Relatively new laptop
model: HP pavilion dv6 Noteobook pc.
I believe is dv6 -6145x , i can't find that now.
Processor: AMD A8 - 3500M APU with radeon(tm) HD graphics 1.50
8gbs of installed memory
64 bit operating system

I have tried installing or running live disc of Ubuntu, Fuduntu, and OPensuse and has all failed from the start of this computer several times for last few months.
screen goes dark and hardrive makes noise for a while and then nothing happens it stays on with dark screen everytime.
any advice would be amazing i want a linux distro i'm sick of the unsafe windows.

Ubuntu 11.04 or OpenSUSE 12.1 or Mint 12 or fedora 16 ( i do NOT recommend fedora for new to linux users )
should install just fine on that
http://www.shopping.hp.com/en_US/hom...&cattitle=dv6t

intel i7 cpu is supported

it is a 64 bit computer so install the 64 bit operating system

wipe out windows 7 ( using Gparted live cd )and use the normal install dvd for Ubuntu or OpenSUSE or Mint
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/
and do a normal install

John, are you sure you didn't mean Ubuntu 12.04? 11.04 won't boot on my computer and it's got an A6. Fedora 17 works, but Fedora 16 does not work.

Another distribution that works is Sabayon 8.

I played with some new systems and the issue was the sata controller.

To test maybe try a failsafe boot. Try knoppix 6 or 5 if you can get it or any of the others in failsafe.

Since you have the integrated video many posts claim that they can install it and on reboot it fails. That issue is the need for AMD driver for video installed.

Now you CAN try Ctrl-Alt-F1 (or Ctrl-F1) at that allegedly black screen and see if you get
a login prompt. If you do, that shows you have an install, but the graphics are messed up
and so the default graphical login is not working.
You can login at the terminal read how to install the proper driver
for your graphics card, and then install the driver and on the next reboot your distro will work. If you are hung and you don't even get a login prompt (After Ctrl-Alt-F1) then
the problem is possibly deeper than graphics. If you get that far, I might back up to
the Ubuntu install and try the Ctrl-Alt-F1. You may have an easier time installing
the graphics drivers in Ubuntu.

I hope you get it to work based on the advice you have gotten. If you are really a newbie (vs. just being new to these forums), the general advice is to install Linux on a desktop and
develop your chops before installing on laptops. Laptops are often more trouble.

On the other
hand, it CAN be completely smooth. I have had no hassle installs of Ubuntu on my Thinkpad T61, but OTOH I picked Thinkpads BECAUSE they are known for playing well with Linux.

In general, when you get to pick a graphics controller in the future,
nvidia plays better with linux than
ATI. Your persistent black screen really does sound like a graphics problem.

thanks so much for the replys and education!
I have already gotten ubuntu, and linux mint on desktops, still very new to them. But now i'm trying to dual boot with windows 7. I'm Going to look into it being a graphics problem. I dont think any live cd has worked except puppy linux. I have used the 64 bit version everytime. I have a disk from a linux mag with ubuntu 12, fuduntu, linux mint 12 and parted magic and when the choice that comes up to pick one each one i go to i get the same blank screen.

thanks again

Please try Ctrl-Alt-F1 and let us know if you have a login. The will more or less prove you have a graphics problem ... but you have a functioning system (at a terminal)
on which to try to fix the graphics problem. It is fixable ... it's something as simple possibly as "apt-get install themagicpackage" (where themagicpackage
is yet to be determined).

Regarding dual-boot ... that's another nightmare for newbies -- mostly because Windows doesn't play nice. It may be easier than it used to be, but
doing the hard stuff when you are new is not recommended. When I was new to linux I set up a desktop machine with Linux and had Windows on my laptop
(no dual boot). I then installed ssh-server on the desktop and used Winscp on the Windows machine to transfer files back and forth to the
Linux machine. In that way I could work on the same files on both systems, but skipped the dual-boot hassles. It is hard to set up a Windows server (you have to buy Windows server ...)
but easy to make a linux machine a file server ... just install ssh.

I know when windows 8 comes out APU systems will not be able to run linux, at least until linux can work with secure boot enabled. I don't know if secure boot is already an option in your computer but it very likely is. Try disabling it then booting a linux disk. As I understand secure boot linux will not work with it enabled. This could possibly be your problem. Is worth a look. You can find the secure boot option (if you can turn it on / off) in the UEFI. UEFI replaces the BIOS.

There is another discussion over in Ubuntu land that sounds like your problem. Note that indeed you have an installed
system but because of the graphics problem you get a blank screen. Try CTRL-ALT-F1 once you
get to that blank screen and I think you will see text.
From that point you can follow the steps to install a proper graphics driver as is described in the link below.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1916325

As I said before, laptops are a pain ... and new laptops are the worst. Linux always lags Windows because
there is no team of engineers living at the chip companies and writing drivers while the new chips are
developed. People are generally doing the work once the hardware appears on the market. You are always
better off with older hardware. In a year or two, your current laptop would probably install without issue on the
latest Ubuntu distro (there were even suggestions that Precise Pangolin already works).

You may be frustrated, BTW, but it is somewhat impolite when given suggestions on this site to never respond about whether
you tried them and what happened. We all do this for free just to see people get help. So please try what we suggest and
let us know what gives.

I've had issues with my A6-3400M with a Radeon HD 6520G graphics card. Fedora 17 and Ubuntu 12.04 LTS work. For an older Ubuntu use nomodeset and if Fedora (live CD) go to Troubleshooting then use Basic Driver. You'll be able to log in and install it, then you can install the kmod-catalyst drivers from RPM Fusion.

I don't know if you have this problem, but with Ubuntu on my hardware my keyboard and touchpad locks up. I can plug a USB mouse in and it that works, but no keyboard/touchpad. Though, sometimes they work which is very odd.

Other than Ubuntu, I have had no issues like that on Fedora 16, other than the easy-to-fix video problem. Here's hoping for the fix in either the kernel or Ubuntu 12.10.

*EDIT: I have a Toshiba Satellite L775D-S7206.

One location to look into may be the Linux HCL (Hardware compatibility list) in this forum.

From my experience try Debian just to check if it's installer manages to add all the hardware. It may be worth a shot.

I've about a dozend installs of Debian on all kind of hardware. About 5 different laptops from Intel Centrino to Atom and 7 or 8 desktops from simple Pentium II to Dual Xenon Workstation.

Debian normally does a terrific job with hardware. Only a few times I had to add a proprietary driver.
Choose "include non-free" during install when asked.

That may help to see if Linux works at all on your platform.

Good luck

Hello Kitkajack! Any luck w/ this? Please click the "Solved" link you will see when you come back to this if we helped you fix your problem.