Kubuntu 12.04 LTS 64 bit Black Screen with Intel Based Laptop

[smokethapimp]

Hello. First post here. I am a Kubuntu/Linux noob, for sure. First thing though, Much Praise for Kubuntu 12.04 LTS 64 bit. I love it! It is running very well on my Zotac ZBOX Nano AD10. Very few problems there, all minor. I cannot thank Kubuntu enough for not using "Unity" as Ubuntu 12.04 LTS does.

Now, the problem. I love kubuntu 12.04 LTS 64 bit. I want to also use it on my eMachines e725 laptop as dual boot alongside W7. I was running Mint 8 / W7 dual boot just fine on my e725. However, when trying out Live CDs of more recent linux distros have run into a Black Screen problem after choosing the Try Kubuntu option from the Live CD (and with several other newer distros as well). I can hear Kubuntu (and Ubuntu, and Mint latest) boot up to the "desktop", but in these newer distros I have a totally blacked out screen. Blacked out.

Using the Kubuntu 12.04 LTS Live CD - if I select the nomodeset from the Other Options menu it boots up with video working fine. So I did the full Kubuntu 12.04 install, but now it always boots with totally black screen unless I use the second boot option (safe mode or equiv). Then it boots with full graphics/screen function etc. Works fine until reboot. Then Black Screen again.

I got very frustrated after trying a number of "fixes" and finally deleted the Kubuntu partitions using the Live CD. It hosed W7 but I did a repair and W7 is running fine again.

Question is how (or can) I install Kubuntu 12.04 LTS 64 bit on this laptop with proper functionality of the screen/graphics. I really hope so, as I love Kubuntu 12.04 LTS.

Specs of the eMachines e725 laptop as follows.......

Intel Pentium T4400 dual core processor.
Mobile Intel® GL40 Express Chipset
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M
4 gb DDR3 @ 667 mhz.
Windows 7 64 bit OS
250gb SATA 2 hard drive

Few people know less about Kubuntu/Linux than me. Any help is appreciated. If I cannot run Kubuntu 12.04 LTS on this system I will survive. But my hopes are for a solution. Thanks again if any can help.....

.................sincerely,
smoke

[arochester]

Try this:
Boot into Recovery
In Konsole Terminal input :
kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub
and change the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
into
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux"
then run sudo update-grub

If that doesn't work try changing "acpi_osi=Linux" to "acpi_osi="

[smokethapimp]

Thank you for your reply. I have actually uninstalled Kub 12.04 LTS from that laptop and am looking to reinstall it correctly. Is there a trick during install to give me proper screen function?

If not, I will reinstall as I did before, and then follow your directions. I am utterly unfamiliar with command line stuff. Will the line you mentioned I should change (GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="") appear in text inside the Konsole window after I input the command (kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub) that you mentioned first? I am ignorant about these things, but trying to learn. I am able to copy and paste an exact command into the Konsole, but that's about it.

And thank you very much for your reply.

[perspectoff]

Today I tried the "Regular" LiveCD, the Server CD, and the Alternate CD without any modifications and all of them worked on my Intel-graphics boxes (including my two oldest computers) without coming across a black screen or any other problem.

The graphical "Regular" LiveCD (even though I used it on a USB stick) took a LOOONG time to boot and the screen was indeed black for about 4-5 minutes, but it eventually booted, and once the OS was loaded it ran fast enough to finish the installation. It's slow as molasses (compared to the Alternate CD, especially), but I don't have a graphics problem with it. The text-based Server and Alternate CDs both came up quickly, without any black screen or graphics problems whatsoever.

In the distant past I had problems with my Intel graphics, and used to use:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet i915.modeset=0"

As an experiment, however, this time I also tried

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet nomodeset"
or
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet nouveau.blacklist=1"

and both work the same. However, unless I added (it doesn't have to be 1024x768, but it can't be left commented out):

GRUB_GFXMODE=1024x768

I would always get a black screen when making those changes.

Perhaps the problem is one of patience, though, and not the OS itself (I can see how the extremely long bootup time of the LiveCD might be mistaken for a black screen...) ?

Although I made the Grub tweaks listed above (mostly as an experiment to try them and to see if bootup was faster), in the end they didn't seem to have been necessary and, in fact, eventually seemed inferior at boot to doing nothing at all and to merely allowing things to run apace. YMMV.

[arochester]

"Will the line you mentioned I should change (GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="") appear in text inside the Konsole window after I input the command (kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub) that you mentioned first?"

It should.

When you have finished editing, Save Kate and Close Kate.

(I have 3 Dell C400s. They are Pentium 3s and have older Intel Video. They respond to: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet i915.modeset=0" as mentioned by perspectoff. But I think this is "older" than you need...)

[smokethapimp]

(kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub) Are the terms 'etc" and "default" verbatim as I should use them? Or am I supposed to change them to other parameters? I am so ignorant where linux is concerned.

I guess I will just reinstall Kub 12.04 LTS and "go for it". I appreciate these attempts to help. I do wish it was as easy as it was with my ZBOX AD10 though. Oh well.

Thank you both for your help.

[doctordruidphd]

/etc/default/grub is the file you want to edit.

/etc/default is the directory in which the grub file is located.

Entering the command exactly as specified will allow you to edit and save the correct file.

[smokethapimp]

I reinstalled Kubuntu 12.04 LTS 64 bit. Updated completely. Then ran the commands you mentioned, that went ok, but still have the Blacked Out screen. Hope to get this sorted out.

Thank you DrDruid. : )

Try this:
Boot into Recovery
In Konsole Terminal input :
kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub
and change the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
into
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux"
then run sudo update-grub

If that doesn't work try changing "acpi_osi=Linux" to "acpi_osi="

[doctordruidphd]

If the "nomodeset" option works for you, then you can make your new system boot with it this way:

Boot into recovery

At the console type:

kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub

Change the GRUB_CMD_LINUX line so it reads:

GRUB_CMD_LINUX="nomodeset"

then run

sudo update-grub

That should boot your system with the nomodeset option active. If this works, and you can get into your system, then there may be other things we can try to improve the situation.

Edit: sorry, for got the sudo stuff. fixed.

[smokethapimp]

Again, my sincere thanks to all who are helping. I originally did this..........

Try this:
Boot into Recovery
In Konsole Terminal input :
kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub
and change the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
into
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux"
then run sudo update-grub

If that doesn't work try changing "acpi_osi=Linux" to "acpi_osi="

and ended with.............

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi="

Then when this failed, did this....as suggested by perspectoff.......

....GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet i915.modeset=0" and updated grub.

My e725 now boots to Kubuntu Desktop with full graphics, albiet with a "stop" or two along the way. Thanks to all, and glad perspectoff's suggestion is working.

Now it is extra stupid question time. Should I reset this

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi="

to the default...

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

or leave well enough alone?

Thank you all for helping me - I really love Kubuntu 12.04 LTS and am happy that it is finally working properly for me now!

[doctordruidphd]

Leave well enough alone.

What you have been doing here is changing some of the options the system boots with. Some hardware/software combinations are fussy, and it can take several tries to get it to work right. I don't remember which takes priority, cmdline or cmdline_default, but it really doesn't matter -- if it's working, don't fix it. At least until someone else has a better idea...

[smokethapimp]

Thank you for the advice, Dr. I figured that was best. I am now happily configuring K 12.04 to my preferred settings.

[smokethapimp]

As an aside, I found this on ubuntuguide.org thanks to perspectoff. I make no claims to the validity of the quoted material. Fact is I haven't a clue.

If true, it is a shame, because though I am somewhat determined when trying to solve computer problems, many folks are not and would easily give up when they encounter problems with kubuntu/ubuntu/linux installs.

quoted from ubuntuguide.org "One of my computers has an integrated Intel graphics card, and for the last few kernels Intel graphics cards have not automatically been supported during installation (due to a little peevishness of some developers)"

If indeed the above is true, as humbly as possible I urge said "peevish developers" to support intel graphics automatically for the greater good of spreading linux/ubuntu/kubuntu etc.

[SteveRiley]

Hm... curious how experiences can differ so much. Intel graphics has been, for me, the least problematic of all. Intel drivers now require kernel modesetting (this requirement began with version 2.10.0). If you specify nomodeset, the Intel driver won't load; instead, the VESA driver will.

[arochester]

"quiet i915.modeset=0"

This article helped me a while ago - http://www.insidesocal.com/click/201...-graphics.html

There are one or two distros that will boot straight out-of-the-box with this, one being Crunchbang Linux