(Solved) System crashes during splash screen

[tomp01]

I had just got everything working on Linux Mint 10 including Skype and then after the latest kernel update, it's borked. The system dies during the splash screen after login, I am using Burg so I am not sure how to get back to the previous kernel version, assuming that's the problem anyway. Any ideas people??

[mads]

Hi. You could use Super Grub2 Disc to boot from your older functioning kernel.

[tomp01]

I will give that a go and report back.

[tomp01]

Ok, I tried using that disk and thanks for that but it looks like it isn't a kernel problem. Anybody got any ideas? I love Linux but this sort of thing happens too often, I like to act as an evangelist for Linux but it is hard to defend this sort of behaviour.

[tomp01]

I really don't want to reinstall everything again, so has anybody got any ideas?

[mads]

Do you know what your graphic card is?
Do you know if you had installed proprietary drivers or you were using open source drivers?

If you don't know, try this:
1. Turn off your computer
2. Hold left shift key while powering on your computer to see GRUB boot menu
3. Select "recovery mode"
4. Write your username and password when asked
5. Run these commands. Post the output.
glxinfo | grep vendor
lspci | grep VGA

[AlbertP]

Note that when booting recovery mode, you get to a menu with some recovery options where you have to choose the 'root shell prompt' or something like that (can't yet remember the exact name).

[mads]

...you get to a menu with some recovery options...

A good point. Isn't there an option to reconfigure graphics?

[AlbertP]

That is - from the root shell prompt:

rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf

(If you can get to a normal terminal, you can use sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf)

Or look around in the menu to see if there is a graphics-related option. Don't know all the options, I am on a Windows Vista computer at the moment.

[rec9140]

...you get to a menu with some recovery options...

A good point. Isn't there an option to reconfigure graphics?

If there are OEM drivers its one way... if you have community drivers its another..

For OEM nVidia:

Code: Select all

nvidia-xconfig


Please refer to your OEM if your using something other than nVidia.

BEFORE doing any ReMoving aka DELETING BACK IT UP FIRST even if its bad.... you may need to reference it....

Code: Select all

cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg_BAK.conf
rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf


[tomp01]

[quote="mads"]Do you know what your graphic card is?
Do you know if you had installed proprietary drivers or you were using open source drivers?

The graphics card is a NVIDIA GTS250 and I am using the X-SWAT PPA.

[mads]

I had a similar issue related to upgrades a while ago, and I posted it on the LMDE BREAKAGES thread.
Unfortunately, I cannot give you details about how you can do it because I have no experience with
Nvidia cards. But, as you can see from my post, I had to boot in recovery mode, remove Ati drivers,
install xserver-xorg-video-radeon package and reboot.

Anyway, I believe that the information you have provided will make it easier for 'rec9140' or other
users to suggest a workaround for your issue.

[tomp01]

...you get to a menu with some recovery options...

A good point. Isn't there an option to reconfigure graphics?

If there are OEM drivers its one way... if you have community drivers its another..

I tried your suggestions but no joy, oh well looks like I will have to reinstall.

[tomp01]

I have re-installed and everything looks good even have Skype working again with ALSA

[tomp01]

I have re-installed and everything looks good even have Skype working again with ALSA

Guess what? The damn same thing has happened again, this is really getting on my tits. It is just as well that I have Windows 7 as a dual boot on a separate disk!!

I think that I will wait for Mint 11 this version is just too buggy.

[rec9140]

I have re-installed and everything looks good even have Skype working again with ALSA

Guess what? The damn same thing has happened again, this is really getting on my....

If you have the same thing occurring then:

1) Hardware
2) User action
a) software
b) tweaks
c) configs

Are the sources

Please speclfy the hardware of the system

Motherboard - mfg, make, model, part #
Memory - Amount and type ie 4GB DDR31066 Kingston
CPU - AMD Sempron x2 2650
Chipset of MB
Video - Make Model chipset etc..
Hard drive - make model, connection type PATA or SATA
CD/DVD - make model, connection type
Sound - make model, onboard, external, internal card

Drivers you installed for video, if OEM how and which? Did you use XSWAT or XEDGERS?

Software you installed ? And how....

Step by step break down of what you did.

If you did the install and did several things the same as before then I lean towards user installed software v. hardware

Running the live DVD do you have problems? logout of the dvd and when it comes up with kmd: user: mint and password blank can you login?

I am using it on a variety of OEM built desk|laptops and custom built desktops, NO ISSUES stability or other wise like this... so actually I am pretty close to passing this version.. I am going to have to forgo some programs like kftpgrabber and just use Konqi for ftp for now it looks like, but other wise... I am good to rock and roll so far....

As for Kataya... Julia was already built with the 4.6.x branch which the upstream just got... so we are WAY AHEAD OF THEM... Then all the bone head fubar'ng they are doing even in the KDE line puts them behind... I am actually thinking that unless theres something really stupendous buried in there, that I've yet to find.. there may not really be a need for KMint Kataya even though I love the name....

[tomp01]

I suddenly remembered that this was very similar to a problem I had before, so I deleted .ICEauthority in ~/. and lo and behold the damn thing booted up without any problems. The last time this happened I got a message saying that there was a problem with the file but this time nothing, anyway I've nailed the sucker.
This seems to be a very old problem does anybody know what causes it and why it get corrupted?

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1209.html

[rec9140]

I suddenly remembered that this was very similar to a problem I had before, so I deleted .ICEauthority in ~/. and lo and behold the damn thing booted up without any problems. The last time this happened I got a message saying that there was a problem with the file but this time nothing, anyway I've nailed the sucker.
This seems to be a very old problem does anybody know what causes it and why it get corrupted?

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1209.html

Since you state you "deleted" it I take it you didn't cp a backup for forensic analysis... I never just RM stuff like this... always back it up as .ICEauthority_bak or something... why? For debug purposes later and to refer to for settings if needed...

This leads to what did you do to setup and tweak things.

Install ISO to system

Perform updates

OK... what did you do next?

Setting changes... no matter how mundane...

Tweaks... no matter how mundane...

Software you installed? And HOW via synaptic, apt-get, or DEB via gdebi etc... SOURCE compiled?

Be specific about what did to get back to the point of triggering this... Again if its repeatable to get this, then something that is being setup via software or setting is triggering this...especially what ever you have done that is the same for both installs...

[tomp01]

As I've already stated this seems to be an old problem and appears to be caused because Linux cannot get access to that particular file. The file itself is empty so there was nothing to save for forensic purposes. I have never encountered this problem before using KDE Mint, having used Kubuntu, Gnome Mint and Ubuntu previously. The only possible explanation I can come up with is that I tried some anti-virus apps like AVG, KlamAV and Avast to see how effective they are, maybe one of those left the file with the wrong access?

http://mandrivausers.org/index.php?/top ... authority/

[tomp01]

I find it hard to believe that nobody else has encountered this problem? It appears to be a recurrent issue going back nearly a decade, it would nice to hear what the developers have to say.