Re: video card recommendation ? - UPDATE

[bill walton-2]

Greetings,

Thanks to all who replied.  And especially to Alan Pope for the
instructions that proved very helpful in investigating further.  I
still don't know what's going on, but I do have more info that may
help you help me.

When booting to the Live CD I'm getting a dialog that says:

<dialog box>
Ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode

The following error was encountered.  You may need
to update your configuration to solve this.

(EE) [drm] KMS not enabled
(EE) Screen(s) found but none have a usable configuration.
</dialog box>

Clicking the OK button takes me to another dialog.

<dialog>
What would you like to do?
<radio buttons>
Run Ubuntu in low-graphics mode for just one session
Reconfigure graphics
Troubleshoot the error
Exit to console login
Restart X
</radio buttons>
</dialog>

My first step was to 'Exit to console login' and run lscpi as
instructed.  I saw Nvidia for video but didn't write down the details,
dammit.

Exit / Reboot.

Back to the dialog above.

The 'Reconfigure graphics' option takes me to another dialog that
basically won't let me do anything.  Cancel.

The 'Troubleshoot the error' option lets me 'Review the server log'
which is pretty lengthy but contains the errors displayed in the first
dialog.

So I select 'Run Ubuntu in low-graphics mode for just one session'.
Then go in to synaptics package manager and select some likely looking
nvidia packages (based on what I see in my 8.04 LTS installed package
list).  I chose:

nvidia-kernel-common
nvidia-settings
nvidia-current

nvidia-current requires the following:
dkms
fakeroot
patch

Applied the packages, removed Live CD, and rebooted.  I get a brief,
partial screen, Ubuntu splash panel, then black.  Won't even boot to
Live CD now.  HELP!

TIA,
Bill

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[bill walton-2]

Uh oh....

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 4:43 PM, Bill Walton <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Applied the packages, removed Live CD, and rebooted.  I get a brief,
> partial screen, Ubuntu splash panel, then black.  Won't even boot to
> Live CD now.  HELP!

I now have an explanation re: why I can't boot to Live CD anymore.
Enter Setup on boot.  Check Boot Sequence.  Whatever else applying the
packages did, the system now sees the CD as not present.  Anybody know
how to fix this?  Links?

Thanks,
Bill

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[Doug McGarrett]

On 06/29/2011 06:28 PM, Bill Walton wrote:

> Uh oh....
>
> On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 4:43 PM, Bill Walton<[hidden email]>  wrote:
>> Applied the packages, removed Live CD, and rebooted.  I get a brief,
>> partial screen, Ubuntu splash panel, then black.  Won't even boot to
>> Live CD now.  HELP!
> I now have an explanation re: why I can't boot to Live CD anymore.
> Enter Setup on boot.  Check Boot Sequence.  Whatever else applying the
> packages did, the system now sees the CD as not present.  Anybody know
> how to fix this?  Links?
>
> Thanks,
> Bill
>

Normally there is an entry in the BIOS, that determines the boot sequence.
Something must have changed this.  Go to the BIOS setup (usually either F2
or the Del key right after switch on) and adjust the boot sequence so your
CD boots first, before hard disk. It seems strange, but I guess not
impossible,
that something you did affected the BIOS.  Since that's the first thing
the computer sees when you switch on--not anything on the hard drive--
that's where the problem has to be.

--doug

--
Blessed are the peacekeepers...for they shall be shot at from both sides. --A. M. Greeley


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[bill walton-2]

Hi Doug,

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 5:49 PM, Doug <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On 06/29/2011 06:28 PM, Bill Walton wrote:
>>
>> Uh oh....
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 4:43 PM, Bill Walton<[hidden email]>  wrote:
>>>
>>> Applied the packages, removed Live CD, and rebooted.  I get a brief,
>>> partial screen, Ubuntu splash panel, then black.  Won't even boot to
>>> Live CD now.  HELP!
>>
>> I now have an explanation re: why I can't boot to Live CD anymore.
>> Enter Setup on boot.  Check Boot Sequence.  Whatever else applying the
>> packages did, the system now sees the CD as not present.  Anybody know
>> how to fix this?  Links?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bill
>>
> Normally there is an entry in the BIOS, that determines the boot sequence.
> Something must have changed this.  Go to the BIOS setup (usually either F2
> or the Del key right after switch on) and adjust the boot sequence so your
> CD boots first, before hard disk. It seems strange, but I guess not
> impossible,
> that something you did affected the BIOS.  Since that's the first thing
> the computer sees when you switch on--not anything on the hard drive--
> that's where the problem has to be.

Yes.  Something in the package install changed the BIOS settings.
Unfortunately it is not possible to simply change the Boot Sequence.
The CD device is, according to BIOS as reflected in the Boot Sequence
screen, no longer present in the system.  BIOS doesn't see it at all.
It is listed at the top of the device listing with a "(not present)"
tag next to it.  I have no idea what to do to restore the setting so
that BIOS again sees the CD drive.  Any ideas?

Thanks,
Bill

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[Cybe R. Wizard-3]

On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:08:49 -0500
Bill Walton <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Yes.  Something in the package install changed the BIOS settings.
> Unfortunately it is not possible to simply change the Boot Sequence.
> The CD device is, according to BIOS as reflected in the Boot Sequence
> screen, no longer present in the system.  BIOS doesn't see it at all.
> It is listed at the top of the device listing with a "(not present)"
> tag next to it.  I have no idea what to do to restore the setting so
> that BIOS again sees the CD drive.  Any ideas?

It sounds like a hardware issue.  Have you checked the CD drive's
connections?  If they are good I'd suspect the drive, itself, of going
suddenly wonky.

I doubt the installation affected the BIOS.

Cybe R. Wizard
--
Nice computers don't go down.
        Larry Niven, Steven Barnes
                "The Barsoom Project"

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[bill walton-2]

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 6:34 PM, Cybe R. Wizard
<[hidden email]> wrote:

> On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:08:49 -0500
> Bill Walton <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Yes.  Something in the package install changed the BIOS settings.
>> Unfortunately it is not possible to simply change the Boot Sequence.
>> The CD device is, according to BIOS as reflected in the Boot Sequence
>> screen, no longer present in the system.  BIOS doesn't see it at all.
>> It is listed at the top of the device listing with a "(not present)"
>> tag next to it.  I have no idea what to do to restore the setting so
>> that BIOS again sees the CD drive.  Any ideas?
>
> It sounds like a hardware issue.  Have you checked the CD drive's
> connections?  If they are good I'd suspect the drive, itself, of going
> suddenly wonky.

Could be.  The drive light comes on, blinks, and then stops just
before the system shuts off.  I'm going to go over and pick up a new
one at Fry's to test the hardware hypothesis.  Keeping my fingers
crossed.

> I doubt the installation affected the BIOS.

I obviously don't have it in front of me atm, but I do remember the
xserver log containing Interrupt entries.  Setting registers and
pulling Interrupts is how you set BIOS though, back in the day when I
was fluent in that, it was Int 13 and what I recall seeing in the log
was Int 10.  Hopefully it's all just a coincidence.

Bill

>
> Cybe R. Wizard
> --
> Nice computers don't go down.
>        Larry Niven, Steven Barnes
>                "The Barsoom Project"
>
> --
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> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
>

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[Roy Strachan]

[snip]

So I select 'Run Ubuntu in low-graphics mode for just one session'.
Then go in to synaptics package manager and select some likely looking
nvidia packages (based on what I see in my 8.04 LTS installed package
list).  I chose:

nvidia-kernel-common
nvidia-settings
nvidia-current

nvidia-current requires the following:
dkms
fakeroot
patch

Applied the packages, removed Live CD, and rebooted.  I get a brief,
partial screen, Ubuntu splash panel, then black.  Won't even boot to
Live CD now.  HELP!

TIA,
Bill


I just checked and in addition I have nvidia-173-modaliases,
nvidia-96-modaliases and nvidia-current-modaliases installed. (I'm using
10.04 LTS) I'm not sure if they're all needed, but none seem to hurt
anything.  You may be able to get in by holding down the shift key when
rebooting, which should yield a menu with all the different kernels that
have been installed on your system (and haven't been removed).  Select
the top recovery mode line which is for the -in use- kernel.  That
should take you to a menu with a few options.  Select netroot (shell
prompt with networking) to get a command line.  If that doesn't work
your present kernel installation may be broken, try a previously install
kernel (recovery mode) if you have one.  If you get a command line you
can use apt-get to install the additional packages.

caveat - This works in 10.04, don't know about 8.04. :o(


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[Roy Strachan]

Subject: Re: video card recommendation ? - UPDATE
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi Doug,

On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 5:49 PM, Doug <[hidden email]> wrote:
> On 06/29/2011 06:28 PM, Bill Walton wrote:
>>
>> Uh oh....
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 4:43 PM, Bill
Walton<[hidden email]> ?wrote:
>>>
>>> Applied the packages, removed Live CD, and rebooted. ?I get a brief,
>>> partial screen, Ubuntu splash panel, then black. ?Won't even boot to
>>> Live CD now. ?HELP!
>>
>> I now have an explanation re: why I can't boot to Live CD anymore.
>> Enter Setup on boot. ?Check Boot Sequence. ?Whatever else applying
the
>> packages did, the system now sees the CD as not present. ?Anybody
know
>> how to fix this? ?Links?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Bill
>>
> Normally there is an entry in the BIOS, that determines the boot
sequence.
> Something must have changed this. ?Go to the BIOS setup (usually
either F2
> or the Del key right after switch on) and adjust the boot sequence so
your
> CD boots first, before hard disk. It seems strange, but I guess not
> impossible,
> that something you did affected the BIOS. ?Since that's the first
thing
> the computer sees when you switch on--not anything on the hard drive--
> that's where the problem has to be.

Yes.  Something in the package install changed the BIOS settings.
Unfortunately it is not possible to simply change the Boot Sequence.
The CD device is, according to BIOS as reflected in the Boot Sequence
screen, no longer present in the system.  BIOS doesn't see it at all.
It is listed at the top of the device listing with a "(not present)"
tag next to it.  I have no idea what to do to restore the setting so
that BIOS again sees the CD drive.  Any ideas?

Thanks,
Bill

Usually boot sequence is later in the bios chain.  Look at main or
advanced or?? (in the bios).  It could be that it has to be installed
there in order to be used in the boot sequence; or it could be Murphy's
law at work, try re-seating the cable on your CD (both ends).





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