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Debian Live problem

Hello. I have a Debian Live CD, but when I boot it up, it says something about how it cannot display the analog video. So, because I can't see what I'm typing (when, I'm assuming, gdm is prompting for a user name and password), I cannot log in to use the Live CD. Is there any way to fix this?

Code:

it cannot display the analog video

This sounds like a message from your monitor, not Debian. Trying a different (better) monitor should work. Or reducing the resolution, but I don't know how to do that like with a boot parameter.

I think you're right. I actually had the same problem with my desktop Debian. The solution was to delete the vga entry (specifically, "vga=791") from the /boot/grub/menu.lst file, and then it worked fine. I'm not sure how I can correct it on the LiveCD, however. Likely, as you said, the only way is to get another monitor.

I just did a search, and discovered that the username is FIXME, and the password is "live". So, even though I won't be able to see the text when Debian is loading, I might be able to log in.

on the livecd press TAB at boot screen if isolinux
edit boot line and press enter

here's some debian live cheatcodes

Code:

Boot Parameters for Debian Live

-------------------------------



Updated for live-initramfs 1.156.1-1 on 2009-02-08.



These options (can be combined) work from the bootloader prompt:



live access=ACCESS

live console=TTY,SPEED

live debug

live fetch=URL

live hostname=HOSTNAME

live username=USER

live userfullname=USERFULLNAME

live integrity-check

live ip=[CLIENT_IP]:[SERVER_IP]:[GATEWAY_IP]:[NETMASK]:[HOSTNAME]:[DEVICE]:[AUTOCONF]  [,[CLIENT_IP]:[SERVER_IP]:[GATEWAY_IP]:[NETMASK]:[HOSTNAME]:[DEVICE]:[AUTOCONF]]*

live ip[=frommedia]

live {keyb|kbd-chooser/method}=KEYBOARD

live {klayout|console-setup/layoutcode}=LAYOUT

live {kvariant|console-setup/variantcode}=VARIANT

live {kmodel|console-setup/modelcode}=CODE

live koptions=OPTIONS

live live-getty

live {live-media|bootfrom}=DEVICE

live {live-media-encryption|encryption}=TYPE

live live-media-offset=BYTES

live live-media-path=PATH

live live-media-timeout=SECONDS

live {locale|debian-installer/locale}=LOCALE

live module=NAME

live netboot[=nfs|cifs]

live nfsopts=

live noautologin

live noxautologin

live nofastboot

live nopersistent

live nosudo

live swapon

live nouser

live noxautoconfig

live persistent[=nofiles]

live persistent-path=PATH

live {preseed/file|file}=FILE

live package/question=VALUE

live quickreboot

live showmounts

live timezone=TIMEZONE

live todisk=DEVICE

live toram

live union=aufs|unionfs

live utc=yes|no

live xdebconf

live xvideomode=RESOLUTION



Values for the vga kernel parameter:



Colours  640x400 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1152x864 1280x1024 1600x1200

--------+--------------------------------------------------------------

 4 bits |    ?      ?    0x302      ?        ?        ?        ?

 8 bits |  0x300  0x301  0x303    0x305    0x161    0x307    0x31C

15 bits |    ?    0x310  0x313    0x316    0x162    0x319    0x31D

16 bits |    ?    0x311  0x314    0x317    0x163    0x31A    0x31E

24 bits |    ?    0x312  0x315    0x318      ?      0x31B    0x31F

32 bits |    ?      ?      ?        ?      0x164      ?



Colours  640x400 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1152x864 1280x1024 1600x1200

--------+--------------------------------------------------------------

 4 bits |    ?      ?      770      ?        ?        ?        ?

 8 bits |  768    769    771      773      353      775      796

15 bits |    ?      784    787      790      354      793      797

16 bits |    ?      758    788      791      355      794      798

24 bits |    ?      786    789      792      ?      795      799

32 bits |    ?      ?      ?        ?      356      ?

There should be an option (one of the F keys) to get you to booting options. You could try editing the menu entry that way.

I have never seen a Debian Live CD so I am not sure how you get to the boot options. I can not imagine that there would not be that option though.

Thanks for the replies. I tried the F keys, and various options there, but still no luck.

When I had similar feedback with my desktop Debian ("analog input: cannot display video mode", or whatever it said) I got this feedback while the text was scrolling down after choosing the regular multi-user mode. However, I was able to enter my username and password, even though the screen was blank, and log in (once x-windows started, I could see stuff on the monitor). Then, simply removing the vga entry from the kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lst fixe it. In the case with the LiveCD, it's the opposite. I can see the text, but when gdm starts, I get the "analog input" complaint. I tried blindly logging in, but to no avail.

Thanks for the cheatcodes, linus72. I'm not sure which ones to try, but I'll have another go at screwing around with it to see if I can get it working.

[later] Well, I tried some of the cheatcodes at the boot prompt, and it simply said that it couldn't find a kernel image named "live". I subsequently tried some of them using "linux" rather than "live" (IE, "linux noxautoconfig") and while it booted up, it made no difference. I tried using "vga=791", and this simply made the text unreadable as well as gdm. I also tried "vga=792", and it was the same.

Ah well. Debian Live is a dud on my system.

[later] I figured it out. Turns out I was using an earlier release of Debian Live. When I got a more recent Debian Live 5, it worked without any problem.