Blank screen regardless of distro or Live CD or live USB...newGateway Laptop :( why?

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 05:14 PM

I'm hoping this is something so simple it's stupid, but I've tried the following flavors of Linux (some on live CD but majority on live USB) on my new Gateway laptop:

Ubuntu 11.10
Mint 12
Three types of Linux Puppy
Vector Linux

Only one worked...Linux Puppy 4.3.1 but didn't recognize my ethernet or wireless drivers or my sound card (apparently) even though I tried all the manual options provided.

The MAIN problem though with every other distro is that I can tell it starts loading and even fully boots up (I hear the boot sound for Ubuntu and Mint) but the screen remains completely blank throughout and I'm forced to just hard restart.

I'm still a newbie even though I've dual booted and run Ubuntu from a USB stick before on my previous laptop (also Gateway coincidentally). I'm just at a complete loss as to how to proceed with a blank screen.

I'm fine with getting either Ubuntu or Mint running since I figure there would be more users familiar with those two and might possibly be able to assist. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Karl Godt · 12-09-2011, 05:42 PM

Have you tried the failsafe boot menu entry for the larger distros ?

ABOUT PUPPY Linux :

The default kernel for puppy-431 is 2.6.30.5 and 2 or 3 years old .

For a new laptop i would try some puppies from the derivate section at http://murga-linux.com/puppy/

OR

some Puppy-Racy with kernel 3.X which booted to black console with an old nvidia RIVA-TNT card in my case .

There are some bugs for sound or internet which might be fixed in a future Puppy-Slacko-5.3.x , too .

Cheers

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 05:47 PM

Thanks Karl..was using the Universal USB Installer recommended by the Ubuntu download page and that was the version of Puppy that it downloaded. Just started downloading 5.3.8 and will let you know if that works. If not, then I'll try the link you recommended!

By "failsafe" do you mean the "compatibility mode"? because I tried that on at least Mint and Ubuntu (latest versions) and the problem remained the same.

Karl Godt · 12-09-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

By "failsafe" do you mean the "compatibility mode"? because I tried that on at least Mint and Ubuntu (latest versions) and the problem remained the same.

Yes

Much Luck for Puppy !

Quote:

Universal USB Installer recommended by the Ubuntu download page and that was the version of Puppy that it downloaded.

Puppy Installer on an Ubuntu page ?

Puppy has got a Welcome page and other help pages that may point to dl sites
AND
puppyinstaller for installation to normal HDs
AND
bootflash for installation to USB flash drives (usb pen-drives) .

I have made some USB flash installations but don't use them much because i consider the possibility of loose fittings of USB adapters too dangerous for an OS except for the " puppy pfix=ram " or first-boot mode .

btw ... have to watch out for typsos myself

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 07:32 PM

Ok so tooled around with the latest version of Puppy (5.3.8?) and I'm able to SEE at least..lol. So I figured I would stick with this version and see if anyone can help me figure out the rest of it..namely No Ethernet or Wireless connectivity and no sound

Is it that my hardware is just too new or something? I've used all the built in tools that are supposed to assist in getting connected to no avail. Ditto for the sound.

Karl, I can't figure out how to get the compatibility mode to run so wasn't able to try that out. Is it that I was supposed to select that option on first run? I can't remember it being available as it was with Mint and Ubuntu.

Karl Godt · 12-09-2011, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Is it that my hardware is just too new or something? I've used all the built in tools that are supposed to assist in getting connected to no avail. Ditto for the sound.

There are some diagnostics commands with output of mine for comparison purposes:

Code:

 lsmod

Code:

Module                  Size  Used by
cryptoloop              1618  0 
aes_i586                7204  0 
aes_generic            26683  1 aes_i586
ppp_async               5551  1 
crc_ccitt               1291  1 ppp_async
ppp_generic            19113  5 ppp_async
slhc                    4121  1 ppp_generic
mperf                   1059  0 
p4_clockmod             3012  0 
freq_table              3951  1 p4_clockmod
speedstep_lib           4265  1 p4_clockmod
option                 13441  1 
usb_wwan                8785  1 option
powermate               3628  0 
power_meter             7346  0 
sermouse                2685  0 
asb100                 11198  0 
hwmon_vid               1718  1 asb100
serio_raw               3282  0 
snd_wavefront          32490  0 
snd_wss_lib            20010  1 snd_wavefront
snd_opl3_lib            8114  1 snd_wavefront
snd_hwdep               4680  2 snd_wavefront,snd_opl3_lib
snd_mpu401_uart         5209  1 snd_wavefront
nouveau               391006  1 
ttm                    48041  1 nouveau
rtc_cmos                8513  0 
rtc_core               13562  1 rtc_cmos
drm_kms_helper         26249  1 nouveau
rtc_lib                 2002  1 rtc_core
drm                   148786  3 nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
ns558                   1884  0 
gameport                7717  2 ns558
i2c_algo_bit            5428  1 nouveau
video                  12043  1 nouveau
pcspkr                  1338  0 
snd_intel8x0           23364  0 
snd_ac97_codec         89753  1 snd_intel8x0
ac97_bus                 894  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm_oss            33876  0 
snd_mixer_oss          11144  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                65605  4 snd_wss_lib,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy           1190  0 
snd_seq_oss            25095  0 
pl2303                  9778  0 
snd_seq_midi            4404  0 
usbserial              28741  5 option,usb_wwan,pl2303
snd_rawmidi            16806  3 snd_wavefront,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event      5107  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                42250  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              15635  4 snd_wss_lib,snd_opl3_lib,snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device          5356  6 snd_opl3_lib,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd                    49230  17 snd_wavefront,snd_wss_lib,snd_opl3_lib,snd_hwdep,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore               5311  1 snd
snd_page_alloc          6304  3 snd_wss_lib,snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
sis900                 15306  0 
mii                     3773  1 sis900
parport_pc             27339  0 
shpchp                 21140  0 
parport                27054  1 parport_pc
pci_hotplug            21590  1 shpchp
i2c_sis96x              3420  0 
i2c_core               20152  6 asb100,nouveau,drm_kms_helper,drm,i2c_algo_bit,i2c_sis96x
usb_storage            29880  1 
usb_libusual            9344  1 usb_storage
sis_agp                 3571  1 
agpgart                26363  3 ttm,drm,sis_agp
squashfs               35351  0 
aufs                  212944  0 
fuse                   52279  0 
nls_iso8859_1           3157  0 
nls_cp437               4823  0 
evdev                   6639  0 
processor              31878  0 
thermal_sys            11580  2 video,processor
hwmon                   1564  3 power_meter,asb100,thermal_sys
usbhid                 34050  0 
hid                    58434  1 usbhid
ohci_hcd               29770  0 
ssb                    41391  1 ohci_hcd
mmc_core               59385  1 ssb
pcmcia                 41746  1 ssb
pcmcia_core            14537  1 pcmcia
ehci_hcd               43587  0 
usbcore               124381  11 option,usb_wwan,powermate,pl2303,usbserial,usb_storage,usb_libusual,usbhid,ohci_hcd,ehci_hcd
psmouse                46273  0

The lsmod command shows which kernel drivers had been able to load automatically .

Code:

uname -a

Quote:

Linux puppypc 2.6.37.4-KRG-i586TSC-64GB-1 #9 SMP PREEMPT Fri Mar 25 03:44:43 GMT-8 2011 i686 GNU/Linux

uname -a command shows which kernel is running .

Code:

source /etc/DISTRO_SPECS && echo $DISTRO_NAME $DISTRO_VERSION

Quote:

Lucid Puppy 218

/etc/DISTRO_SPECS holds the PUPPY VERSION information .

Code:

cat /tmp/boot*

Quote:

TOO much output to be posted here now ...

The files in /tmp (AND /initrd/tmp) show data
/tmp/bootkernel.log is the output of the dmesg command .
There is also /var/log/messages to read from the syslogd daemon .

Post as much as you can !

HTH

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 08:16 PM

Ok couple problems...right now using my phone to post while booted into puppy (only one computer available). Not sure how I can get the info to you since puppy isn't connecting. Is there some way you can guide me to output the files with the info so I can save it to my USB drive and then boot into Windows to get it posted?

The other problem is that I'm gonna need a translator for some of what you just posted! Lol. I very much appreciate your help...just going to have to go a little slow with me as I'm on an alien planet at this point. Will try my best though!

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 08:19 PM

Ok figured out I need to type those commands in the console...how do I copy or output the info?

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 08:26 PM

Linux puppypc15255 2.6.37.6 SMP

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 08:29 PM

Slacko puppy 5.3 (posting this stuff from my phone and will post the longer bits of info from screenshots I took)

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 08:54 PM

aaaaaannd...we've hit a snag :/

I saved like 20 screen shots on the usb stick in the root folder (made a screenshots folder within the root folder) and now I can't access them from Windows. I'm not sure if you're still around at the moment but if you respond later or tomorrow please guide me a bit as to where or how I should be saving these so that I can get them to you.

Again, thanks so much for your help so far!

Karl Godt · 12-09-2011, 09:08 PM

You should save them on a vfat or ntfs formatted partition . There are ext2fs drivers for windows but the one i installed only shows the first linux filesystem partition of an attached USB drive . It would not allow to mount a save-file.2-4fs on a vfat partition where your /root folder would have been saved at shutdown , not to mention encrypted save-files .

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 09:25 PM

lsmod.png

cat tmp boot part1.png

cat tmp boot part2.png

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 09:27 PM

cat tmp boot part3.png

cat tmp boot part4.png

cat tmp boot part5.png

wj76 · 12-09-2011, 09:29 PM

cat tmp boot part6.png

cat tmp boot part7.png

cat tmp boot part8.png