boot problems

[arcaneghost]

so ive tried installing about a dozen different linux distros so far (including ubuntu, opensuse, fedora, mint, mandriva, sabayon...) install went perfect, boot is still fine with windows, grub works i can get into windows still but as soon as i boot into any linux distro ive tried my monitor goes blank and says there is no signal, is this a monitor problem or possibly a gpu problem? is there anything i can do to get it to work?

NVIDIA 9600GT graphics
samsung 216BW monitor

[Eurysilas]

OK, I'll need you to be a little more specific....You say "but as soon as i boot into any linux distro ive tried my monitor goes blank and says there is no signal". But, is it literally the moment you select an OS other than Windows from GRUB's menu? How far do you actually get in booting the Linux distro of your choice?

Note: I don't know if I can even help you, but what's puzzling about this is, it sounds like an X problem. But X doesn't start until comparatively late in the boot process....Which makes me think you're getting further than it would seem.

[arcaneghost]

yeah sorry i guess i should have been a bit more specific. Like you guessed it, I can see the entire boot process but once I'm supposed to be at the login screen/desktop thats when it goes

[Eurysilas]

Yeah, that sounds like an X freakout alright. I tell you what, I can help you for Ubuntu, I THINK, but for the other distros you'll have to get help from another member, as I'm just not familiar with them. Now, we've got two options, really:

1. Recovery mode.

2. Live CD


The live CD will enable you to bypass all but a little of typing in terminal commands, but is obviously only an option if it works. The recovery mode is the fallback option. Tell me which will work for you.

[arcaneghost]

I tried the ubuntu 8.10 live cd (i previously tried 8.04 because people were telling me its better) and it worked when i installed it in graphical safe mode, everything is up and running, it detected my graphics card and was able to use my monitors native resolution!

The only thing is I'm really only familiar with Mandriva (from using it constantly at a friends) and ubuntu's package manager either doesn't want to cooperate with me or I'm a noob and im totally doing it wrong (which is mostly likely the problem haha) but i try to upgrade programs (for example wine, and Amsn) and it tells me there are no upgrades for them even though I know there are (ubuntu by default put me on wine 1.0) even if i manually download the newer version and try to open it with the package manager

[Eurysilas]

So, you no longer need my assistance, then? As far as upgrades, I never did get them to work right. I just wait for a new release.

[arcaneghost]

well just out of curiosity, what version of wine are you using (if you use it)

[Eurysilas]

I don't use it, but if I were inclined to, the package manager says it would hand me version 1.0.1.

[arcaneghost]

ah ok haha. i know that 1.1.13 is out but my package manager gives me 1.0.1 as well. There are a few applications that work in 1.1.13 that dont work in earlier versions that i wished i could run in ubuntu, but for now im ok with booting into windows to run them

[Bemk]

There are some ways to do this.

You can download the package in on the website and use that (and disable the updates the package manager gives you), and if you don't want to disable the updates and are willing to spend a bit more time, you can go for compiling (and prey your package manager will survive).

For the compiling things, look on-line and you'll find enough documentation (I did the same to get a newer version of aMSN than was in my package manager).