I have used 3 seperate distro's - 32Bit and 64Bit version, LiveCD and not LiveCD. Every single one of these has given me a blank screen shortly after the installation starts. I can't see the screen etc. I bought this laptop so I could do a "A Year with Linux" project and compare it with Windows 7 64Bit. So far every single distro gets a big fat 'F'ailing grade. Wiped the drive and installed Mandriva, that went OK except the screen would blank out and nothing. I have restarted this machine so many times it's horrible. Now heads up here - Windows7 Installed ( have an extra disk from my Family pack Win7 Home Pro was only $120) w/o a hitch and has performed wonderfully, not one single issue from start to finish - so that part of the project gets A++ and I'm finished with that part now, and was the boring part. Now I went back to the Linux installs (wipe drive a great big clean install, I love it). Now the frustrating part, I have spent hours going over the websites trying to figure out what I can do and nothing works. I am a LInux Newbie/however I'm an old C/C++ program all the way back to the DOS days so working on this stuff is fun but not even being able to see what I'm doing is a little annoying. I would almost prefer to go back to the CLI days when I fiddle farted with RedHat way back when. BUT! I'm at the point that I'm about to give up on Linux all togehter and toss it out the Window -LOL just kidding, but I have to say this is a little ridiculous. Once installed I could see having some issues, no biggie, but I can't even get that far:

Equipment:
Machine: Acer Aspire 7749-5691 17" Notebook
Processor: Intel i3-330M
Drive: 320Gig hard drive (All Linux)
Memory 4 Gig DDR3
Video: Intel HD Integrated Graphics 128Mb <-- Sadly this is probably the issue.

The machine is awesome (was not a fan of Acer, but it was only $499 for a 17" it's almost throw away - it's great) and the parts are normal stuff...I think this should work.

Help I would really like to cointinue this and get KDE/Gnome (latest) up to Compiz on the machine and start doing my Web Dev from both my Windows7 Behmoth home built desktop and my Linux Laptop when I'm not at my desk. I'm keep a diary of everything for a project, and it's getting depressing.

Help???

Thank you!

Any chance you might describe what happens ?

"A blank screen" doesn't mean anything without knowing how long for, and when it does it.

If you want to give up before you've started, please say now, before I waste my time.

Your attitude needs re-adjustment.

If you already think the Intel graphics are an issue, what have you done to try and fix that issue ?

IT people fix problems, they don't pass them on !

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LOL - well I think maybe the attitude adjustment needs to go both ways there doesn't. "...Passing it on" if wanted to do that I would be using Windows and not even bother to post a request wouldn't I. Now that we have the basics of linguistics out of the way (oh I'm also recording the kind of help one can expect) you never know where this will end up being published. Here is what has been done to-date.

Fedora 12 - LiveCD
Boot menu comes up - select Boot from CD (paraphrasing)
Blank Screen
openSuse 11.2 - LiveCD
Boot menu comes up - select boot from CD
Blank screen
Mandriva - Installation CD
Boot menu - select install
Blank Screen

Not much else i can describe - it's a black blank screen
Boot options -
tried Text Mode
tried VESA
Tried different resolutions
Basic options, trying to going back to a CLI but if I have to I have to.


This problem seems to be quite prevelant but no solutions or information thus my hypothisis on the graphics. And as persniktiy as Win7 is with memory and Video and Aero...at this point I'm of the mindset they are OK

Some of these get further others do not, but never an actual installation. Remember I'm wiping the drive and not even trying to dual boot. Planning on useing VirtualBox as the VM to run Windows. Dual boot differnt distro's eventually.

The boys over on openSuse have found potentially the problem. As suspected the Intel GMA HD graphics on the Acer are not compatible with the current Kernel 2.6.33. If it does work then the Kernel breaks the broadcom network card. I have to try a few options with the openSuse that they have found....I will keep the thread posted as I try their reommendations.

Yeah, I've seen such things happen on laptops before. They're not 'regular' computers, and unless you get Windows pre-installed, often times you'll have problems with it, too. It'll boot, but drivers and other things won't be too happy. But it's been a decade since I've touch MS, so that's just my $0.02.

On another note...I've seen systems not be happy at boot time, because of graphics before, as you've said. You can try to boot up/install in text mode, or try disabling acpi. This page:
http://www.linuxtopia.org/online_boo...e_install.html

Might have some things to help you. Granted, it's for openSUSE 11.1, but it should translate to 11.2.

Since this is for a school project, it might be worth noting WHY you're having a problem. Intel is heavily in bed with MS, and isn't very forthcoming with HW specs. Alot of what Linux has, has been reverse-engineered, and as such, can be a bit lagging. This doesn't reflect badly on Linux, in my opinion, but quite the opposite. There are VERY few devices that won't work at ALL under Linux...although there are several that needs some...finesse.

I've had Linux loaded on several laptops over the course of the past 7 years. My latest one, a Sony Vaio CS110E, loaded up in under 30 minutes, and was totally configured and updated in under an hour. EVERYTHING worked, with two little exceptions...the AV Key touch pad, and the FN keys for zoom. But that's it, and they weren't a big deal to me. Again, why didn't they work? Sony didn't release the spec for the AV keys. Would be kind of like you taking a test, and the professor asking questions that only THEY knew the answers to. You MIGHT get a few right...but would that be your fault that you failed??

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1st - thank you very much for the information.

I have loaded Linux on my desktops but was using this to force a full time use...

I'm actually doing this for work, (Oh how I miss the college days - LOL). I'm the lead data architect for a Fortune 1000 company and getting impatient in my older years - LOL. So I set out for a personal project of using Linux at home and while traveling as much as possible and at work during lunch hour and tracking my progress and issues, like this one.

Some gentlemen on the OpenSUSE project have found buried in a Intel Wiki that the newest Graphic chips have issues with the Linux Kernel 2.33. I have downleded there build 5 for 11.3 and it worked! it's a build so it has some issues, but the LiveCD popped up and worked. And WOW their 11.3 is great! very, nice right off the disk. I think I switching to 11.3 openSuse once it available in July. RIght now I'm using the Build5 waiting on Build6 as it is supposed to be more stable.

Thank you again for the information.

I have just loaded - via LiveCD - openSUSE 64Bit ll.3 Build 5 . KDE it worked, and is the only one that did work. I built a Gnome and KDE version. OMG this thing is slicker than cat$$it. KDE 4 is beautiful in how they implemented and the GNome is wonderful as well. Very buggy but it's a build 5 I full appreciate that. It is awesome, and well worth a look. Cannot wait for July (I think) when it is release. So the openSuse Forums idenitified my issues - THANK YOU GUYS - and it appears to be a Kernel version issue. The updated Kernel that comes with openSUSE 11.3 fixes the problem - in addition I can use 1600X1200 resolution on this laptop. It is totally awesome.

I'm calling this solved. - Thank you for the responses...continuing forward.

No problem, glad to help. I used to work for a 1000 company too, but am freelance now. In my opinion, openSUSE is one of the better distros out there, but you'll get as many opinions on it as there are distros.

Feel free to give me a shout if you hit a snag.