Help! Getting black screen after ATI driver install in Fedora 11

[cabbagehands]

After installing an ATI driver for my 4870 (I got the driver from ATI's site) I get a black screen after booting Fedora11. It gets all the way to the end of the loading bar, and then my monitor says no input. Help!!!

I have to ask if you would please make any solutions extremely simple, my linux knowledge of roughly 24 hours basically sums up to su- and yum install....

[cabbagehands]

I could seriously use some help. I can't find any fixes on google. Does the disc have a restore option?

[critour]

Hello,
I am having the same problem. I just installed the latest driver from the ATi web page on my fresh Fedora 11 install and not only is there a black screen, but, the numlock key will not turn on/off so I think the system is locked up hard (did not try to ping it or log in remotely yet, so not sure).

I would assume that there are answers to this problem in other places but this was the top hit on google so I will post here, and, hopefully if I find the answer I will remember to post the solution here also (if someone else does not do so first).

I would suggest posting your motherboard and video card at least, more likely to get help that way...

I have the following hardware:

Motherboard:
Gigabyte EP45-UD3P v1.1 (F7 BIOS, I will look for an update now)
Video Card:
4670

I've also had problems with THREE Seagate 1.5TB disks getting hosed by attempting Fedora 11 installs on them, 2 RAID and 1 not RAID. (But that's a different issue for a different thread).


EDIT: apparently I mis-typed my username, it's supposed to be: critofur not critour

[el_chingon]

After installing an ATI driver for my 4870 (I got the driver from ATI's site) I get a black screen after booting Fedora11. It gets all the way to the end of the loading bar, and then my monitor says no input. Help!!!

I have to ask if you would please make any solutions extremely simple, my linux knowledge of roughly 24 hours basically sums up to su- and yum install....

Hello my friend, in order to resolve your problem, I suggest you to restore your OS like it was before you made those changes.

1. I apologyze because my english is not good enought, but I'll do my best.
2. If your computer is off, turn it on; else, restart
3. At the grub screen, select the most recent linux kernel version (if you have only one, your decision wil be easier)
4. Press the "e" key to edit the kernel parameters
5. Now, select the line that says "kernel ..." at the begining
6. Press again "e"
7. That line you have selected in the step number 5, will have a prompt cursor at the end.
8. Press your space bar and introduce a number "3".
9. Press [Enter] and you will be again in the previous screen.
10. Now press "b" and your system will start booting at the execution level 3, this means in multiuser level without graphic enviroment
11. Log in as root
12. Type the next command:

cd /usr/share/ati/

13. After this, enter this command:

./fglrx-uninstall.sh

Note: the dot before the slash is important, don't forget it

14. This will uninstall the driver you have installed

15. Type:

cd /etc/X11

and then:

ls -l xorg*

16. Look at the list of files, we are looking for something named "xorg.conf". May be there are files that have this name but also they have another letters or numbers after their names

17. If you found a file with this name "xorg.conf", type the next command:

mv xorg.conf xorg.conf.ati-bad-installation

18. If you don't have this file (xorg.conf) in the /etc/X11 directory, don't worry, it's normal in Fedora 11

19. Now you can restart your computer typping one of these commands:

init 6

or

reboot

20. And that's all my friend, you'll have your system like it was before you installed the ATI driver.

Now, I ask you for two things:

First, wait until RPMFusion repository or ATI website deliver the driver apropiate for Fedora 11
Second, please give me feedback about my english, tell me if you understand me and what mistakes i have.

I hope this will be usefull for you.

[critofur]

First, wait until RPMFusion repository or ATI website deliver the driver apropiate for Fedora 11
Second, please give me feedback about my english, tell me if you understand me and what mistakes i have.

I hope this will be usefull for you.

Your English is easy to understand.

Thank you.

I guess it is a frustrating balance between trying to find a Linux that is new enough to support your hardware, but old enough to actually function fully.

I hope a driver that works comes out soon!

[ApostlicNihilist]

The advice above appears to be very useful; indeed, I suspect it could help me a great deal. However, I've recently started using Fedora (I installed it today, and then I installed the ATI drivers thereafter, only to find a black screen awaiting me), and I set it reformat my entire hard drive. So the only operating system I have on my hard drive right now is Fedora, and, sure enough, when my PC reboots, I get no 'GRUB' menu.
Instead, I get something which I can only presume to be my BIOS, stating 'Press F2 to enter setup, F10 to boot from network'. It also lists several USB devices (keyboard/mouse). After about 5 seconds, that screen cuts out and instead the 'Fedora' load bar appears; then my monitor gets no input and goes into power saving mode, after Fedora is done loading.

I'm running the livecd right now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: Interestingly, trying to run the uninstall.sh in the ati folder from LiveCD doesn't work; I can't even navigate to the folder.

I've tried mounting the partition with the terminal, but apparently it doesn't recognize the logical volume. If I could boot into Fedora's text-only interface, I'm sure uninstalling the drivers would be simple (how can I go about doing this?)

Well, alternatively, I could edit /etc/inittab: to force a command-line boot. It's a pity this file is on the partition I can't access via Terminal!
I only have access to my /boot partition (210MB. It contains a bunch of dangerous looking files that I probably shouldn't touch, along with a GRUB folder (?! Why do I have a folder if the GRUB menu doesn't even appear?)

Edit 2: I commented out the 'hiddenmenu' part of the GRUB menu.lst. Upon reboot, I saw something that -could've- been the GRUB menu flash for about half a second, and then it went ahead and loaded Fedora. That doesn't make much sense, as the countdown timer is 30 seconds. Can anyone help me?

Edit 3: Figured it out; I feel like an idiot. Apparently, the GRUB countdown was not, in fact, set to 30 seconds. It was set to 0 (!?). I had assumed the contrary, as I have read that the default is 30. I forced it to 30 after mounting my /boot drive, then I booted in command-line and ran the uninstall.sh. Everything's fixed!

[el_chingon]

... Edit 2: I commented out the 'hiddenmenu' part of the GRUB menu.lst. Upon reboot, I saw something that -could've- been the GRUB menu flash for about half a second, and then it went ahead and loaded Fedora. That doesn't make much sense, as the countdown timer is 30 seconds. Can anyone help me?

Edit 3: Figured it out; I feel like an idiot. Apparently, the GRUB countdown was not, in fact, set to 30 seconds. It was set to 0 (!?). I had assumed the contrary, as I have read that the default is 30. I forced it to 30 after mounting my /boot drive, then I booted in command-line and ran the uninstall.sh. Everything's fixed!

Hello my friend, I have quoted a piece of the text you have written, because part of the solution is based about it.

1. As I read before, you are able to edit the file named "menu.lst" which actually is a symbolic link to another file named "grub.conf", and both are in the same directory: /boot/grub/

2. There is a grub directory, because the boot loader exists and the system is using it, even though you can't see the grub menu.

3. Let's edit your file named "grub.conf"

4. I assume the follow things:
You have permissions to modify this file (as root)
You are inside the grub directory sited on your hard drive ( /boot/grub/ )

5. Open the file with the next command:

vi grub.conf

6. Put the cursor "over" the line that says: "timeout" followed by an equal symbol. If this line don't exists, write it below the "default=" line, but i am sure it exists.

7. Press the "i" key for edit that value and set it like:

timeout=10

8. Don't make more changes, only the previous I told you in the step 7.

9. Press the [Esc] key twice and then a colon followed by the letters "w" and "q" like I show you in the next example:

:wq

10. At this point, you have edited your grub parameters and now you can reboot your system (remember to extract you live cd)

And that's all, now you'll can see your grub screen and be able to make the changes that you need to do.

I suppose that when you installed the fedora system you have chosen the "Encrytion" option.

Maybe that is why you can't see the others directories when you boot with your live cd and/or because they are in the EXT4 filesystem.

Note1: the "defult" value in the grub.conf file says what partition is set to be booted by default and is not the time that the grub screen is displayed, that time is set in the value "timeout" as i wrote previously.

Note2: I am not agree like you said you are an idiot, I can see that you are willing to solve the problems by yourself, and the only thing that you need is more information. That's the reason of this forums, share information and knowledge.

I hope the problem be solved, meanwhile I been waiting for your feedback

[luoluo]

Hello my friend, in order to resolve your problem, I suggest you to restore your OS like it was before you made those changes.

1. I apologyze because my english is not good enought, but I'll do my best.
2. If your computer is off, turn it on; else, restart
3. At the grub screen, select the most recent linux kernel version (if you have only one, your decision wil be easier)
4. Press the "e" key to edit the kernel parameters
5. Now, select the line that says "kernel ..." at the begining
6. Press again "e"
7. That line you have selected in the step number 5, will have a prompt cursor at the end.
8. Press your space bar and introduce a number "3".
9. Press [Enter] and you will be again in the previous screen.
10. Now press "b" and your system will start booting at the execution level 3, this means in multiuser level without graphic enviroment
11. Log in as root
12. Type the next command:

cd /usr/share/ati/

13. After this, enter this command:

./fglrx-uninstall.sh

Note: the dot before the slash is important, don't forget it

14. This will uninstall the driver you have installed

15. Type:

cd /etc/X11

and then:

ls -l xorg*

16. Look at the list of files, we are looking for something named "xorg.conf". May be there are files that have this name but also they have another letters or numbers after their names

17. If you found a file with this name "xorg.conf", type the next command:

mv xorg.conf xorg.conf.ati-bad-installation

18. If you don't have this file (xorg.conf) in the /etc/X11 directory, don't worry, it's normal in Fedora 11

19. Now you can restart your computer typping one of these commands:

init 6

or

reboot

20. And that's all my friend, you'll have your system like it was before you installed the ATI driver.

Now, I ask you for two things:

First, wait until RPMFusion repository or ATI website deliver the driver apropiate for Fedora 11
Second, please give me feedback about my english, tell me if you understand me and what mistakes i have.

I hope this will be usefull for you.

Hi ,
I have checked your methods, these methods to do before i try to install ati card. or after.


I check 15 step,I found my director don't have xrog* file.

and 12 step, access my usr/share director don't have ati director,so I don't find fglrx-uninstall.sh file.

Do you tell me what I need to do before installing ati card.

I remember I don't do any thing,then i try to restart , after I got a black screen.

I install fedora for once.I hope you to give me some help,

I have reinstalled many times. Thank you very much.

[el_chingon]

Hi ,
I check 15 step,I found my director don't have xrog* file.

At Fedora 11 is normal that you don't have a xorg.conf file in your /etc/X11/ directory
Sometimes when you install the propietary ATI drivers and you finish without error the instalation the program ask you for run the command:

aticonfig --initial

this command is for update your xorg.conf file with tha parameters of the driver, but if you don't have this file (xorg.conf) this command launches an error.

and 12 step, access my usr/share director don't have ati director,so I don't find fglrx-uninstall.sh file.

Let's try the next command:

find /usr/share/ -mount -name fglrx*sh -print

If your driver is correctly installed, you'll see the path of your fglrx-uninstall.sh file

Please, try this and tell me your results

[luoluo]

At Fedora 11 is normal that you don't have a xorg.conf file in your /etc/X11/ directory
Sometimes when you install the propietary ATI drivers and you finish without error the instalation the program ask you for run the command:

aticonfig --initial

this command is for update your xorg.conf file with tha parameters of the driver, but if you don't have this file (xorg.conf) this command launches an error.



Let's try the next command:

find /usr/share/ -mount -name fglrx*sh -print

If your driver is correctly installed, you'll see the path of your fglrx-uninstall.sh file

Please, try this and tell me your results

Hi friend,

I don't find this file before installing ati card.

I don't know what I need to do before installing ati card.

I don't do anything before installing ati card many times ago,finally I got black screen when I restart system.