[SOLVED] Installation Problem

[jptmint]

I am having trouble installing Mint 10. When I choose normal install, it goes to the loading screen then the next thing I see is a totally garbled screen. If I choose compatibility mode, it goes to the loading screen and then I end up at a command line with messed up font but still readable. I currently have Mint 8 on this machine and it works fine although I had to install under compatibility mode. I suspect this is a graphics card issue?

CPU: Intel Q6600
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3P
Ram: Crucial Ballistix DDR2 4GB
Graphics card: EVGA 7800GT
Sound card: E-mu 1212m

[caf4926]

It does sound like graphics
But did you run the media check?

[jptmint]

It does sound like graphics
But did you run the media check?

yes, and it passed...

[inktitan]

Are you able to run a live session from either a CD or usb?

[jptmint]

Are you able to run a live session from either a CD or usb?

No, previously mentioned things happen before I can get to a usable live session. I'm assuming garbled screen is of the live session desktop.

[inktitan]

Have you tried this disk in another computer? It is my first guess that the disk may have either a bad image on it. You download the .iso again and burn it on your slowest setting. I prefer to use k3b. It does the md5sum check for you. Another problem could be that your video card is not supported or the drivers aren't present yet. Can you post the inxi -G from the 8 session? There is a way to upgrade to the newer versions without the disks. Unless you are trying to have this on a separate partition. I know you did the media test but I don't know how good that is. If you can set the resolution to around 800x600, 832x624 you might be able to use the desktop in the live session but I don't know what kind of garbled you are getting. Let me know what that inxi -G is please and I will see how I can help from there.

[jptmint]

Have you tried this disk in another computer? It is my first guess that the disk may have either a bad image on it. You download the .iso again and burn it on your slowest setting. I prefer to use k3b. It does the md5sum check for you. Another problem could be that your video card is not supported or the drivers aren't present yet. Can you post the inxi -G from the 8 session? There is a way to upgrade to the newer versions without the disks. Unless you are trying to have this on a separate partition. I know you did the media test but I don't know how good that is. If you can set the resolution to around 800x600, 832x624 you might be able to use the desktop in the live session but I don't know what kind of garbled you are getting. Let me know what that inxi -G is please and I will see how I can help from there.

Live USB works fine on my netbook. I would like to do a fresh installation.

Graphics: Card nVidia G70 [GeForce 7800 GT] X.Org 1.6.4 Res: 1680x1050@50.0hz
GLX Renderer GeForce 7800 GT/PCI/SSE2 GLX Version 2.1.2 NVIDIA 185.18.36


normal


compatibility mode

[inktitan]

OK in comp mode see if you can run jockey-gtk. this should help you get the drivers you need but it has a GUI that may not work. If that is the case you can run lynx (text based web browser) and go to smxi.org and download the smxi/sgfxi tool and use sgfxi to get the appropriate drivers. let me know how this turns out.

[jptmint]

OK in comp mode see if you can run jockey-gtk. this should help you get the drivers you need but it has a GUI that may not work. If that is the case you can run lynx (text based web browser) and go to smxi.org and download the smxi/sgfxi tool and use sgfxi to get the appropriate drivers. let me know how this turns out.

ok, I will try that tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

[jptmint]

Jockey-gtk was a no-go. I ran smxi and got the driver. It fixed the messed up font but in the end, I chose 'start-desktop' and got...

Attempting to start default display manager gdm now...
nohup: ignoring input and appending output to 'nophup.out'
init: missing runlevel

[inktitan]

Jockey-gtk was a no-go. I ran smxi and got the driver. It fixed the messed up font but in the end, I chose 'start-desktop' and got...

Attempting to start default display manager gdm now...
nohup: ignoring input and appending output to 'nophup.out'
init: missing runlevel

I have to be honest. I don't know what that means. Did the desktop start? I'm guessing no. Well, at least we have somewhere else to go from there.

[jptmint]

I have to be honest. I don't know what that means. Did the desktop start? I'm guessing no. Well, at least we have somewhere else to go from there.

Desktop did not start. Just gave me those lines.

[inktitan]

try this link. http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Nohup

EDIT:sorry that link is kind of useless. I put the wrong one. I will try to find the other again.

[jptmint]

Found a solution on Ubuntu forum. Adding 'nomodeset' to boot options allowed me to get to live session without garbled screen.

[inktitan]

Found a solution on Ubuntu forum. Adding 'nomodeset' to boot options allowed me to get to live session without garbled screen.

nomodeset is a new one for me. I'll have to remember that. Glad you found that.

[h2-1]

smxi / sgfxi should have added nomodeset automatically if required, and told you that a reboot was required.

However, I can't really tell what happened in this thread so I'll ignore it for now.

[jptmint]

and told you that a reboot was required.

At one point it did. But what would be the point in rebooting in a live session... or does it not mean machine reboot...

[inktitan]

and told you that a reboot was required.

At one point it did. But what would be the point in rebooting in a live session... or does it not mean machine reboot...

I think they didn't realize you were on a live session. Because you are right a reboot would have just reset everything unless you managed to find the "save live session" option that is present with some distros.