screen goes black

Asked by cavediver

I am running windows 2000 on and old Dell optiplex gx1p (500mhz). I can install ubuntu or edbuntu, and puppy linux. I would like to try something smaller like xbuntu, as I really only use this computer for college. The problem is that my screen goes black almost immediately on boot-up from the CD, and I get a "signal out of range" type popup box.

Note, I have the same basic problem th DSL linux. It tells me I have lost connection with Xserver.
                                                       Can anyone help me

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Rui Bernardo (epimeteo) said :
#1

You can try this. Press Alt+Ctrl+F1 to go to a tty console and login. Make a backup copy of your Xorg configuration and check for what Graphic Driver is being used. To do this type:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.original
cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf|grep Driver

Take note of what graphic driver is being used by Xorg (you should recognize it). Then type:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg -plow

Accept all the defaults answers, unless you see that some exception applies to your case AND except the Graphic Drive, which should be the one from the previous output. You should be asked to try to scan for your monitor refresh rate. After this, reboot (press Alt+Ctrl+Del to shutdown).

If the same error appears after rebooting, try:

sudo apt-get install xresprobe
sudo ddcprobe
sudo ddcprobe | grep monitorrange

The output should be something like:

monitorrange: 30-71, 50-160

Edit your Xorg configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Search for "Monitor" and change the values HorizSync and VertRefresh to the ones previously probed by the ddcprobe command. The first pair of numbers are for HorizSync and the second for VertRefresh.

Press Ctrl+X to exit, Y to save the file and Alt+Ctr+Del to reboot.

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Rui Bernardo (epimeteo) said :
#2

Just saw the note, the DSL problem seems to me to be a different one.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask cavediver for more information if necessary.

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