Black Screen after installing Mint on 2010 iMac

[easydoesitG]

Hello, Friends

Let me start by saying that I have seen the topic at

Add nomodeset permanently- how??
viewtopic.php?t=105925

But I am more of a beginner than the level of that post

Here goes...

I booted a live Mint USB on my mid-2010 iMac, but got a black screen. After research, I pressed "e" and inserted nomodeset in the proper place. Then hit F10. The desktop came up fine, and I installed Mint on a 100GB partition on my HD.

When rebooting, I get a black screen

I figured I needed to permanently add nomodeset somehow, and that's how I came to be looking at the above topic

From that topic, I see that I need to enter some code in the terminal. My first question is, how do I get to the terminal? Do I boot off the USB again and open a terminal in the temporary Mint desktop?

Kindly,
Easy

[SMG]

I booted a live Mint USB on my mid-2010 iMac, but got a black screen. After research, I pressed "e" and inserted nomodeset in the proper place. Then hit F10. The desktop came up fine, and I installed Mint on a 100GB partition on my HD.

When rebooting, I get a black screen

I figured I needed to permanently add nomodeset somehow, and that's how I came to be looking at the above topic

I think we need to see your system specs to know whether that is an appropriate solution. There are only very special circumstances where one should permanently add nomodeset.

Please boot to a live session of Mint, open a terminal and give us information about your install by entering this command in a terminal: inxi -Fxxxrz
Click </> from the mini toolbar above the textbox where you type your reply and then place your cursor between the code markers and paste the results of the command between the code markers [code]Results[/code]. This will let us know how Mint sees your hardware.

[easydoesitG]

Thank you, SMG

Here you go

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-74-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Xfce 4.16.0 tk: Gtk 3.24.20 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 
  dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 20.2 Uma base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: Apple product: iMac11,2 v: 1.0 serial: <filter> 
  Chassis: type: 13 v: Mac-F2238AC8 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Apple model: Mac-F2238AC8 serial: <filter> UEFI: Apple v: 99.0.0.0.0 
  date: 06/13/2019 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3 540 bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Nehalem rev: 5 L2 cache: 4096 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 24473 
  Speed: 1463 MHz min/max: 1197/3059 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1463 2: 1463 
  3: 1463 4: 1462 
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD RV730/M96-XT [Mobility Radeon HD 4670] vendor: Apple 
  driver: N/A bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 1002:9488 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: ati,fbdev 
  unloaded: modesetting,radeon,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~77Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 11.0.0 128 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 20.2.6 
  compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:3b56 
  Device-2: AMD RV710/730 HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 4000 series] vendor: Apple 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.1 chip ID: 1002:aa38 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-74-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries NetXtreme BCM5764M Gigabit Ethernet 
  PCIe 
  driver: tg3 v: 3.137 port: 2000 bus ID: 02:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:1684 
  IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR928X Wireless Network Adapter 
  vendor: Apple AirPort Extreme driver: ath9k v: kernel port: 2000 
  bus ID: 03:00.0 chip ID: 168c:002a 
  IF: wls1 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 523.07 GiB used: 72.9 MiB (0.0%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD5000AAKS-40V6A0 
  size: 465.76 GiB speed: 3.0 Gb/s rotation: 7200 rpm serial: <filter> 
  rev: 1D06 temp: 32 C scheme: GPT 
  ID-2: /dev/sdc type: USB vendor: SanDisk model: USB 3.2Gen1 
  size: 57.30 GiB serial: <filter> rev: 1.00 scheme: MBR 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 1.89 GiB used: 18.2 MiB (0.9%) fs: overlay source: ERR-102 
  ID-2: /var/log size: 54.29 GiB used: 54.7 MiB (0.1%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/sdc3 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 1197 
Repos:
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  1: deb cdrom:[Linux Mint 20.2 _Uma_ - Release amd64 20210703]/ focal contrib main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com uma main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
  2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Info:
  Processes: 200 Uptime: 2m Memory: 3.77 GiB used: 586.3 MiB (15.2%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

[SMG]

There are no graphic drivers for your gpu, so you will need to use nomodeset.

Graphics:
Device-1: AMD RV730/M96-XT [Mobility Radeon HD 4670] vendor: Apple
driver: N/A bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 1002:9488

Check this thread Monitor goes dark after install. IMAC. There are directions to make nomodeset permanent if you are booting with grub.

To access your system to make the change, you would need to either add nomodeset for the boot cycle on the installed system (See the video in the Release Notes for Linux Mint 20.1 Cinnamon and scroll to section on 'Solving freezes during the boot sequence' for instructions.) or boot into grub and select Advanced Options to boot a kernel in (recovery mode).

If you are not using grub to boot, let us know what you are using.

[easydoesitG]

Thank you for this help

I checked "Monitor goes dark after install. IMAC."

There you wrote:

"These directions assume you are booted into your installed system on the drive. I presume you can do that with Recovery Mode or do a one-time boot with nomodeset."

I tried holding down the shift key while booting to get into Recovery Mode.

I have a 1.43MB picture of a big paragraph of text that came up on the screen, but the file was too big to attach. I had already compressed it from 4MB.

After the text came up I still had the Shift key depressed, but the screen very briefly showed a little text in the upper left (too fast to snap a pic) then went black. Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the desktop to show. I might have waited a minute. The screen remained black.

The other alternative you mentioned was to do a one-time boot with nomodeset. The only way I know how to do that is using a live USB. Is that what you meant?

Do you have any suggestions for next steps?

Kindly,
Easy

[easydoesitG]

I went to

How to boot into Compatibility Mode after install
viewtopic.php?t=220493

and am trying to boot into Compatibility Mode

The instructions there say

When powering on edit grub kernel parameters and replace quiet splash with the following parameters:
noapic noacpi nosplash irqpoll

How do I get into the grub kernel parameters while booting up?

[easydoesitG]

I am not sure whether I'm using grub or not

How can I be sure?

[SMG]

I have a 1.43MB picture of a big paragraph of text that came up on the screen, but the file was too big to attach. I had already compressed it from 4MB.

You could post to an image sharing sites such as imgbb.

After the text came up I still had the Shift key depressed, but the screen very briefly showed a little text in the upper left (too fast to snap a pic) then went black. Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the desktop to show. I might have waited a minute. The screen remained black.

You could try repeatedly tapping the key instead of holding it. Or maybe you need to tap and/or hold the Escape key. I do not know which key is appropriate for your system.

The other alternative you mentioned was to do a one-time boot with nomodeset. The only way I know how to do that is using a live USB. Is that what you meant?

Did you check the video in the release notes (mentioned in my prior post)? While that video is usually used by people wanting to install Nvidia drivers, it does explain how to add nomodeset after one has installed Mint.

I am not sure whether I'm using grub or not

How can I be sure?

Are you dual-booting? If so, what is the other operating system.

I do not currently have enough Apple hardware experience to know for sure what you might be using to boot. I believe some people use rEFInd to boot Apple hardware.

[easydoesitG]

Here is the picture I mentioned:

https://ibb.co/wwp4Pwc

That came up when I was booting XFCE. But now I am booting MATE, and the screen is black except for a single underscore NW of the center.

Holding/tapping shift or escape: neither worked.

I am not currently dual booting.

I checked the video again: the boot menu does not appear, just black screen with single underscore

How do I get into the grub kernel parameters while booting up?

Thank You for your help

[SMG]

For the record, here is the picture I mentioned:

https://ibb.co/wwp4Pwc

That does not look like items with which I am familiar. Maybe someone with more Apple-hardware booting experience can help.

EFI is part of how the system initializes so it can boot.

How do I get into the grub kernel parameters while booting up?

Based on those messages, I do not think you are booting with grub.

I do not have enough experience to be able to help with this. Hopefully, someone else will and will post.

[easydoesitG]

I appreciate your help and time

[MLAB]

I had a similar problem. Albeit in my case a 2009 20 inch model with a Nvidia GeForve 9400 256 mb card. After a fresh installation of Mint 20.3 the screen went black no matter whatI did. Beforehand I tested with a live usb to see if the iMac would work with linux mint. It did and the problem did not occur on several test. Only after full installation and first boot the screen went black - permanently. Also after reboot, and trying to boot from usb again failed. Just before installation I had replaced the harddisk with a ssd. So I took the iMac apart to check for a loose connector or fried components. I couldn’t find anything (that is with my limited technical knowledge), But I had indication that the computer was working.

Then I stumbled on someone saying that with iMacs and linux a bug (sometimes) causes the video output to be send only to the DisplayPort on the back of the iMac, leaving the main display black.

My solution: I attached an old vga monitor to the iMac with a display to vga adapter and voila it showed the login screen. (Main display still black). First thing I did was installing the proprietary nVidia driver (Default after installation is the Nouveau driver), and rebooted and the problem was solved. Now in your case a slightly different approach might necessary because you already have a kernel supported Radeon video card. I also have a 2008 20” iMac with similar specs except it has a Radeon card which did not show this problem. However in your case switching drivers temporarily might still do the trick.
Hope this helps.

[RAlanJ]

Having experienced the Black Screen after installing Linux Mint 21 on a mid-2010 iMac (with the apparently now unsupported ATI Radeon 4670 video card), I tried connecting a generic monitor to the Mini Display Port, via a mini-dp to HDMI adapter, during start-up.

After hearing the Linux MInt 'chime', the iMac screen showed the spinning green 'DVD' and then the Linux Mint wallpaper - but no desktop or mouse cursor. Pulling out the external monitor plug at this point caused the Cinnamon desktop and mouse cursor to spring into life on the iMac screen. But nothing ever appeared on the external monitor!

This might make sense to somebody - my guess is that this is just another trick that has the effect of bypassing the unsupported video card.
Pity - this old iMac is now headed for the recycling skip.

[Reddog1]

You should start your own thread and not open one from long past.

Your machine should run linux just fine in nomodeset, and there is a way:

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=385096&p=2254832&h ... 1#p2254832