after grub, stripy screen

[Bob McClure Jr]

On Sun, Oct 23, 2005 at 08:22:27PM +1300, Grant Allan wrote:
> > On Sun, Oct 23, 2005 at 03:57:02AM +1300, Grant Allan wrote:
> >> hi,
> >>
> >> i installed linux CDs using text mode 'anaconda', because i was having
> >> troubles getting the GUI version to display properly.  (first i tried
> >> different resolutions, and "nofb".)  but text mode seemed to install the
> >> 4
> >> CDs just fine.  but...
> >>
> >> when i get to my grub screen, it displays ok, but then when it goes to
> >> start linux, it tells me it is checking the hardware and then gives me a
> >> stripy screen (red and green vertical stripes, in case you were
> >> wondering
> >> ;) - and a little while after that, i get a screenful of orange and
> >> white
> >> rectangles, various sizes).
> >>
> >> what to do?  i expect that i need to install some special display
> >> drivers
> >> from nvidia - but until then, is there some way to get grub to start me
> >> in
> >> text mode or something.  i guess i would use the "linux rescue" to do
> >> that?
> >
> > Not necessarily.  Use Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to a text-mode login.  Then
> > follow the directions here:
> >
> > http://www.rhil.net/docs/faq.html#x_fails
> >
> >> i did try using "linux rescue" to try looking into grub.conf (in case
> >> there were some helpful comments), but no joy.  when i tried to use
> >> "gedit" on grub.conf, it failed to start, citing a display problem.
> >
> > The answer is in /etc/inittab, not grub.conf.  See above hint for
> > directions.
> >
> >> if editing some file somewhere is part of the solution, is there maybe a
> >> text-based editor in "linux rescue" that i can use instead of gedit?
> >>
> >> i'm a bit worried about not being able to shut down gracefully.  when i
> >> get to the an unreadable screen, my only way out would seem to be
> >> hardware
> >> reset button (ouch!).
> >
> > Use the Ctrl-Alt-F1 (or -F2 through -F6) to get to a text screen.
> 
> 
> thankyou for your advice.  i think it is necessary for me to turn off
> x-windows for a while.  and so the help on how to edit /etc/inittab is
> valuable.
> 
> i think drivers are the next step for me, as the display configuring
> program itself does not display correctly for me - maybe it also uses
> xwindows, i don't know.

That's why I don't buy nVidia-based cards any more.  I buy ATI cards
(a Radeon 9200, last time) and they just work.

> i think it is a bug that anaconda does not set up /etc/inittab to match
> the settings used when installing.  eg. if the user types "linux
> resolution=800x600" when installing, then that same setting should be put
> into /etc/inittab.  what does anybody think about that?

Good, no, great idea.  Actually it installs at a fairly low common
denominator because initially it doesn't know what it's working with
or even if it can work with it.  When it gets to X configuration, if
it can come up with something workable (as far as it can tell) it
writes that info to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

/etc/inittab is not the right place by any stretch of the imagination.

> b.t.w., i might be slow to react from now on.  sometime today, windows has
> lost my ethernet card, and so can't access internet card until i fix that.
>  i am sending this mail / looking for drivers on my pc at work.

Our condolences.

> cheers,
> grant

Cheers,
-- 
Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
robertmcclure at earthlink.net  http://www.bobcatos.com
Peace at any price is inflationary.