Mint LiveCD on Acer Aspire 4736Z - Monitor/LCD/VGA issue

[guruwannabe]

------ Status Summary 02 (Sat 5 Nov 2011) -----
Well, this would be the last update on this matter as I have left my last job and do not have access to the Acer Laptop anymore.
Conclusion: As long as I have dual monitor, I could get BOTH monitor to work by simply disable, reboot and re-enable the laptop monitor.
When laptop screen not displaying after login:
i) on 2nd monitor, right mouse click on desktop
ii) select [Open in Terminal]
iii) $ gnome-display-properties
iv) in [Monitor Preferences] dialogue box, click to select laptop screen
v) click to set monitor from 'On' to 'Off' to disable the laptop screen
vi) click [Apply] and follow by [Make Default]
vii) Restart the laptop
viii) Repeat the above steps to switch the Laptop from 'Off' back to 'On' and BOTH monitor will be activated!
**** I have tried this every week days for about 2 months and it works every time *******
------ End of Status Summary 02 ------

------ Status Summary 01 (Sun 21 Aug 2011) --------
Objective: Install Linux Mint on Portable Hard Disk to carry it around
Note: Initial testing on Linux Mint 11 LiveCD first
Problem: Blank screen when booted on Acer Aspire 4736Z LCD Monitor
Solution: (provided by Edwardr, his post below) to use "i915.modeset=0" boot option at the boot screen
What I did:
i) On LIveCD, use

to edit boot option
ii) On Live-Portable HDD, use [e] to edit the boot option - only if my laptop is not connected to a 2nd LCD Monitor
iii) Did not edit the "Grub" configuration b/c I use this Portable HDD on different machines. If you are installing this for good on the Laptop please read Edwardr's post below to see how.
NOTE: I always boot it up normal on my laptop when connected to a 2nd Monitor because sometimes I am able to use both.
iv) Will try to open another New Topic regarding Linux Mint on Portable Hard Disk and my experience on different PC or Laptops that I booted to.
Thanks again!
---- End Status Summary 01 ------
--------- Original Post: Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:49 pm --------------
Hi,
I am very new to Linux and glad that I have found a wonderful beautiful magnificent distro - Linux Mint.
I am posting to share my experience and hope that this would make it easier for people to adopt Linux and esp. Mint
Just a little way to contribute back.

Problem: Linux Mint 11 - 64bit Live DVD booted ready with a blank screen on ACER Aspire 4736Z LCD panel. The reason I know it booted ready is because it showed on my 2nd Monitor and a blank on my laptop.
Solution: Use boot options -- vga=xxx to boot into 1024x768 mode
Steps (what i did):
i) Press up/down arrow keys when liveCD is booting
ii) Highlight the desired option and Press

key to modify boot option
iii) Type in after the -- : eg: "-- vga=xxx" you may google for your desired resolution
Note: I actually type in a wrong resolution and Mint prompted me a menu to pick from and i picked option #9 from the list - ie: 1024x768 (i think it's VESA mode)
iv) Voila after a little waiting the beautiful Mint 11 screen smiled at me brightly!
v) Document this experience and Post to Mint Forum before forgetting the steps.
vi) Try to follow "Before you post read this" forum rule.

Have I search forum and googled? YES, i did.

I have included the lspci info to make it easier for everybody.

Next Step: Need to figure out how to install Mint 11 into this Laptop so that display isn't an issue. Probably, I could install it and use my 2nd Monitor to do an update from Mint Repository, but than again not everybody could do that.

Out put of:
lspci -vvnn

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device [1025:0260]
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 45
Region 0: Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable)
Region 2: Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable)
Region 4: I/O ports at 60f0
Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: i915
Kernel modules: i915

Well, hope this would help somebody.
Need to get back to have fun with my Mint LiveCD!

hmmmm....
Just took the liveCD for a spin on this laptop:
1) WIFI works out of the box -- need i mention that, else how could i type this stuff in
2) Music/Sound and Video also works out of the box -- took a spin at (a) youtube and (b) grooveshark
------ hey the lastest Flash is working

Cheers!
-------- End of Original Post: Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:49 pm ---------

[Prabhjot]

hey man.. Nice to read about your experience.. Just wanted to ask you that I have a Lenovo Ideapad Z570. Just bought it a week ago. In Linux(I am using PinguyOS- a distro similar to Linux Mint)It boots alright but desktop effects aren't working . I'm really trying to find a solution but can't.. Can You help.

[lexon]

I have a Acer Aspire 5515 that I installed Mint 7 to and no issues with the display. Tried Mint 10, works, but did not like it. Have not tried 11 yet to see if I would have the same issue. Not familiar with your machine though.

L

[edwardr]

Try this: Next time you boot from the live DVD, at the boot options, add i915.modeset=0 instead of using vga=xxx
If it boots up with the laptop screen working, then you know you can install Mint to the hard drive and make the video fix permanent by editing a grub configuration file. Here's how.

After you install Mint, reboot the computer. On this first reboot you'll have to again enter the i915.modeset=0 boot option, or just use your external monitor.

Open a terminal and enter:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

where nano is the name of your text editor

look for this line in the file that is opened:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

change it to:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="i915.modeset=0"

Save and close the file.

Then in a termianl run:

sudo update-grub

and reboot!

Hopefully this solves your problem. Good luck.

[AlbertP]

hey man.. Nice to read about your experience.. Just wanted to ask you that I have a Lenovo Ideapad Z570. Just bought it a week ago. In Linux(I am using PinguyOS- a distro similar to Linux Mint)It boots alright but desktop effects aren't working . I'm really trying to find a solution but can't.. Can You help.

Please open a new topic, and tell what graphics card you're using. This command can tell you about it:

Code: Select all

inxi -G

[Prabhjot]

hey man.. Nice to read about your experience.. Just wanted to ask you that I have a Lenovo Ideapad Z570. Just bought it a week ago. In Linux(I am using PinguyOS- a distro similar to Linux Mint)It boots alright but desktop effects aren't working . I'm really trying to find a solution but can't.. Can You help.

Please open a new topic, and tell what graphics card you're using. This command can tell you about it:

Code: Select all

inxi -G

Graphics: Card Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller X.Org 1.10.1 Res: 1366x768@60.0hz
GLX Renderer Mesa DRI Intel Sandybridge Mobile GEM 20100330 DEVELOPMENT x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version 2.1 Mesa 7.10.2

[AlbertP]

Please open a new topic,

This is not about Acer Aspire 4736Z. Please open a new topic.

[guruwannabe]

hey man.. Nice to read about your experience.. Just wanted to ask you that I have a Lenovo Ideapad Z570. Just bought it a week ago. In Linux(I am using PinguyOS- a distro similar to Linux Mint)It boots alright but desktop effects aren't working . I'm really trying to find a solution but can't.. Can You help.

Hi Prabhjot,
Sorry that I am away and tied down by work until now that I have a pocket of time to check back.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry to say that I am very new to linux and do not have experience in your "environment" --> PinguyOS or Lenovo Ideapad Z570.
Really hope I could help but pardon me, hope someone reading this could point you to the right direction.
It's all in the name of Love for Linux and the minty flavour Mint!
Continue to Linux and make it Minty!

[guruwannabe]

I have a Acer Aspire 5515 that I installed Mint 7 to and no issues with the display. Tried Mint 10, works, but did not like it. Have not tried 11 yet to see if I would have the same issue. Not familiar with your machine though.

L

Hi Lexon,
Thanks for sharing and glad that you also like Linux and Mint.
Hmmm, wonder why it worked on Mint 7 for you and not Mint 10.
Is it b/c of device driver or "interface" design changes due to out-dated technology or influx of new "interface" paradigm?
Hope to hear your experience with Mint 11 soon.

[guruwannabe]

Try this: Next time you boot from the live DVD, at the boot options, add i915.modeset=0 instead of using vga=xxx
If it boots up with the laptop screen working, then you know you can install Mint to the hard drive and make the video fix permanent by editing a grub configuration file. Here's how.

After you install Mint, reboot the computer. On this first reboot you'll have to again enter the i915.modeset=0 boot option, or just use your external monitor.

Open a terminal and enter:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

where nano is the name of your text editor

look for this line in the file that is opened:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

change it to:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="i915.modeset=0"

Save and close the file.

Then in a termianl run:

sudo update-grub

and reboot!

Hopefully this solves your problem. Good luck.

Hi Edward,
Thanks for your guidance. This has definitely come timely as I have plan to install Mint 11 permanently.
Will do this as soon as I have a pocket of time and post back the result and experience to share with all.
Once again, thanks!
Greatly appreciated.
Bob - guruwannabe.

[guruwannabe]

Hi All,
Have been away for a while.
Currently working on getting Mint on Portable HDD so as to carry my Linux Mint with me.
I have successfully install it onto my Portable HDD and used it on my Acer Aspire 4736Z office set and my home PC.

What I did was installing Linux Mint using my home PC onto the Portable HDD and later boot it on my Laptop.

I have been using this for a few days now and realised that the laptop LCD is intermittent.
Sometime it booted up with both my laptop LCD and 2nd LCD, at other time, only on my 2nd LCD.

Upon further examination, I can see very very very faint ghosted image when I drag/move a window about it.

Now, I am really lost

Will continue to seek for a fix as I continue to use it on my 2nd monitor

Regards,

Bob