[Solved] None of the new Mints will install

[inflatablemouse]

Hello,

First things first. I am trying to install on a separate harddisk, alongside Windows 7. The system is an i7 2600k, MSI p67a-gd80 with 16GB memory. VIdeocard is an Asus GTX580. I don't have wifi or bluetooth, no usb devices attached. 4 harddisks total, 1 SSD for Windows 7, 1 72GB Raptor for Linux Mint, 2 1,5TB data. All drives are NTFS except the Raptor, obviously.

I know my system is good, I've ran full cycles of memtest and the system has passed 24 hours Prime95. I never have issues, crashes or blue screens from Windows.

I've been able to run Mint 12 and LMDE and in the past I've had Ubuntu 10 or 11, OpenSuse 12 and Fedora. I've removed Linux to install and test Windows 8. Win8 is a big fail IMO so I'd like to meddle with Mint 13 or LMDE again.

However, none of the Live dvd's boot properly. All Mint 13 dvd's hang before showing the desktop. Black screen with a white mouse pointer. Often I can move the mouse around but that's it. Sometimes it hangs. Keyboard is unresponsive, numlock won't even turn on/off.

The LMDE dvd's sometimes get into a desktop, but seconds after it hangs too. The cursor starts moving sluggishly and eventually just hangs alltogether.

The LMDE XFCE version actually worked for a minute. It would even open a file browser window, but it never showed its contents. Soon after that it hung too.

All ISO's have been checked and the dvd's have been burned with verify. All dvd's pass their self check. I tried Mint 13 and LMDE in Vmware and they install properly.

I tried my old LMDE from the time of Mint 12 and that booted and started the installer. It hung on copying a file and it turned out the dvd was unreadable. BUt the fact that the installer started and came half way through the installation somehow tells me its something new in 13.

I tried all versions, MATE, Cinnamon, XFCE, LMDE, both 32 and 64 bit.

There may be one issue, I'm not sure. One of the 1,5TB drives show 1 small partition, while in reality there's 1 big partition on it. It showed 99% free under Linux. This may indicate something is wrong with the partition table, but all checks turn out fine, Windows shows the partitiion properly and all data on it works. Only during the Linux install it shows it like that.

Now I wasn't sure whether to post this under newbie or Install, because both apply . I'm a big Linux Noob so please go easy on me . I'm hoping this is "just" a config issue, some BIOS/EFI setting or something like that.

If you have any ideas to try I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

[zerozero]

the *problem* is your state-of-the-art graphic-card and the 3.2 and 3.3 kernel
that's why older ed. work, the ones based in 12.04/maya and the current lmde don't (they all use 3.2 kernel) and possible the next ed. will work
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 20#p574730
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... et#p574008
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/969121

[inflatablemouse]

Thanks a bunch.

The workaround is to prevent nouveau from loading and to use vesa instead. I can use this post as a valid work around, is that correct?

I use the nomodeset parameter on the live dvd, install it, use the parameter again after install and edit the /boot/grub2/grub.cfg file to make it permanent?

Now, if I understand correctly, this disables hardware accelleration. Won't that render Cinnamon useless too?

Can I install the official Nvidia drivers?

[xenopeek]

Now, if I understand correctly, this disables hardware accelleration. Won't that render Cinnamon useless too?

Can I install the official Nvidia drivers?

Yes, disabling hardware acceleration will make Cinnamon boot to fallback mode. Not what you want, but it will let you install Linux Mint. You can then install the official Nvidia drivers.

You should be able to install nvidia-current from the Additional Drivers program in the menu. For example, as shared here: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=99002 You may also try that on the Live session I think. If you need further assistance with getting the Nvidia driver up and running then please post a topic here: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewforum.php?f=59 The graphics card guru's hang out there.

[inflatablemouse]

Thanks Vincent. That should keep me busy for today .

Posting from the new install btw .

[inflatablemouse]

Issue is solved, got it running with the Nvidia drivers, dual screen is working too and Cinnamon enabled.

Seems to work good so far, lets hope it stays that way .

Tx for the help.

[xenopeek]

Good

[zerozero]

and tks Vincent for the hand