[SOLVED] Ubuntu loads to a blank screen

[zeneslev]

---

I recently installed the latest version of Ubuntu and I cannot boot into the GUI, just the recovery mode command line. I think this might have something to do with my display driver. I am currently using a GeForce 8800 gts.

thanks

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

you have to install driver for Graphics Card. first of all, fix GUI temporarily.
open /etc/X11/xorg.conf file

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

look for Section Device 'Video Card' and set Driver to "vesa".

Section "Device"
  identifier "Generic Video Card"
  boardname "xxxx"
  busid "PCI:x:x:x"
  driver "vesa"
  screen 0
EndSection

save file and reboot.

[zeneslev]

I made those changes you suggested and rebooted but I still get a blank screen. Maybe I need to boot with some special parameters?

[devils casper]

if machine is booting up and its a Graphics Problem only then you dont need to pass any parameter to kernel.
could you post Monitor and Screen sections of xorg.conf file?

[iKitteh]

At this point Feisty is not compatible with the GeForce 8800 GTS/ GTX.

[devils casper]

At this point Feisty is not compatible with the GeForce 8800 GTS/ GTX.

could you validate this? any link or info?

[zeneslev]

Section "Monitor"
          Identifier   "Generic Monitor"
          Option       "DPMS"
          HorizSync    28-51
          VertRefresh  43-60
EndSection

Section "Screen"
          Identifier    "Default Screen"
          Device        "nVidia Corporation G80 [GeForce 8800 GTS]"
          Monitor       "Generic Monitor"
          DefaultDepth 24
          SubSection "Display"
                    Depth       1
                    Modes       "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
          EndSubSection
          SubSection "Display"
                    Depth       4
                    Modes       "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
          EndSubSection
          SubSection "Display"
                    Depth       8
                    Modes       "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
          EndSubSection
          SubSection "Display"
                    Depth       15
                    Modes       "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
          EndSubSection
          SubSection "Display"
                    Depth       16
                    Modes       "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
          EndSubSection
EndSection

[devils casper]

set driver to 'nvidia" in xorg.conf. you have to install 'nvidia' driver.
execute this

 wget http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/1.0-9755/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run
 sudo sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9755-pkg1.run -n -s --x-prefix=/usr/lib/xorg/ --kernel-source-path=/usr/src/linux-headers-`uname -r`

these commands will download nvidia driver and installer will configure xorg.conf. reboot machine after configuration.
your machine must have internet access to download nvidia driver.

[zeneslev]

devils_casper, that driver that you recommended is for linux x86. I forgot to mention that I am running amd64. I went ahead and downloaded the the driver here

http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_display_amd64_100.14.11%20.html

I ran the sudo command that you listed replaced with the new driver name and it seemed to execute properly. I changed driver to "nvidia". After rebooting however, I still get a blank screen. However, the monitor stays "active" this time with a green light instead of last time where the monitor had an orange light.

[zeneslev]

I am going to follow the instructions on the page written in my previous post. The NVIDIA site says to install the driver using "sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-100.14.11-pkg2.run" with no switches or extra parameters like the ones that devils_casper gave me. This method DOES start the installer, it seems that the statement that devils_casper gave me just uncompressed the driver without installing. The first part of the installation warns me that I am executing at runlevel 1 and should be executing at runlevel 3. I ignored this and the driver fails to install because it says that it cannot find a precompiled kernel interface and cannot compile its own because it says it doesn't have the libc header files. I'm assuming this means that I should be executing this installer on runlevel 3?

Anyway, when I switch to runlevel 3, the screen flashes several times and I get the following prompt: "Failed to start the X server (your graphical interface). It is likely that it is not set up correctly. . ." I disregard this and I am forced to login as my user account. I check the runlevel and it is correctly at 3. Here is where I am stuck. I have not yet learned how to set up an internet connection using the terminal alone so I have downloaded the driver installation file to a portable usb harddrive from another computer and I mounted the said harddrive in root mode. However, since I am forced to login as a user in runlevel 3, I cannot open the directory to which I mounted to because the user mode does not have valid permission. To fix this, all I think I need is some extra parameters when I mount the drive, but I am as of now unable to find what parameters I need. If someone can help me with this, I am sure that I can fix the bigger problem on my own.

Thanks.