Hello, I am a newbie to Linux, and who has a shutdown problem.

When Loading Ubuntu 8.10 Out of Box (via the free CD through the post) on a Dell Optiplex GX1 Desktop of some vintage (don't ask!), the shutdown feature does not completely power off. It just hangs at the very end due to some ACPI config problems.

Having followed some excellent threads, my understanding is i may need to edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and perhaps add

acpi=force pci=noacpi

to the Kernal /boot.. line(s).

But several Kernals are listed! System Monitor stipulates i am running on 2.6.27-11-generic, but:-

A) Should they include both that end "quiet splash", becoming "quiet splash acpi=force pci=noacpi" (all on same line)
B) or should they include both that end "single", becoming "single acpi=force pci=noacpi" (all on same line)
C) and what about the memtest?

My menu.list file reads
**************************************************************************
## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic
uuid 1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid 1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid 1ef08f8a-74e9-4e3e-9f29-c26d2904625d
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
**************************************************************************

I have already tried several edit options to the /etc/modules file

apm
apm power_off=1
acpi=force
acpi=force pci=noacpi

but all to no avail.

Any help or advice on the shutdown problem would be much appreciated.

does your dell shutdown when you push the power button? have you tried shutting down from the command line? (sudo shutdown -t now!) can you post the exact error you're having? And, I would add the aspci thing to the quiet splash lines. Don't worry about the memtest. single deals with single user, which generally you don't use.