cannot install bea, doesn't even load

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:38 pm

I have tried to burn an install cd 3 times now and haven't had any luck. I currently am a Ubuntu user, 6.06, and would really like to try out the LinuxMint 2.1 ver.

I downloaded 2 times, ran a md5sum to check for erors and every thing checked out ok, wrote to cd at 4X speed. but am unable to load onto my computer.

I get screen saying LinuxMint 2.11 Bea - a scanning bar (going back and forth) - then begins to load (grub?), then the bar loads 8 of 9 bars, then the screen goes blank, then a message; "no signal coming" - then total blank on the monitor, no selection of any combination of keys will make anything work. Tried to boot in safe mode, got scanning bar - begins to load - 8 of 9 bars complete - blank, message, total blank, same as before.

If you cannot come up with a solution, can you give me a list of the changes from Ubuntu that you put into Bea, so that I can manually accomplish the same thing and have a better operating Linux OS. I would appreciate any help you can render on this problem, Thank you.

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:27 am

I don't know if it will affect your plans to install xorg and the ati drivers, but here is a listing of my xorg and it includes ati, so that doesn't seem to be the cause of my failure to install. I may be wrong, I am alot of times but it seems to be all there.

I have installed (checked off) on my system;

xserver-xorg, exserver-xorg-core, xserver-xorg-dev, xserver-xorg-driver-all, xserver-xorg-driver-apm, xserver-xorg-driver-ark, xserver-xorg-driver-ati, xserver-xorg-driver-chips, xserver-xorg-driver-cirrus, xserver-xorg-driver-cyrix, xserver-xorg-driver-dummy, xserver-xorg-driver-fbdev, xserver-xorg-driver-glint, xserver-xorg-driver-i128, xserver-xorg-driver-i740, xserver-xorg-driver-i810, xserver-xorg-driver-imstt, xserver-xorg-driver-mga, xserver-xorg-driver-neomagic, xserver-xorg-driver-newport, xserver-xorg-driver-nsc, xserver-xorg-driver-nv, xserver-xorg-driver-rendition, xserver-xorg-driver-s3, xserver-xorg-driver-s3virge, xserver-xorg-driver-savage, xserver-xorg-driver-siliconmotion, xserver-xorg-driver-sis, xserver-xorg-driver-sisusb, xserver-xorg-driver-tdfx, xserver-xorg-driver-tga, xserver-xorg-driver-trident, xserver-xorg-driver-tseng, xserver-xorg-driver-v41, xserver-xorg-driver-vesa, xserver-xorg-driver-vga, xserver-xorg-driver-via, xserver-xorg-driver-vmware, xserver-xorg-driver-voodoo, xserver-xorg-input-all, xserver-xorg-input-elographics, xserver-xorg-input-evdev, xserver-xorg-input-kbd, xserver-xorg-input-mouse, xserver-xorg-input-synaptics, xserver-xorg-input-wacom.

Any more ideas

that can help myself and Galak6? We could really use it, send them our way, please!

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:01 pm

Hi, my video card, as far as I know is ATI Technologies - Rage 128. Don't know if there is more info than that. I look in my Device Manager and it falls under VIA Technologies, don't know how that is related though. My screen resolution is 1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz. I run Ubuntu Dapper without any problems and am at a loss as to why I cannot install Linux Mint. My computer is approximately 5 or more years old, 1Ghz, 80GB HD, 512 RAM. It all works with Dapper, seems it should work with Bea also.

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:29 pm

Hi again, seems as though there isn't too much concern if a person cannot install Linux Mint, so I thought I might ask another question. I already have Ubuntu and Grub installed, could there be anyway to run the live cd of Linux Mint that I burned, using my existing OS since the files to boot Ubuntu are already on the HD? I am one that would like to have everything set up as a complete system without having to download and tinker with a computer to get it the way you want. I now have everything working but wasn't overjoyed at having to do it all myself, although I learned alot. I believe there are alot of people that just want an OS to work out of the box, so to speak. I really would like to give Linux Mint a go, but without getting it on my computer I can only sit on the outside looking in, marveling at the glowing reports of the fortunate ones that managed to install without any problems. If there is anyway to make this work, I would very much appreciate any help, ideas, or if not, tell me there is just no way it will work.

Fragadelic · Post by **Fragadelic** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:48 pm

You have stumbled upon a bug that I have seen happened to a friend of mine.

Dapper struggled to work but Edgy or anything Edgy would cause the no signal and hard lock.

What I did to get it to work was this:

I'm assuming you already tried the Safe Graphics mode. If you haven't try that.

For some strange reason, ATI cards, or more exactly, the Xorg ATI driver appears to not correctly calculate the scanning frequencies or something to that effect.

What I did was set the driver to vesa and turned the resolution down 1 step from the largest and the desktop came up.

To do this, you have to go to the first virtual terminal after the drive light stops flashing.

CTRL-ALT-F1 will take you there.

Then you must manually edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.

sudo nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Change the driver in the Device section to "vesa" from "ati".

Next, remove the largest resolution size from the Screen section. In the case of my friend, it was "1280x1024". I removed all of the 1280x1024 options and then did a CTRL-X and saved the file.

ALT-F7 or ALT-F8(can't remember which one - lol) will take you back to graphical mode.

CTRL-ALT-BKSPC will cause gdm to restart and use the new xorg.conf file and it should let you install it.

Upon first boot, you should go to recovery mode and make the same changes. Reboot and you should be good to go and can then install the fglrx driver if it supports your card - the fglrx driver from ati worked flawlessly and let him use 1280x1024 again.

I also tried setting his refresh rates in the xorg.conf and it made no difference. the ati driver for some reason just doesn't like working. Not sure if this is just with LCD monitors or all monitors and certain ati cards. My friend has a 19" LCD viewsonic.

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 5:25 am

Hi, it was worth a try but no luck! I tried all I could think of first did as you suggested, got to a terminal I think (full screen) entered sudo nano etc. The Ubuntu message came up and started to load then screen went black, message said no signal coming, or similar message, and everything locks up. I tried at boot options, noapic nolapic pci=noacpi, anything I could think of, changed the resolution settings from vga to different resolutions and it still doesn't load. Oh, yeah, I did try safe mode and same results, or should I say lack of results. Any more ideas out there, is there anyway to open the livecd from Ubuntu using grub, or something similar? I am totally stumped on this one, which doesn't take much, but I am at a loss and need desperate help!
Thanks for the try, now onto some more ideas. Thanks!

nick · Post by **nick** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 5:30 am

Hi dsimpson
You state " I run Ubuntu Dapper without any problems and am at a loss as to why I cannot install Linux Mint."
Mint is based on Edgy I too could run Dapper on three machines, but when I tried Edgy I had problem with 2 of them,.
Have you tried the Edgy CD if that works the problem may be with mint, if not have a look at Edgy forums,.
Sorry I cannot help my problems were with Nvidia Chips.
A very qiuck look shows Edgy Bugs with
ATI Technologies - Rage 128
Nick

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 8:48 am

I tried one more time, seemed to do the same thing, went black and said no signal coming, but I noticed the cd light was working so just waited it out and it finally loaded the livecd, and I could check it out. Haven't tried installing the OS permanently, will put in another HD and install onto that. It didn't work exactly as outlined but did work. I did sudo nano and got the terminal, but it wouldn't let me make the changes but after the above steps did finally load up. I tried it twice more to make sure it would load and following the sudo nano steps it works now.
Thanks Fragadelic for the clue that got it up and going.
Nick, I did try to install Edgy at one time about a month ago and had the same thing happen, so gave up and stuck with Dapper. I am going to try out both Feisty and LinuxMint before making a final choice, but I think that if Mint works the way everyone says then I will go with that!

Fragadelic · Post by **Fragadelic** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:08 am

I've since run across it with my nvidia 7600gs os it appears rather random. I believe it has to do with their new init setup. Something is getting ahead of something it shouldn't be.

dsimpson · Post by **dsimpson** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:26 pm

I installed Bianca on a 2nd HD and when doing the livecd had to do the edit /etc/x11/xorg.conf route to get it to load. Was able to install from there onto the HDb1 but when I tried to logon I again had to do the edit.
It does work though and I am trying to get Bianca set up for my computer and small household network. I have gotten to look around and try some things, like the look, but it is different enough to give me some problems coming from Ubuntu to Bianca. Everything set up fairly easy except for printing from my other computer on my network. The printer is set up on my computer and when my wife tries to print from hers it fails. I also need to transfer all documents and files of a personal nature so haven't gotten to the point of completely moving to Bianca. The layout and the way you administer your system is confusing for me, I am just used to doing everything manually via terminal and will have to learn how everything works. It looks very promising and I may again update my experience as I grow into this new OS. I do wish though that I could log on without having to do additional configurations just to get started. Here's hoping!

Linux Mint Forums