Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-video-ati package

Ubuntu 10.04 hangs after fresh install on fujitsu laptop has with ati radeon igp 340m

Asked by Manfred Sever

I have a Fujitsu Series-C laptop (older) that was running Ubuntu 9.10 just fine... Then, after installing the lastest 9.10 updates a few days ago, I was tempted by the 'upgrade to 10.04 LTS' button. With my files backed up, I pressed that button. The upgrade started but hung after a while with the progress bar at about 50%. I left the laptop alone, hoping the that upgrade would complete; over 24 hours later still no progress so I power-cycled the machine. Of course, after that it would not boot at all. So I burned the i386 iso to a CD (actually, I burned both the standard desktop and also the alternate iso, so I have 2 CDs). After downloading, I verified the MD5checksums (they were correct) and burned the iso images to CD using the slowest write speed of my CD burner; in fact I used the MD5checksum and CD burn s/w recommended on the Ubuntu install page.

First I tried the standard desktop install CD for 10.04 (I used the 9.10 version of this disk when I first installed Ubuntu) but I _never_ saw the install dialogue as it would hang after the Ubuntu splash screen dissolved. After reading on the support pages, I got the impression that I should be using the 'alternate' install CD and so I did that...

I am able to install 10.04 on my laptop from the 'alternate' iso. The install seems to progress normally up to the point of 'installing software' (or something like that.... the next step would be to install the GRUB boot loader). There is an error at 'installing software' and I am asked if I want to try again (I did) or if I want to do 'something else'. I retried the 'installing software' step and the rest of the install dialogue seemed to progress normally...

During the install, I get the the step where Ubuntu wants to reboot, I press ENTER, the CD is ejected and the reboot starts. The laptop BIOS notice is displayed for a short moment (normal for this laptop) then the Ubuntu splash screen comes up. Then, there is always some random graphics (a few colored boxes, or a few thin green lines, etc,... it can be different at each boot attempt), then a blank screen. After a few hours the screen is still blank. I _never_ see a login screen.

What I've tried so far:
- The only way I've found to make any changes to my Ubuntu 10.04 install is to boot from the 'alternate' install CD and select the option for recovering a broken system, I go through the menus and start a shell where I've been able to run commands like the vi editor or apt-get...
- I've read all the support posts that I could find; apparently a lot of people cannot get 10.04 LTS to start on thier computers? My fujitsu laptop has the ATI RADEON IGP 340M grapics chipset, in case this matters.
- I've edited the /etc/default/grub file and inserted things like ati.modeset=1 or ati.modeset=0 and/or acpi=off after "quiet splash"...
- I've tried using get-apt to re-install and upgrade the software .... I get some errors when doing this but they go by too fast and I did not redirect output to a file and have no way of getting this info off the computer anyway...

I've searched the Ubuntu forums and cannot find a solution that works (though, I may have missed something).

I don't know what else to do but if I don't get this resolved in the next couple of days, I'll have to reinstall Ubuntu 9.10. I wish that I handn't pressed that 'upgrade to 10.04 LTS' button, what a disappointment!

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu xserver-xorg-video-ati Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Sam_
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:

This question was reopened

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Once booted to, check the CD for defects and test your RAM.

Revision history for this message
Manfred Sever (lisasever) said : 		#2

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Manfred Sever (lisasever) said : 		#3

Maybe I should have mentioned more details (but there are so many)....

From the 'alternate' install CD, I did run the RAM test and CDROM test. Both tests passed.

So, I still need a solution to this!

Revision history for this message
Manfred Sever (lisasever) said : 		#4

Maybe I should have mentioned more details (but there are so many)....

From the 'alternate' install CD, I did run the RAM test and CDROM test. Both tests passed.

So, I still need a solution to this!

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#5

Sorry for the inconvenience you experience and thanks for comprehensive info.

Maybe also try without "quiet splash" (who needs splash anyway?), just delete it from grub file,
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2

test other KMS options
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/KernelModeSetting

or remove plymouth.
Quote README.debian (package plymouth):
Disabling the splash screen
---------------------------

There are two methods to disable the splash screen. Both have the
same effect. Your boot will show such messages as are emitted by
the starting services, and will still be able to prompt if needs be.

 1) Remove all of the plymouth-theme-* packages from your system,
    including the text ones. Plymouth will remain installed to
    permit boot-time prompts.

 2) Remove "splash" from the kernel command-line. You can do this
    per-boot, or make it permanent by changing the
    GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line in /etc/default/grub

Revision history for this message
Manfred Sever (lisasever) said : 		#6

OK Sam, I've tried your suggestions. I've figured out a few things but still need help.... Details of what I tried...
- I reinstalled Grub2 (just in case), then edited /etc/default/grub, then ran update-grub. When editing /etc/default/grub, I deleted "quiet splash" from the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT and added "radeon.modeset=1". This change didn't work, so after booting from the CDROM again and entering rescue mode, I also added "acpi=off" and even tried "xforcevesa" but these didn't help either.
- I then tried uncommenting the lines GRUB_TERMINAL=console and GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480 and this change didn't help either.
- I added "modprobe radeon" just before the 'exec' line in /etc/init/gdm.conf but this change also didn't help.
- I noticed that my install does NOT have the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf, there are other files in the /etc/X11 folder but not that one, do I need it? If so, where can I get this file??? ---- NOTE, for now, I just created the xorg.conf file for starting just the framebuffer driver (from the second link you quoted above). I also only have "radeon.modeset=1" in the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT set.

Result, Ubuntu 10.04 starts and I get a login prompt (haven't tried logging in yet though) BUT there are warnings that it is in 'low graphics mode' and I am prompted to reconfigure the graphics driver..... There are other similar warnings too but I don't know how to capture them....

So, maybe if someone can tell me what the optimal xorg.conf file should contain, I would have the correct graphics resolution?

... Maybe once I get that resolved, I'll back-out some of the other changes described above to determine if I need them or not.

THANKS so far...

Revision history for this message
Best Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#7

> does NOT have the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf
There isn't a xorg.conf anymore since autoconfig usually takes place.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config

> warnings too but I don't know how to capture them....
Boot messages are in dmesg.
You can find logfiles in /var/log
GUI
system administration -> log viewer
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LinuxLogFiles

After changes did you run
sudo update-initramfs -u

Reference.
http://idyllictux.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/lucidubuntu-10-04-high-resolution-plymouth-virtual-terminal-for-atinvidia-cards-with-proprietaryrestricted-driver/
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/106718

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Resolution
man xorg

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#8

You can generate an xorg.conf file using:

sudo Xorg --configure

Revision history for this message
Manfred Sever (lisasever) said : 		#9

Hello Sam, Hello actionparsnip!

I've read the links you suggest above and here are the results:
- The xorg.conf created by "sudo Xorg --configure" causes my laptop to behave like the 'out of the box' 10.04 install... boots to a blank screen and no login prompt.... So I searched for another soluton.
- The second last link above demonstrates the "hwinfo" command, so I unstalled it and ran "sudo hwinfo --framebuffer". The big surprise is that my laptop's graphics chipset came up as Intel 855MGE which is _not_ what I expected as I read online that it should have been an ATI chipset..... Anyhow, I accepted this result and then searched for 'Intel 855MGE' in the technical answers section and found this link:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Bugs/Lucidi8xxFreezes
This link gives instructions on how to install the updated Intel drivers and re-enable KMS. I followed the instructions for 'Potential Solution: PPA Packages' and then was also able to remove the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file I created and also restore the /etc/default/grub file to its 'out of the box' state (with the "quite splash").
The only problem I notice is that my external monitor plugged into the VGA socket has an occasional flicker, especially when I manipulate the mouse or its buttons. So, I use the last link you gave above and used the 'xrandr' command to set my monitor to its maximum resolution and update rate. I also found that I can do the same thing from my laptop's keyboard (to select/identify monitors). Though everytime I logout and then login again, the flicker action returns until I either run the 'xrandr' command or reselect my external monitor at a higher resolution using my laptop's keyboard. A bit annoying but much better than before.

- I'm still looking for a good solution to the resolution/rate/flicker problem but the original problem is solved.

Manfred.

Revision history for this message
Manfred Sever (lisasever) said : 		#10

Thanks Sam, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Sam_ (and-sam) said : 		#11

> everytime I logout and then login again, the flicker action returns until I either run the 'xrandr' command or reselect my external monitor at a higher resolution

Manfred,
you're right that isn't a proper solution.
Although you've removed xorg.conf file, you need it to make xrandr settings persistent as described in X/Config/Resolution and
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Config/Multihead
others
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Xorg_RandR_1.2
http://intellinuxgraphics.org/dualhead.html
http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2007/10/25/dual-monitor-setup-help-1280x800-1440x900/
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-intel/+bug/383345