I'm trying to install openSUSE 10.2 via DVD on a home built machine that is known to have run openSUSE 10.2 previously. I needed to add bigger hard drives and a G-Force nvidia card. So now it's running 512 MB of RAM and two 80GB HDDs. I can boot from the DVD (and does the same thing with a windows CD) and it goes to the selection menu that shows boot from hard drive or installation or whatever. Then it goes to load the Linux kernel and the monitor goes black. I've tried EVERYTHING I can think of as a computer tech and have come up empty ... AMD Athlon 2200+ SDRAM ASRock Motherboard, two identical western digital 80GB hard drives. NVIDIA G-Force MX-440 graphics card. I even tried the on board graphics and the same problem. I've tried different monitors, same problem. I have also tried live distros i.e. PHLAK and BLAH Windows the same problem persists! I'm not entirely sure this is hardware related but all roads point that direction. Thanks for any help in advance!

When you tried the onboard graphics, did you take out the card?

Yes, I have been thinking more and more that my power supply may not have enough juice for two optical drives and two hard drives. It's only 230 Watts but anyhow I have tried all combinations of configs even took out the second drive and still nothing!

Thanks for all the help!

Bug

I have a more or less similar problem.My lap top screen would go blank when I would boot Windows XP, this I have managed to sort out by disabling the display driver (VGA Accelerator) of XP. Now I have installed Fedora 6 and the same problem has cropped up when I boot Fedora though windows runs fine. I am using a TOSHIBA Satellite comp on a dual boot system. I feel if I could disable the display driver in fedora too perhaps the problem might be solved only I do not know how to go about it as I am a beginner. Can any one help me?
Smarajit

Hi, it may not be so much the power requirements as the resource requirements. If you intend to boot with the onboard video, you should take out the video card first. If you want to boot with the video card, you should completely disable the onboard video in the BIOS.

Now that I think about it, you may be suffering from a lack of power. Most power supply manufacturers over-report the available wattage of their units, since few people can tell the difference. Seeing that you're running >1gig processor, 2 hard drives (I'm guessing they're 7200rpm units?), and a G-force card, I'd recommend going with a 400watt solution. Looking at performance charts, I'd recommend Antec or Seasonic as high-end, low cost solutions.

Hope that helps,
Sam

My plan is to NOT use the on board if at all possible ... it's completely disabled via the bios ... the power supply is an el cheapo that came with the case I'm thinking which leaves that area suspect. before it was only running one WD drive and no PCI cards other than the modem (which I removed, also removed the floppy as I won't be needing it) So, I'll have to obtain a better power source as the more I diagnose and the more feedback I'm getting here indicates the power supply is lacking! Thanks in advance for any further help and for all the help previously given! p.s. yes, both WD hard drives are 7200 rpm respectively

the_bug

update I've got a more thorough list of my hardware as it is currently

Power Supply = Duro 400W (I misread the wattage before as per my poor eyes)

Motherboard = ASRock K7VM2 ATA 133 USB 2.0 Rev. 2.0.2

Two 256 MB SDRAM Modules (mem tests are fine)

AMD Athlon XP 2200+

Two Western Digital Caviar SE (WD800)hard drives (Primary Master + Primary Slave, jumpered)

One Pioneer 16X DVD-ROM Optical Drive IDE - Secondary Master
One Philips CDRW 2400 Series CD burner IDE - Secondary Slave

One PCI NVIDIA G-Force MX-440 (64MB SDRAM)

On Board Graphics (not sure the specs on it though)

Hope this helps and thanks for the help!

Bug

Just to rule out the possibility that your power supply isn't providing enough wattage, remove the power to any units you absolutely don't need, such as the extra hard drive and the extra cd burner.

In the bios, try enabling its 'fail-safe' settings.

If you want to use your gfx card instead of onboard, I suppose that won't take up much more power, provided the onboard units are turned off.

Which reminds me, if you have any onboard audio or onboard lan, or any other onboard devices you don't need for the install, turn them off in the bios as well.

Try the install again.

Sam

P.S. If you manually jumpered your hard drives, make sure that the jumpers are in the right place. Sometimes manufacturers draw their schematics upside down.

no success yet ... I tried disabling anything I didn't need and still same deal. I unplugged the extra hard drive and second CD drive and the floppy is long gone ... that's pretty much it...

I would LOVE to have this machine up and running as I am suffering through windows XP pro and miss my openSUSE and XGL ! ! ! thanks everyone!

What monitor are you using? Basically, I think the problem is that the initial, default video settings that the fresh install uses are just incompatible with your monitor/vid card.

In terms of steps, here's what I'd try:

1. It's been a while since I installed SuSE v10.2 but as it starts, press F1 or F2 (or whatever key is appropriate) to get into the optional parameters that you can pass in. I don't recall the exact choices, but try selecting the "low resolution" option assuming it exists, or possibly the text only option.

2. If that has no effect, then make the primary goal just to finish the installation successfully, and later you can switch around the video cards, reconfigure xorg.conf, etc. So, try removing the nVidia card, enabling onboard video, and plugging the monitor, keyboard, and mouse directly to the back of the PC (ie, if you're using a KVM, take it out of the equation) The idea is to eliminate as many variables as possible, and start with the simplest hardware configuration. If that attempt fails, reinstall nVidia, disable onboard, and reconnect the monitor directly to the nVidia card.

3. I'd recommend using an ordinary, middle of the road CRT monitor for these exercises, if possible. Most installations assume that the user will be using typical, common monitor running a typical, common resolution like 1280x1024 or 1024x768, but if you happen to be using a very old or underpowered monitor, or a super high-end LCD monitor that uses an exotic native resolution, the initial default xorg.conf settings could just be incompatible with your monitor and you'll get the black screen.

The main unanswered question is the monitor you're using though. Good luck with it

I tried different monitors on it from a Dell 17" CRT to a ViewSonic 19" V90 CRT to what I am testing with which is an HP 17" CRT
I will try the vid settings as that seems the logical solution/problem

thanks! I will post updates

Bug

I'm not sure if you clarified this, but did you get far enough to install any OS's before the screen blanked? Can you get the install to run in complete text mode?

Sam

O.K. in openSUSE 10.2 it loads grub to ram and I choose ANY option it loads Linux kernel and goes black ... roughly the same with windows XP (which I only used for testing) PHLAK same as opensuse ... very odd

Hard drives are usually power gluttons. If you boot off a knoppix disk you don't need any of them, so you can unplug the whole lot rather than messing with jumper settings. Even better, be like me & have them in removable caddies . Later chales, later.


Regards, Fischbein

All that is fine and good. But what do you do when NOTHING boots? Hard drives or not?