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Old 10-23-2021, 04:22 AM   #1
lucmove
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Screen all messed up in new Debian installation


I just installed Debian and it looks like what you can see in the photos.

It is an old computer I hadn't been using for a long time because it was broken (nothing related to the screen). But I have installed Debian in it before without any problem.

Before installing Debian, I used a GParted boot CD that had the same problem with the first (default) option in the bootup screen. But there was another option that said "VGA with large fonts" and that option worked fine.

Now, Debian does not provide such option. Is there any fix for this?

TIA
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Old 10-23-2021, 09:56 AM   #2
shruggy
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Well, GParted live is based on Debian live. But IIRC, it uses framebuffer graphics.
 
Old 10-24-2021, 02:43 AM   #3
ondoho
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Does the last screenshot show a messed up screen even without Xorg?
Then your only way is to add some options to your boot command.

The other screenshots, are they from a Xorg session, or wayland?
 
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Old 10-24-2021, 05:16 AM   #4
mrmazda
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucmove View Post
Now, Debian does not provide such option. Is there any fix for this?
There may or may not be, depending on just how old this PC is, and what it's comprised of. It's hard to guess what to suggest without any knowledge of your graphics hardware or GUI setup. Try this:
  1. Boot normally
  2. Reboot
  3. At the Grub boot screen, strike the E key, navigate to the (usually wrapped ) line that begins linu, append a space and nomodeset vga=791 before proceeding with otherwise normal boot
  4. Ctrl-Alt-F3 after boot seems complete
  5. Login as root
  6. Locate Xorg.0.log.old, which should be in either /var/log/ or ~/.local/share/xorg/
  7. Upload Xorg.0.log.old and paste the resulting output URL, e.g.:
    Code:
    cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old | pastebinit
  8. Logged into an X session, run inxi -CGSa and paste its output here (using code tags)
 
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Old 10-24-2021, 04:17 PM   #5
lucmove
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The nomodeset parameter worked. Then I edited grub and made it permanent, and it works.

This is SOLVED. Many thanks.
 
Old 10-24-2021, 05:09 PM   #6
mrmazda
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Nomodeset is primarily a workaround, a troubleshooting parameter, not a proper solution for anyone using an AMD/ATI, Intel or NVidia GPU. Please upload a log from a boot that was without using nomodeset.
 
Old 10-24-2021, 08:15 PM   #7
lucmove
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmazda View Post
Nomodeset is primarily a workaround, a troubleshooting parameter, not a proper solution for anyone using an AMD/ATI, Intel or NVidia GPU. Please upload a log from a boot that was without using nomodeset.
Sure. Here you are.

http://paste.debian.net/1216647/
.
.
 
Old 10-24-2021, 09:46 PM   #8
mrmazda
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That's a surprise. According to the log, you have a laptop, not a PC, and with an extra screen hooked up via TV video cable instead of a computer graphics cable. This is not a combination I've ever tried with an NVidia GPU, so I can't respond with any direct experience in an optimal solution.

The screen hooked up via the video cable isn't reporting any EDID, which can be quite a problem for a GPU trying to output to two entirely different screens. The problem might solve itself if you replace the video cable with a VGA cable. If it doesn't, and you wish optimum output on both screens, you may need to manually configure the laptop screen to 1280x800@60 while the external display's cable is not connected, then try connecting the external, before both screens behave properly without using the nomodeset workaround. Nomodeset usually slows video output down in a big way, so whatever is necessary to not need it is what most people would want.
 
Old 10-24-2021, 10:34 PM   #9
lucmove
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmazda View Post
That's a surprise. According to the log, you have a laptop, not a PC, and with an extra screen hooked up via TV video cable instead of a computer graphics cable.
It is in fact a notebook. (or laptop - is there any difference?)

But I don't know about this extra screen business, much less about a TV video cable. There is none of that here... I think. It's just the notebook's integrated screen.
 
Old 10-25-2021, 12:05 AM   #10
mrmazda
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucmove View Post
But I don't know about this extra screen business, much less about a TV video cable. There is none of that here... I think. It's just the notebook's integrated screen.
There's this in the log:
Code:
[ 17.900] (II) NOUVEAU(0): Output LVDS-1 connected
[ 17.900] (II) NOUVEAU(0): Output VGA-1 disconnected
[ 17.900] (II) NOUVEAU(0): Output TV-1 connected
Apparently there is a phantom connection, and it may be this that causes the problem. Try instead of nomodeset on the Grub linu line appending video=TV-1:d. If this doesn't work, please pastebin the Xorg.0.log from the attempt.
 
Old 10-25-2021, 02:22 PM   #11
lucmove
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmazda View Post
There's this in the log:
Code:
[ 17.900] (II) NOUVEAU(0): Output LVDS-1 connected
[ 17.900] (II) NOUVEAU(0): Output VGA-1 disconnected
[ 17.900] (II) NOUVEAU(0): Output TV-1 connected
Apparently there is a phantom connection, and it may be this that causes the problem. Try instead of nomodeset on the Grub linu line appending video=TV-1:d. If this doesn't work, please pastebin the Xorg.0.log from the attempt.
It didn't work. The screen got all mangled up again. Here is the log:

http://paste.debian.net/1216843/

Then I also tried it with LVDS-1:d and the screen just turned off. It wasn't just black. There was no glow to indicate the screen was on but without any image or signal. It was really off. But the machine booted. I could SSH into it.
 
Old 10-25-2021, 03:44 PM   #12
mrmazda
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Nothing I see apparent in the log, so let's try a driver switch apt remove xserver-xorg-video-nouveau and restart Xorg or reboot (without using nomodeset).

I suspect the real problem may be the display panel no longer properly supports its native 1280x800 mode. Using nomodeset usually produces a less pleasing, and incorrect aspect ratio, 1024x768 mode.
 
Old 10-27-2021, 05:09 AM   #13
lucmove
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Hi, mrmazda. Sorry I took a long time to reply. I got really busy with something else.

Anyway, I was willing to remove xserver-xorg-video-nouveau like you suggested, but then I got this warning:

The following packages will be REMOVED:
task-desktop task-lxde-desktop xserver-xorg-video-all xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 4 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 528 kB disk space will be freed.

That is going to make me lose my entire LXDE desktop. I like my LXDE desktop. :-(

Should I really do that?
 
Old 10-27-2021, 05:54 AM   #14
mrmazda
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucmove View Post
The following packages will be REMOVED:
task-desktop
task-lxde-desktop
xserver-xorg-video-all
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
All but the last of the four are meta-packages, whose purposes are to cause installation of other packages. You won't loose LXDE by answering yes. The important packages installed due to having had the metas installed will remain.
 
Old 10-27-2021, 06:53 AM   #15
lucmove
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Well, never mind. The notebook won't turn on anymore. The LEDs light up but I can't get any kind of boot. I can see it keeps trying but can't get past the LEDs stage. I guess it's dead again. Thank you for your attention.
 
  


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