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The Black Screen

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Jerry3904

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Post # 263803

The Black Screen

I am trying to add a section to the new Manual on the Black Screen, and am wondering what sources of the failure to start X can be listed. I can think of two off the top of my hat:

--Wrong driver for card. Occurrence: LiveDVD, new installation, new card, new monitor.
--Right driver, but not compiled. Occurrence: new kernel

Are there other categories or occurences I should include? TIA

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Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:56 pm

Jerry3904 thanked by: chatan

timkb4cq

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Post # 263805

Re: The Black Screen

Refresh out of range (boot code vsync=58-62), kernel modeset issues (boot code radeon.modeset=0 nvidia.modeset=0), agp issues (boot code noagp), unrecognized Intel chipsets (boot code xdrvr=intel)

I'm probably forgetting some...

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Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:05 pm

timkb4cq thanked by: Jerry3904

namida12

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Post # 263806

Re: The Black Screen

Jerry,

1. Every time you change Video cards, and sometimes when you change Monitors (out of range errors).

2. Every time an updated xorg is released/installed while you are using the non-free Nividia or ATI drivers it can happen, and you only have a CLI interface... Might that count as a black screen?

After the xorg update, it is easy to navigate to the video card section of the manual with another computer and follow the instructions... I am presuming the newer version of Mepis will have the same ability to use the LiveCD and reset the video... Or for experienced users the cli can easily be used to reinstall the drivers. I never remember the how to use the Sgfxi procedure, and always must refer to the manual...

JR
* * *

Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:19 pm

namida12 thanked by: Jerry3904

Jerry3904

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Post # 263807

Re: The Black Screen


	Quote: I am presuming the newer version of Mepis will have the same ability to use the LiveCD and reset the video...

Not at the moment...we're working on that.

Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:28 pm

Jerry3904

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Post # 263810

Re: The Black Screen

Draft text (full or errors, I am sure):


	Quote: Occasionally it may happen that when you boot up, you end up looking at an empty black screen that may have a blinking cursor in the corner. This represents a failure to start X, the windows system used by Linux. Possibilities and solutions for this failure include: Wrong graphic driver. This problem can occur when using the LiveDVD or LiveUSB, when you install a new monitor or with a new graphic card. It can be corrected by returning to the GRUB screen using the live medium and carefully selecting a correct driver. Once you have a driver that works, you can use the MEPIS X-Windows Assistant to copy over the working setup to the installed system. Driver not compiled. This problem happens every time a new kernel or an updated Xorg is installed. Use Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to a login prompt, log in as your user, then become root and use either the MEPIS X-Windows Assistant (command: mxconfig) or sgfxi. Details in the Wiki. Refresh out of range. Solve this by adding the cheatcode vsync=58-62. Kernel modeset issues. Add the cheat code radeon.modeset=0 or nvidia.modeset=0. Agp issues. Add the cheat code noagp. Unrecognized Intel chipset. Add the cheat code xdrvr=intel

Corrections or improvements?

Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:40 pm

JBoman

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Post # 263813

Re: The Black Screen

I'm thinking some links included would be helpful to new users such as where to find more detail about the suggested fixes. We know where the assistants and such are found but a new user may have no idea. Even things like becoming root can sound like a foreign language to a M$ user or anyone not familiar with Linux. A link to the full list of cheatcodes and how to use them might be helpful. Just my 2cents. Jerry :tumbleweed:

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Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:15 pm

timkb4cq

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Post # 263814

Re: The Black Screen

With refresh out of range you don't get a cursor at all - either a completely black screen or on some models a message from the monitor's firmware either saying something like "signal out of range" or "no signal".

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Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:20 pm

timkb4cq thanked by: Jerry3904

Stevo

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Post # 263818

Re: The Black Screen

I think "drvr=intel" also works for unrecognized chipsets, but think "xdrvr=intel" would be the choice for simplicity's sake.

Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:05 pm

DBeckett

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Post # 263820

Re: The Black Screen


	Jerry3904 wrote: Corrections or improvements?

A corrupt or confused /etc/xorg.conf can give you a black screen too.

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Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:43 pm

DBeckett thanked by: Jerry3904

Jerry3904

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Post # 263827

Re: The Black Screen


	Quote: I'm thinking some links included would be helpful to new users such as where to find more detail about the suggested fixes. We know where the assistants and such are found but a new user may have no idea. Even things like becoming root can sound like a foreign language to a M$ user or anyone not familiar with Linux. A link to the full list of cheatcodes and how to use them might be helpful.

Thanks. This new section comes in the middle of Section 5, and the Assistants have already had a thorough discussion, becoming root is long since covered, and cheatcodes have been described with a pointer to the full list in the Wiki.

EDIT: my bad: cheatcodes are not covered anywhere! I have now added the word to the Glossary at the back, provided a rollover definition, and added a section on them in Booting up. Thanks.

Sat Feb 26, 2011 9:43 am

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