Please help...

[deadlytackler]

OK Just found on https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2
that it's not accessible-
as per link:-
# There is no "/find boot/grub/stage1" at the grub prompt. Stage 1.5 has been eliminated.
#

The main menu file, /boot/grub/grub.cfg, is not meant to be edited, even by 'root'.
#

grub.cfg is overwritten anytime there is a update, a kernel is added/removed, or the user runs update-grub

Question remain same how to overwrite grub.cfg?

[deadlytackler]

Thanks Ageing Technogeek, to quote you:-

The terminal command to access grub.cfg is "sudo gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg" but this is not a file you want to edit unless you are a Linux power user.

The preferred method for editing Grub 2 is to use the files

Code: Select all

 /etc/grub.d  

and

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 /etc/default/grub 

Now as per One user (to quote him)
I modified /etc/default/grub adding i915.modeset=0 to the default linux boot GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT

How to do that and and whether it is applicable for intel 845 chipset?

[Aging Technogeek]

To edit /etc/default/grub. open a terminal and enter

Code: Select all

gksu gedit /etc/default/grub

This will open the file as root in the gedit text editor. You will get a window like this:

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# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=" splash quiet vga=795"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

Add the entry you want, click "Save" at the top of the window, close the window, and in the terminal run

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 sudo update-grub

to include your changes in the grub config file.

As to whether this is applicable to the Intel 845 chipset, I cannot say as I have never tried it or read of it.

[deadlytackler]

OK now seems to resolving the issue, however one last question:-
what effect i915.modeset=1 and i915.modeset=0 will have?
here is the sequence to reach till this point to resolve screen flickering. By the way i915 is associated with old chipsets of Intel.

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 sudo gedit /etc/default/grub 

Find this line

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 GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash” 

replace with

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 GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash <option>” 

The suggested options that I have found are hardware specific. Here is a list:

* Older Intel video card: i915.modeset=1 or i915.modeset=0
* nVidia: nomodeset
* Generic: xforcevesa
regenerate grub.cfg with

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sudo update-grub

stand corrected.......

[deadlytackler]

Nothing happening. Screen still flickering whenever trying to open Games (Chess). Help

[deadlytackler]

bump