Problem Installing Ubuntu

I'm trying to install Ubuntu x64 from a LiveCD and I get a corrupted graphics image after the initial load. At first I thought it was my RAM since it failed memtest86+, however, I swapped that out, and it is still happening. I've tried reburning the .iso, but the second disk gives me the same glitch.

-----UPDATE-----

Ubuntu installs successfully with Alternate CD, however, once I boot into Ubuntu, I again get a corrupted graphics image. Note that the Ubuntu loading screen works for both the LiveCD and the Alternate CD.

 

i am also having the same problem

 

Try using the alternate cd or the latest intrepid daily.

 

Could be the iso itself, not the burn.
But ya, try the alternative CD or the latest Intrepid.
Or just wait for Intrepid on the 30th.

 

I had a problem back in the days of Gutsy in which the initial part of the install started ok, then the screen went to garbage. It was as though it wanted to use a video mode but the driver was not good. Not sure if this is the same problem you are seeing, but this is how I got past it in Gutsy:

1) boot from Ubuntu cd
2) Chose option 6 (or maybe it is F6)
3) You will see the command line for the installation
4) Delete the last bit at the end about "quiet" and splash

Good luck.

-John

 

Doesn't work with the LiveCD anymore.

 

-----UPDATE-----

Ubuntu installs successfully with Alternate CD, however, once I boot into Ubuntu, I again get a corrupted graphics image. Note that the Ubuntu loading screen works for both the LiveCD and the Alternate CD.

 

Did you run memtest on the new RAM? Maybe it's not the memory that was bad, but the memory controller or bus.

 

Memtest passed with the new RAM. I left it running for 3 hours.

 

Three hours really isn't long enough to be sure your RAM is good (nor is one pass through all the tests), but probably good enough here since it's so reproducible.

Try booting with 'acpi=off' and 'noapic' kernel flags. If you don't know how, hit a key to access the boot menu, or just hit escape to stop the timer if it's not hidden. Then hit 'e' over the primary boot entry, and 'e' again over the kernel line. Add it them at the end, next to 'ro' and press 'b' to boot.

If that works, you can now add them into /boot/grub/menu.lst to make them permanent, but you'll probably want to figure out which one is working and remove the other. It would also be good to figure out if there's another workaround, which will be easier to search for if one of these works.

I'll cross my fingers...

 

...and nothing. Still corrupted graphics. However, now pushing the power button automatically turns the computer off instead of having to hold it down for 10 seconds.

Thanks for the help. Keep it coming. My problems are always the hardest to fix. I would have thought installing Ubuntu would have been less of an adventure.

 

It looks like this might do it.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=136971

If you manage to get into X, you should just be able to use the restricted driver manager to get the proprietary drivers. If not, I'm sure Envy will work.

 

Ctrl-Alt-Backspace and Ctrl-Alt-F1 are both non-responsive. In fact, the entire keyboard is dead as the Num/Caps/Scroll lock keys don't toggle their respective lights.

 

Maybe the failsafe boot option in Grub? Or whatever Ubuntu is calling it...

Unfortunately I've only used that once, and I don't have an Ubuntu install right now. I'll be able to help you more in a bit, I'm downloading the 8.10 RC right now. I'll load that up in a VM quick once it's done.

 

Alright, assuming that the recovery console in Hardy has the same option, you can drop to a root prompt that should let you execute the dpkg-reconfigure command. Intrepid also has an 'xfix' option that probably won't work, but I doubt it would hurt to try it, if it's there in Hardy.

 

I'm letting my Kubuntu Beta sit off line for now until they release the final. I'm OK on everything including BT but having wireless resolution problems. It can see the networks, but won't connect.

 

^ Is it running KDE 4.1? How is that working out for you?

 

I am running KDE 4.1, and like it except there is a glitch with the wireless after install(s). I can see the networks, but can't connect...the network I'm trying to connect to unsecured, no encryption. I did however get online once during the live CD. I'm just waiting for the final to reinstall the "/" partition.

 

Got it working. Not exactly sure what I did though.

 

ifconfig 'interface' up
iwconfig 'interface' essid 'essid'
dhclient 'interface'

to make sure it's clear, for an Atheros chipset using madwifi and a stock linksys access point

ifconfig ath0 up
iwconfig ath0 essid linksys
dhclient ath0

If they get it fixed, you probably won't need to reinstall so long as you can get online.

 

Cool Lithus, do you know which video driver X is using?

 

Kinda like when I first got my Blackberry Curve sync'ing with Kontact in Kubuntu....****ed if I understood 'how it did that' lol

 

Well, after playing around for 5 hours (playing defined as ripping my hair out), I realize that I'm still using the 'vesa' driver, which is unacceptable.

Basically, there's a problem with the nvidia driver and the 8-series cards. If I switch the driver to "nvidia" or "nv" in xorg.conf, the system boots to a blank screen and I have to switch it back to "vesa" through recovery. I tried using envy to manually install the nvidia drivers, however, after a reboot, the system defaults and asks me to rerun the video configurator. I pick "Generic Monitor", "Widescreen", and "1680x1050", then the driver goes back to "vesa". In short, envy does nothing.

As of now, the computer is fully usable in ubuntu, though with quite humorous refresh rates. With humorous defined as "I'm about to shoot something".

 

Have you tried installing the drivers from nvidia's website? They always worked for me. Also, try wiping out the xorg.conf completely, and let ubuntu create a new one, then edit it to say nvidia.

 

That's so strange. Ubuntu has always been smooth for me.

 

At this point, I'd see if the Intrepid live CD boots into X properly. It's so close to release now, and the RC does appear to be very stable...

 

Oh yeah.. Intrepid. If I have Hardy, and just do normal updates, it'll be, technically, the same as Intrepid, right?

 

Yes and no. In the Software Sources applet there's an option under the upgrades tab, for Release Upgrade. For LTS releases, I believe it defaults to upgrading to only LTS releases. Non-LTS releases defaults to upgrading to normal releases. You'll need to change this to upgrade.

Also, it will prompt you I believe, it won't do a dist-upgrade automatically. I'm not really sure that it will do it automatically, either, it might delay to avoid server loads. You can do a manually dist-upgrade with apt-get, though, and you can start update-manager with the -c flag to do a dist-upgrade, as well.

 

Then again, isn't it better to just clean install to get Intrepid? Meh. I'll wait for my network plan to refresh and I'll install Arch again.

 

Yeah, but it works a lot better than past non-rolling release distributions. Probably because it's based on a rolling release distro, and the devs seem to have a nice attention to detail.

 

What about the problems with conflicts? I've always read that if you do a distro upgrade, **** sometimes happen.

 

It does occasionally, but it seems to happen a hell of a lot less than, say, historically with RPM based distributions. Certainly more often than with a distribution like Arch or Debian.

Both have their advantages. Once someone demonstrates a package manager that can handle a truly user friendly distribution under a rolling model, that won't be the case. But, there are just so many variables with intertwined dependencies that can cause problems, even a framework distribution like Arch struggles a lot.

 

Aye. Very true. I've gotten update problems with arch before, and I had to do -Syuf

 

That last klibc update just gave me all kinds of hell.

 

Yes! That's the one where I had to do -Syuf

I wonder why I had to do a klibc update even when I run Gnome.

 

Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid) works fine from the LiveCD, however, the nvidia drivers still do not work. I get a "Unable to install nvidia kernel module" error and have to default back. One good thing I like about Intrepid over Hardy is that you don't have to boot into recovery mode, it allows you to reconfigure your video straight at boot.

 

Try some other distro then?

 

That's odd. nVidia was always kind to me. What card do you have?

 

This changed from "I want to use linux" to "I want to figure out how to fix this" a while ago.

I know for a fact that Ubuntu works with the 8600m GT and specifically the Asus G1s-A1, and this troubleshooting is frustratingly fun.

8600m GT.

 

Heh. The inner tweaker secretly living in Lithus is being released! Did you try nvidia-glx-new or nvidia-glx-envy from synaptics?

 

Yes. All 4 methods - installing from hardware devices, from envy, from envy manually, and from manually installing the driver, both 173 and 179, I get the "kernel" error.

 

Well, this is going to be drastic, but you should check the iso you downloaded for it's md5sum to see if it's correct. If so, re-burn onto a CD at the slowest speed and just install again. If that doesn't solve it, I have no idea, then.

 

This is the fourth copy that I'm using, each burned at 1x, verified, and cross-checked with their respective .iso.

 

:cry: I have no idea, then.. Have you tried Ubuntuforums.org?