Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video in All Things Unix http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r20782657 en Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:42:49 EDT Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:42:49 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20835740 netjunk :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

said by netjunk See Profile :

Did you even check to make sure it has correct horizsync and vertsync rates in the config? Don't depend on auto detection as most CRT monitors don't report back to OS correctly.
Not to detract from the conversation, but...

If it already has a listing for the correct monitor that I was connected to in the first place, and the fact that before installing the video driver, it correctly identified my monitor and most of its available resolution/refresh rate options, why would it get a hissy fit then?

And this is both with the driver that Ubuntu automatically suggests I use, and ATi's own proprietary driver.
Some problems like yours could be caused by your CRT monitor refresh rate not reporting correctly. Check it. It won't kill you. :P]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20835740 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:21:23 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20835666 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Installed the drivers that Ubuntu's "restricted hardware" thing notified me to use and they work. Only thing right now is that - for some reason, I don't know - it inexplicably lists my highest res/refresh as 10x7 and 55Hz, which doesn't make any sense.
And I'm not sure why you loose the resolution settings, or how to manually add them back in. There's slightly differing instructions online in hacking xorg.conf. My Dell already has the native resolution and a bunch of smaller resolutions already listed, so I tried adding 1600x1200 (which my monitor can't do) but it doesn't show. So I don't have hardware to test trying to manually add resolutions.

Anyone out there have success in manually adding resolutions?
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20835666 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:05:12 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20834222 C0deZer0 : Anyone want a previously used X1600 Pro AGP?

Because basically that summed it up. Only thing that worked was swapping it out and putting my 6600GT back in.

Installed the drivers that Ubuntu's "restricted hardware" thing notified me to use and they work. Only thing right now is that - for some reason, I don't know - it inexplicably lists my highest res/refresh as 10x7 and 55Hz, which doesn't make any sense.

Whatever, I'll tend to it tomorrow night. For now, I'll chalk this one up as a victory. :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20834222 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:14:44 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833905 Ctrl Alt Del : Talking with C0deZer0 See Profile over AIM I walked him through the following (condensed version):

Me: Install ATI's driver following my steps described here: »Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video
Him: I hear it do the startup noise, but find it's just a big white screen... I have a cursor, but nothing to click on.
Me: Try ctrl+alt+f2
Him: Doesn't work
Me: Boot into Recovery mode, run xfix, then resume to continue normal booting.
Him: resume brought me to hear the startup tone as it should, but goes back to the white screen.
Me: Back to Recovery mode, drop to root, run aticonfig --initial
Him:root@PMS~# aticonfig --initial
Uninitialised file found. Configuring...
Using file /etc/X11/xorg.conf
backup saved
I then have him poke through xorg.conf using vi


Me: Restart
Him: all I saw was black screen and no audio. and also found out the power button didn't respond right away. Had to hold it down to shut down. I start it up again, and watch the screen intently. Ubuntu logo shows up and progress bar loads. A few screen flicks later, and then it's still black.

Me: Stick an NVIDIA card in there.

--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833905 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:14:29 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833489 Derspankster :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

said by Derspankster See Profile :

Amen brother, some people just refuse to be helped. This thread has gone on long enough.
What part of "I did just as it said and it still *expletive* up" did you not understand? :mad:

That's the whole problem here. I follow what these install guides say I should do to the letter and then have a problem where it's saying the app I'm supposed to be running doesn't exist, or that some stupid library or whatever doesn't exist and it doesn't want to go install/get it. And in every single case, that xorg file is either blank, or in the case of my last install, it just keeps booting into "low graphics mode" as Ubuntu calls it, then refuses to let me use a proper video resolution/refresh rate.

If I can't get this thing up and running, the system's going in the trash. Plain and simple; I've got enough on my plate between college and work to putz around with this thing's idiosynchrosies. That's not to say I don't appreciate the help - honestly, I do - but I've had up to my eyeballs in the arrogance of users like you. Either cut it or leave it, because I don't want to read or hear it. :mad:
Listen pal, many people here have tried their best to help you and all you can do pout. It may be best for you to take your system to someone and have them install what-ever OS you decide you want to run and be done with it.

I was a newbie in Linux at one time and I still probably don't know half of what I should but at least I know how to search and read and ask for what I need to get to where I want to be.

Going to college? Whoopee! Guess you must know it all then. There is absolutely nothing arrogant about my position. If you think so, fine, I don't care what you think, you're a troll and a waste of time.
--
I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833489 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:54:31 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833445 Ctrl Alt Del : For those who know more about xorg.conf than I do... here is the xorg.conf file on my machine after successfully installing ATI's driver.


--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833445 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:44:16 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833426 C0deZer0 :
said by Derspankster See Profile :

Amen brother, some people just refuse to be helped. This thread has gone on long enough.
What part of "I did just as it said and it still *expletive* up" did you not understand? :mad:

That's the whole problem here. I follow what these install guides say I should do to the letter and then have a problem where it's saying the app I'm supposed to be running doesn't exist, or that some stupid library or whatever doesn't exist and it doesn't want to go install/get it. And in every single case, that xorg file is either blank, or in the case of my last install, it just keeps booting into "low graphics mode" as Ubuntu calls it, then refuses to let me use a proper video resolution/refresh rate.

If I can't get this thing up and running, the system's going in the trash. Plain and simple; I've got enough on my plate between college and work to putz around with this thing's idiosynchrosies. That's not to say I don't appreciate the help - honestly, I do - but I've had up to my eyeballs in the arrogance of users like you. Either cut it or leave it, because I don't want to read or hear it. :mad:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833426 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:40:09 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833413 garywk :
said by Derspankster See Profile :

Amen brother, some people just refuse to be helped. This thread has gone on long enough.
You mean there are other people here that are coming the same conclusion I came to a long time ago? The poster who opened this thread, imo, is a troll.

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833413 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:38:09 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833375 Derspankster : Amen brother, some people just refuse to be helped. This thread has gone on long enough.
--
I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833375 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:28:57 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833328 Ctrl Alt Del : Just for fun I decided to see how hard it could be to install ATI's Proprietary driver from their website.

I downloaded the ATI Catalyst™ 8.7 Proprietary Linux x86 Display Driver, filename ati-driver-installer-8-7-x86.x86_64.run.

I double clicked on the file. gedit, the default Ubuntu text editor, comes up with an error. Close that.

I open up the Terminal, change to my Desktop directory, and get a long listing of the files there.


I can clearly see the ati driver.

Next I try to run the file.


I get a permission denied. The terminal doesn't know that this is an executable file, I need to make it executable.


Now the terminal knows that this is an executable. Let's try running it now.


Success. It's doing stuff.

Until I get a pop up window saying "You need to run this installer as the super-user."

Ok. Let's run this file as the super-user.


I enter my password, then it does some stuff, and eventually a Windows style wizard comes up. At this point it's just like the Windows driver setup.

Once that is done, I get a screen giving me some additional information. I click Finish. It doesn't ask me to restart, but I restart anyway.

After restarting I'm back at my desktop.

Where's the CCC? I look in the System menu but don't find anything. Then I open the Applications menu, and there it is.

Here is the short, and complete, process that I used to install ATI's driver

Download the driver to your desktop
Open up the terminal
cd Desktop
chmod +x ati-driver-installer-8-7-x86.x86_64.run
sudo ./ati-driver-installer-8-7-x86.x86_64.run
Follow the Windows style wizard
Manually restart
CCC appears in the Applications menu

--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833328 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:15:14 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833065 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

I try to do just that, and the goddamned terminal continues to bitch and piss saying "no such file or directory."

See what I mean? even stuff that is known and supposed to work, won't. [extreme sarcasm]oh yea, you just HAVE to love that beautiful command line![/extreme sarcasm] :(
said by C0deZer0 :

Though just on curiosity, I went and followed my way to that directory via the regular file browser, and sure enough... it doesn't exist.
I hope you feel and look like an idiot.

The terminal said that the directory didn't exist, and you complain. Then you find out that, yes, in fact, the directory does not exist. Holy shit, the terminal was right. It worked correctly... and you complained about it.

If you're going to make no effort to understand something that isn't Windows, then don't complain about something you're making no effort to understand.

PS. On my Ubuntu 8.04 with the ATI drivers installed by the Restricted Driver Manager, there is no /usr/share/ati. /usr/share/ati is only put there by the ATI Proprietary driver, it says so in the documentation... which you should have read a long time ago.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20833065 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:30:42 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832974 No_Strings : sudo updatedb
sudo locate filename

The first command creates an index of every file on your drive. That may take a bit if it hasn't run recently.

The second lists any file containing the character string used in filename

You can also use the find command, but this is easier and I'm lazy.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832974 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:13:03 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832944 C0deZer0 : Never heard of tab-complete.

Though just on curiosity, I went and followed my way to that directory via the regular file browser, and sure enough... it doesn't exist. :huh: "What the hell? It should be here!" was the first thing that went through my head afterward.

Also, this time when I booted up and went into the low-graphics mode, it didn't have any listing for the fglrx anymore. And still insisted on giving me only a max of 800x600.

I tried running the Mandriva ONE disc I'd burned, but that basically black-screened after it finished its progress bar. So I'm more or less stuck with ubuntu for the meantime. :(]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832944 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:06:43 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832906 No_Strings : Is the script there? Is it executable?
The error you're getting is telling you you're asking the shell to do something it can't.

Do you know how to use tab-complete?

Let's say I want to operate on a file that begins with fglrx, but I either don't know the rest of the name or can't be bothered remembering it.

sudo ./fglrx ... then hit the tab key. If there's a file like that, it will display the entire name. If multiples exist, two depressions of the tab key will list them.

Tab-complete also works for commands.

To see the contents of a directory, ls. To see only the contents you care about, ls | grep fglrx (to continue with that example). To list the same but with all of the file attributes (so you can answer my question when I ask if it's executable), ls -al.

Example. ls -al /usr/share/ati | grep fglrx will show you what, if any files exist in that directory containing that character string, their size, permissions and creation date.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832906 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:59:59 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832812 C0deZer0 :
said by Ctrl Alt Del See Profile :

If you need to start over...

Uninstall
If the ATI Proprietary Linux Graphics Driver was installed using either the Automatic or Custom options, then do the following:
1. Launch the Terminal Application and navigate to the /usr/share/ati folder. (cd /usr/share/ati)
2. With super user permissions, enter the command "sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh" (sudo sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh)
I try to do just that, and the goddamned terminal continues to bitch and piss saying "no such file or directory."

See what I mean? even stuff that is known and supposed to work, won't. [extreme sarcasm]oh yea, you just HAVE to love that beautiful command line![/extreme sarcasm] :(]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20832812 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:47:23 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20825883 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

If it already has a listing for the correct monitor that I was connected to in the first place, and the fact that before installing the video driver, it correctly identified my monitor and most of its available resolution/refresh rate options, why would it get a hissy fit then?

And this is both with the driver that Ubuntu automatically suggests I use, and ATi's own proprietary driver.
The xorg.conf controls what resolution, refresh rate, bit depth, etc are available from your video card. If you read ATI's documentation, it sounds like ATI's driver wipes the xorg.conf file clean, and you have to run either aticonfig or AMD CCC:LE to put back in the proper settings.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20825883 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:10:54 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20825861 Ctrl Alt Del : I have no idea what Ubuntu's Restricted Driver Manager does, but ATI's documentation says that after the ATI driver is installed, the driver is configured in basic mode. That sounds like what's going on in your case.

For advanced configuration, run aticonfig from the command line or launch the AMD CCC:LE (probably in the System > Administration menu). I'm not home so I can't try it out right now.

If you need to start over...

Uninstall
If the ATI Proprietary Linux Graphics Driver was installed using either the Automatic or Custom options, then do the following:
1. Launch the Terminal Application and navigate to the /usr/share/ati folder. (cd /usr/share/ati)
2. With super user permissions, enter the command "sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh" (sudo sh ./fglrx-uninstall.sh)
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20825861 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:06:38 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20825117 C0deZer0 :
said by netjunk See Profile :

Did you even check to make sure it has correct horizsync and vertsync rates in the config? Don't depend on auto detection as most CRT monitors don't report back to OS correctly.
Not to detract from the conversation, but...

If it already has a listing for the correct monitor that I was connected to in the first place, and the fact that before installing the video driver, it correctly identified my monitor and most of its available resolution/refresh rate options, why would it get a hissy fit then?

And this is both with the driver that Ubuntu automatically suggests I use, and ATi's own proprietary driver.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20825117 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:03:53 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20824528 netjunk :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

I went through and hit the driver update via Ubuntu's integrated hardware driver item. It installed, I restarted, and this time actually got a display. Problem is, it was saying about "ubuntu is currently running in low graphics mode" because it apparently still can't figure out that I have an X1600 Pro. Even when I manually select the proper driver and make/model of monitor it's currently connected to, it still keeps going to this menu when I have to restart. And when I finally do get into Ubuntu's GUI, it then says I have a "default monitor" and limits me to 800x600 resolution. The current monitor it's connected to is a Dell P991 which has a preferred resolution of 12x10, and 90Hz refresh rate according to Windows (even though it insists that its real max refresh was 85Hz even though I have consistently and successfully used 12x10@90Hz in Windows on my roommate's Dell).

At the moment I have it downloading the latest ATi driver from ati.com, hoping I have some better luck with that this time.
Did you even check to make sure it has correct horizsync and vertsync rates in the config? Don't depend on auto detection as most CRT monitors don't report back to OS correctly.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20824528 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:15:12 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20824293 C0deZer0 : It's currently connected to a Dell P991, which is a CRT monitor.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20824293 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:25:07 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20824078 anon : I had the same problem. When I installed Ubuntu but used DVI or HDMI inputs to my monitor nothing would show. I connected my monitor using the old style serial inputs it worked.
soooo.. if you're willing to sacrifice the image quality that may just fix your problem.
»Ubuntu, others- Still no support for HDMI input to monitor?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20824078 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:27:00 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20822261 mech1164 :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Real quick. finished downloading the driver. Tried to run the install, but even when i get the menu to have it do it, it then incessantly whines that "vcdk is missing. Setup will now abort" and refuse to let me go further, whether it is to install the driver, or create the distribution-specific packages.

And because of the low resolution, I can't even see any of the menu buttons to click on. :(
I feel for ya. Been going through this for weeks with opensuse 11 and ubuntu. Ubuntu would do its install then when I booted to it just a low uncorrectable screen i would have. That was the GOOD install. Opensuse was another can of worms. Install would go fine till the X config. Just plain blank. I knew i was in trouble. Of course the boot went south and nothing i tried worked. I really wanted to get into suse now just say ta H#LL with it. I DL'd the the mandriva live cd and Bam all problems fixed. Just for info this is a tosh p305 with a 3470hd ati card in it. I don't expect perfection but not to have proper support for video cards is just one of many reasons why Linux is still not widely excepted.

Good luck I hope you have better luck then I did.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20822261 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:12:00 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20819157 Ctrl Alt Del : Is this the same machine where just about every part has had hardware problems? A broken LAN port, multiple video card RMAs, and overclocked?
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20819157 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:45:57 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20818134 C0deZer0 : Real quick. finished downloading the driver. Tried to run the install, but even when i get the menu to have it do it, it then incessantly whines that "vcdk is missing. Setup will now abort" and refuse to let me go further, whether it is to install the driver, or create the distribution-specific packages.

And because of the low resolution, I can't even see any of the menu buttons to click on. :(]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20818134 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:42:07 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817815 C0deZer0 : Oy, this just becomes more and more ingratiating. :uhh:

The reinstall went better, because this time the updates went through and the system was still responding.

I went through and hit the driver update via Ubuntu's integrated hardware driver item. It installed, I restarted, and this time actually got a display. Problem is, it was saying about "ubuntu is currently running in low graphics mode" because it apparently still can't figure out that I have an X1600 Pro. Even when I manually select the proper driver and make/model of monitor it's currently connected to, it still keeps going to this menu when I have to restart. And when I finally do get into Ubuntu's GUI, it then says I have a "default monitor" and limits me to 800x600 resolution. The current monitor it's connected to is a Dell P991 which has a preferred resolution of 12x10, and 90Hz refresh rate according to Windows (even though it insists that its real max refresh was 85Hz even though I have consistently and successfully used 12x10@90Hz in Windows on my roommate's Dell).

At the moment I have it downloading the latest ATi driver from ati.com, hoping I have some better luck with that this time.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817815 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:05:41 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817260 Bill_MI : If you installed from CD, I suggest "Check This CD For Defects" or whatever it's called.

Also, Hardy 8.04.1 image is out and requires far less updates to get current.

A hardware issue is always possible but there also seems to be some hardware that just plain works badly or buggy. Ubuntu is getting a lot of criticism for jumping too much on the cutting edge and creating these problems. While you're doing lots of installs, you might consider trying 7.10 or even 7.04 just to see if things run a lot smoother.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817260 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:35:34 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817144 Derspankster : Hardware issues!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817144 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:05:29 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817122 C0deZer0 :
said by Ctrl Alt Del See Profile :

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Xubuntu is basically described as Ubuntu with Xfce... it's supposed to be a faster version of Ubuntu for slower computers. Part of the reason I bothered with it over regular Ubuntu.
Your AMD 2400 with 1GB RAM is not considered a "slower computer" in Ubuntu. Xubuntu is for those 600 MHz with 128 MB RAM machines. This isn't Vista. Use Ubuntu for a better experience, not Xubuntu, especially if you're afraid of the command line and have no tolerance for Linux.
Per this advice, I chose to install regular Ubuntu 8.04.

Everything appeared to run just fine. After install, I let it auto-install the latest updates per its internal checker. Everything appeared normal, and then a prompt said I needed to restart the system. I did so.

After restarting, everything appeared to be fine. But, if I tried running even just one application - be it system monitor, Firefox, or really anything else I tried clicking on - the system's HDD activity light would stay solid, and the system would completely hang up. No keyboard/mouse clicks would respond at all, even though the cursor moved around.

... :mad: So now I'm reformatting and installing Ubuntu again. *crosses fingers*]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20817122 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:00:41 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797992 No_Strings : Agreed, but adding another package to a non-functional system isn't in the cards either, I think.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797992 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:55:19 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797951 mwc :
said by No_Strings See Profile :

VI is the "right" choice, but if you have never used it it's anything but intuitive.
Yes, but remember he's scared of the command line. Vi will scare the crap out of him more than anything except ed. I would recommend »cream.sourceforge.net/ for him if he wants to use big boy tools.

Cream is vim with all the sharp edges sanded off.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797951 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:46:26 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797879 No_Strings : I know what Xubuntu is and I'm a big XFCE4 fan. It's all I run. But I also load complete GNOME and KDE desktops on all but one machine so I have the apps. In other words, just because Kate works for me doesn't mean you'll have it. (I looked it up - it's a KDE app so toss that one). The Xubuntu docs should tell you what's included.

Alternatively, when you boot the install CD, you should be able to get a list of apps by right-clicking on the desktopand looking under accessories.

VI is the "right" choice, but if you have never used it it's anything but intuitive.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797879 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:31:21 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797412 jimkyle : The GUI text editor in Xubuntu is "mousepad" but if the call to gedit is in a script, this information may not help a lot.
--
Jim Kyle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797412 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:08:07 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797330 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Xubuntu is basically described as Ubuntu with Xfce... it's supposed to be a faster version of Ubuntu for slower computers. Part of the reason I bothered with it over regular Ubuntu.
Your AMD 2400 with 1GB RAM is not considered a "slower computer" in Ubuntu. Xubuntu is for those 600 MHz with 128 MB RAM machines. This isn't Vista. Use Ubuntu for a better experience, not Xubuntu, especially if you're afraid of the command line and have no tolerance for Linux.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20797330 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:52:25 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796893 firephoto :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Xubuntu is basically described as Ubuntu with Xfce... it's supposed to be a faster version of Ubuntu for slower computers. Part of the reason I bothered with it over regular Ubuntu.
Your system isn't a slow one or having limited ram so if you don't have a preference for xfce you're just causing yourself extra trouble imho.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796893 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:26:19 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796754 anon : Link for mousepad: »linux.about.com/od/xubuntu_doc/a···5t06.htm

Also, the prior post was not meant as a reply to
Ctrl Alt Del.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796754 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:00:09 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796726 anon : Why are you guys not following the Ubuntu wiki?

The wiki (already linked in an earlier post in this thread by Bill_MI See Profile) suggests that, with the current version of Ubuntu (8.04 or Hardy Heron), first you need to run the restricted drivers manager and then you need to use the command line:
said by »https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Binary···owto/ATI :
Instructions for Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy)

Enable accelerated the accelerated ATI graphics driver in the restricted-manager, then do:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh linux-restricted-modules `uname -r`
sudo insmod /lib/modules/`uname -r`/volatile/fglrx.ko

Log out and log in.

Maybe those steps are not always needed, because the required module is inserted automatically when rebooting (as opposed to logging out and in). But I think it's better to suppose that the commands are needed.

Really, I think that's the method to try first.

PS: The default graphical text editor in xubuntu is called "mousepad" for some reason... (???)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796726 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:55:38 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796674 C0deZer0 : Xubuntu is basically described as Ubuntu with Xfce... it's supposed to be a faster version of Ubuntu for slower computers. Part of the reason I bothered with it over regular Ubuntu.

If you don't know what it has, I certainly won't know.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796674 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:46:50 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796643 No_Strings : "gedit" is a text editor and comes with GNOME. I'm not sure what comes with Xubuntu, but vi is pretty universal. (If you don't like the command line, you'll absolutely hate vi.)

This assumes Linux is installed on partition /dev/sda1. Make adjustments for your system.

Boot from the Xubuntu CD.

Open a terminal

sudo mkdir /mnt/tempdrive
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/tempdrive
sudo chroot /mnt/tempdrive

You are now accessing the installed system by way of the install CD.

Open an editor and on this point, I can't give you much advice since I don't know what's included with Xubuntu. Kate, maybe?

sudo vi or sudo kate or sudo pico or whatever it has.

Edit the xorg file as described in your link.

Reboot and cross your fingers.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796643 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:41:14 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796599 C0deZer0 :
said by Ctrl Alt Del See Profile :

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Because this guy told me about how he was able to get his ATI-equipped laptop running problem-free and with 2D/3D acceleration in Linux without ever touching the command line.
And I was. I installed the ATI proprietary driver using System > Administration > Hardware Drivers. I checked the box, it downloaded, installed, restarted, and it worked.
And that's exactly what I tried to do at first. Except mine didn't work, or does not want to work.

correcting grammar]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796599 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:34:14 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796533 C0deZer0 : Well, I gave it another go-round, following this.

it kept complaining that gedit did not exist, but I just want this to work already.

Now, I feel like I should have just stopped right there. :(

Screen is black, and neither Ctrl+alt+f1, Ctrl+alt+f2, or any work when starting up. It just gives me a "loading up..." at first, then some random characters, then total black. I can't even get to a command line now. Some hard drive activity is visible on the front, but that's it.

So how can I fix this without resorting to another reformat?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796533 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:24:24 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796427 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Because this guy told me about how he was able to get his ATI-equipped laptop running problem-free and with 2D/3D acceleration in Linux without ever touching the command line.
And I was. I installed the ATI proprietary driver using System > Administration > Hardware Drivers. I checked the box, it downloaded, installed, restarted, and it worked. See attached picture.

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

But it seems my streak of being unable to find a single *nix distro that will even recognize all my hardware and work correctly still holds strong.
I'm using regular vanilla Ubuntu 8.04, not Xubuntu. And I have an older ATI 9600, not a newer X1600.
--
less talk, more music
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796427 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:06:51 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796140 anon : Another way of looking at things:

If you're going to be using a proprietary, closed-source driver - that is, one that is not maintained with the Linux kernel - then it is not reasonable to expect that any Linux distro will install the driver all by itself. It's just not a reasonable expectation.

Things will likely go better for you if you can accept that you'll need to do some configuration in order to use the proprietary driver.

Now, it's a matter of a video driver, a part of the system that is very much involved in producing a graphical environment, right? And this is what you're trying to change. So, maybe it's not too much of a surprise that in order to configure that part of the system, you end up needing to use an approach that itself does not depend on the graphical environment.

See what I mean?

It's actually pretty great that you can do so much in Linux even without the graphics. If you can just give yourself a chance to get over this hangup about the command line (which is also understandable - it sounds like you had some pretty bad classroom experiences), eventually you may see why so many users do see a benefit to it.

At least, with this free software, the pain of learning is not just futile, it really does bring a very satisfying and useful knowledge. Lots of us users have found that to be true, after getting over the initial hump.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20796140 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:05:26 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20795982 No_Strings : I'm running a ThinkPad with an ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 using the proprietary ATI driver, and installing it was pretty easy ... download driver, run installer, change X settings, restart X. I did if all via a console, though. Which is to say, the driver works with my laptop, allows me to play Chromium BSU, Doom, PPR and watch videos. It is buggy - X blows up once in a while. The GPU gets very hot if I play a long time and sometimes the apps blow up. It's been a year since I installed the driver, so I should check for a new one.

No point to this except to say that you might consider sticking with one distro based on its merits irrespective of video drivers and spend a few minutes making the video work. You'll get a functional machine in less time than distro-hopping, and you may learn something about what's under the hood in the process.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20795982 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:40:15 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20795913 C0deZer0 :
said by FastEddie See Profile :

Well if that's the case why bother with Linux? You're going to have to know how to use basic command line if you want to get things working the way you want in some cases or just to tweak it.
Because this guy told me about how he was able to get his ATI-equipped laptop running problem-free and with 2D/3D acceleration in Linux without ever touching the command line. Considering the irony of the fact that ATi won't even support their own mobile GPU's properly in Windows, the fact that it could work so easily in Linux bemused me.

But it seems my streak of being unable to find a single *nix distro that will even recognize all my hardware and work correctly still holds strong.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20795913 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:24:28 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20795896 Derspankster : My first serious Linux install was about two years ago. The most important thing I learned very early on was that it requires a certain degree of personal commitment. People on IRC have been great, DSLR has been a terrific resource as has the Ubuntu forums. But, it's most important that you commit yourself to figuring out the various issues you run across and learn at least some basic command line commands.

If you choose, after dabbling in Linux that you either don't have the time or inclination to make that commitment then Linux isn't for you.

But, after you get over the now small set of hurdles, it's a very rewarding and delightful OS to work in.
--
I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20795896 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:21:22 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794852 FastEddie :
I've seen more than enough help given you but you refuse to do any research on your own. You expect the users of this forum and Mod included who went out of their way to help and you show no sign of cooperating you just want the answer served on a silver platter so you can go on your merry way. Well that isn't going to happen.

Welcome to the world of Linux where you have to read and try solutions on your own as well as advice form other people.

Your whining isn't helping you any. Lets review some from this thread:

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Long story short... I install Xubuntu 8.04; everything appears to be running just fine; audio, lan, etc. After installing, and running the regular software updates, it says that there is a driver update for the ATi card. I think nothing to install it, and after updates were done/applied, have it restart as it suggests.
No one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to update! If it works leave it alone and read more about the Distro you installed.

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

What xorg file?
Did you try Googling that? You could find the answer faster than waiting for a reply.

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

How do I find out what driver it's using? or for that matter, what hardware it thinks I have? Complete linux n00b here. All I know is that I was able to get my girlfriend's Thinkpad up and running with this version of xubuntu, but now with my system it wants to get all pissy. :(
Google it and read, read,read and read some more. That's the only way to understand the Distro you are using and to find your way around the file system and where things are kept and how to access them.

I know because I went through the same thing too!

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Okay, new morning, now...

Where is this xorg file? Which driver should I get? How do I find out what driver it's using for what? Hell, how do I even find out what it thinks I have?
Google is your friend get the answer there quicker!

Earlier you didn't know what is was now you want to know. If you had bothered to Google it earlier you would know where it's at.

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Because I don't know? I don't understand? Because I have a fundamental hatred for the command line?
Well if that's the case why bother with Linux? You're going to have to know how to use basic command line if you want to get things working the way you want in some cases or just to tweak it.

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

said by No_Strings See Profile :

Aversion to using the command line will limit both, in my view.
You would be averse to it too if you were forced to suffer through it refusing to cooperate at every step of the path to solution, especially when a course grade depends on it doing what you need it to do.
Again, if things are working fine don't upgrade. I haven't upgraded my Distro since I installed the new version even though there are upgrades waiting.

I hate to say this but if you don't want to do some reading and spend time on your own getting to know your way around Linux then maybe you're not ready to leave the tit of Microsoft.


typo


--
Here's To You]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794852 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:54:58 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794632 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Or when you can have a high-end CPU and still choke on DVD playback because of the intel video. It took nothing short of some serious driver voodoo for stuff like Aqua on OS X or Aero on Vista to work with the intel GMA. and even then it chokes pretty bad.
My Toshiba with its Pentium 4-M and Intel Extreme Graphics 2 can play a DVD in VLC or WMP without dropping a single frame. Either you are unable to use a computer, or you have no idea what you are talking about if you can't play a DVD on an Intel computer.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794632 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:09:32 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794594 C0deZer0 : Well, I think it's pretty obvious when one is better when you have games that flat out won't even install when detecting an intel GMA.

Or when you can have a high-end CPU and still choke on DVD playback because of the intel video. It took nothing short of some serious driver voodoo for stuff like Aqua on OS X or Aero on Vista to work with the intel GMA. and even then it chokes pretty bad.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794594 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:59:56 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794421 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by firephoto See Profile :

Compiz* doesn't really touch much in the way of advanced graphics features...
No, but that was all that I cared about. Just enough eye candy that I have become accustomed to with my MacBook Pro. I only needed Fusion for an Expose clone and some simple fades.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794421 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:22:42 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794408 firephoto : It's not that bad, they just don't state clearly that "supported features" doesn't mean those features work good but are only present. Your rant seems like the typical windows user who loves anything that plugs into an expansion slot because it's just better which isn't always true. The intel graphics platform has the possibility to compete with a lot of hardware cards if the guys who are working on the drivers and the xserver spend a little more time outside of the terminal that can lead to them being motivated to make the goal of their work a little more closer to home.

Compiz* doesn't really touch much in the way of advanced graphics features...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794408 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:19:18 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794396 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by firephoto See Profile :

Yes you would. And as soon as you went to use that full 3D support you'd watch X startup again (if you get to see anything moving on the screen that is). Beyond basic tasks they aren't that great when it comes to modern accelerated graphics where they become rather unstable. The potential is there but it's been there for a couple of years now without much improvement.
I was able to use Compiz Fusion without issue on an old Toshiba with an Intel Extreme Graphics 2. It's rather sad that my old Toshiba with an Intel video card was as smooth in animating as my ATI Radeon 9600 in my Dell Inspiron.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794396 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:17:09 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794367 C0deZer0 : More like I was about to say that if I were evil dictator of the world, I'd ban intel from making another video adapter again, because nobody should have to suffer through their horrendous product in a computer.

intel GMA? more like "HIV positive" IMO :p]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794367 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:12:19 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794362 firephoto :
said by Ctrl Alt Del See Profile :

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

In short, yes.

If it were some intel GMA p.o.s. I wouldn't bother.
Because if you were using an Intel GMA you would have full support out of the box and wouldn't have to deal with this mess or have to ask for help getting an updated driver.
Yes you would. And as soon as you went to use that full 3D support you'd watch X startup again (if you get to see anything moving on the screen that is). Beyond basic tasks they aren't that great when it comes to modern accelerated graphics where they become rather unstable. The potential is there but it's been there for a couple of years now without much improvement.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794362 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:10:46 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794328 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

In short, yes.

If it were some intel GMA p.o.s. I wouldn't bother.
Because if you were using an Intel GMA you would have full support out of the box and wouldn't have to deal with this mess or have to ask for help getting an updated driver.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794328 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:04:19 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794013 netjunk : Sorry OP, but it doesn't look like linux is for you as you clearly do not seem to be searching and reading manuals/faqs/how-to.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20794013 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:54:10 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20793726 C0deZer0 : In short, yes.

If it were some intel GMA p.o.s. I wouldn't bother.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20793726 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:58:25 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20792885 No_Strings : I don't recall ever seeing an answer to this: Do you need acceleration for the card? Are you running games that require it? If not, let it be.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20792885 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:31:00 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20792880 C0deZer0 : Well, fresh install of xubuntu... again. updated what needed to be updated, but now I'm terrified of the video driver that again shows up as a must-update.

:(]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20792880 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:28:36 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791904 rolfp : First step, every time, is check the md5sum of the iso.

»forums.opensuse.org/install-boot···ead.html

That howto covers doing it in Linux or in Windows.

With a known, good iso and still problems, next step is burn at a slower speed, maybe 1/2 maximum. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791904 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:49:54 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791874 C0deZer0 : I am using +R's here. :hmm: I've tried burning with both imgburn and Nero.

Whatever.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791874 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:42:57 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791836 rolfp : DVD+R > DVD-R Well, I think I read that at Peanut Linux by the developer, who makes a live cd/dvd that writes back your session changes, files, settings, etc. to the cd/dvd so you have them next boot. Pretty cool.

I just picked up 25 -R at Office Depot for the price point to burn 2008.1 Free DVDs for Lindependence 2008 in Felton, Sunday. k3b has an option to 'verify written data' after a burn and I used this, highly recommend it to ensure the burn is good. Also, uncheck the configuration in k3b... ... >Advanced, iirc, to not reload the disk after burning. It's important to reload the disk to clear the cache in order to verify the burn.

I was having trouble with my first burns and recalled that statement about +R > -R. I slowed down the speed to 8x from the max possible 16x and verified each one. Wound up with about 22 good dvds.

The first step is to verify the checksum, md5sum, sha*sum... of the downloaded iso. If it's not perfect, it's of no use.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791836 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:30:43 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791751 C0deZer0 : Well, that was a waste... OpenSUSE 11 DVD I downloaded via their official torrent will not work at all. Wasted two blanks trying to get one to boot with the thing at all.

Guess it's back to xubuntu again in the meantime.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791751 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:15:33 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791557 rolfp : Since you might be branching out, Mandriva is known for good hardware detection algorithms that automate the setup for most (not all) computers. Also, XFdrake is a graphical X-server configuration wizard that simplifies this process w/o manual editing of xorg.conf, in most (not all) cases. If you want to look into it, I suggest using the 'Mandriva ONE' liveCD for seeing how it detects your hardware. If you want to install, get the DVD, 2008.1 Free, as it is more complete.

»www.mandriva.com/]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791557 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:38:54 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791513 C0deZer0 : Okay, just to sum up... tried to install the video driver using envyNG, since it seemed that ATI's own installer didn't do anything.

Now the thing is borked and the Ctrl+alt+F2 doesn't do jack shit.

Reformatting... again... :( Or I might just try the dvd release of OpenSUSE 11]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20791513 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:29:43 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790253 Ctrl Alt Del : Please correct me if I am wrong, I am culminating this information from multiple sources to help both C0deZer0 See Profile and myself understand this (as I too have an ATI card in a Linux machine).

Explanation of ATI Linux drivers

The proprietary driver that AMD/ATI provides on their website is called fglrx and is found at »ati.amd.com/support/drivers/linu···eon.html. (fglrx stands for "FireGL and Radeon for X") Versions exist for XFree86 and X.Org for both x86 and x86-64 systems. It includes the Catalyst Control Center. ATI releases a new version approximately every four weeks. Recent versions provide hardware acceleration support. The driver on AMD/ATI's website is distro agnostic and requires you to do some manual labor to install it. You should check the repositories of your local distro for a tailored version of fglrx.

There are other free and open source drivers, which include: radeon, r128, and atimisc. They are available in the xserver-xorg-video-ati package in Debian and provide 3D acceleration. Unfortunately, these drivers only work in chipsets r1xx, r20xx, r3xx, and r4xx — that is, from the original Radeon through to the Radeon X1050, inclusive. They do not include the CCC. These are made by reverse engineering ATI's stuff.

More open source drivers include: xf86-video-ati and video-ati. They do not include the CCC. These are made by reverse engineering ATI's stuff.

Rencently, AMD announced it had hired Novell, the developers of openSUSE, to develop a free and open-source X11 driver using the specifications. This driver is named radeonhd. These are the drivers an open source purist would use in they wanted to use hardware acceleration.

Sources:
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fglrx
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeonhd
»wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu···on_Guide

The driver that C0deZer0 See Profile would be interested in installing is fglrx. It's equivalent to the Windows Catalyst driver. Installation instructions for the distro agnostic driver are found at: »https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/w···nst.html Again, if you can, try to install the fglrx from your local distro repository if you can. Search for fglrx in the package manager.

Here is a step by step to install fglrx in Ubuntu from both the Ubuntu repositories, or manually installing the AMD/ATI provided driver. Should be a similar process for Xubuntu. »wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu···on_Guide
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790253 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:14:09 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790152 No_Strings : Excellent information in the screenshot link, some of which explains the xorg file:

"If the X Server fails to load on the next attempt, please run `aticonfig --initial -f from the console. (Note: This will remove all device/monitor/screen sections in your X Server configuration file)."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790152 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:54:49 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790100 Ctrl Alt Del : ATI provides a driver here: »ati.amd.com/support/drivers/linu···eon.html

And here's some documentation with screenshots, including ones showing CCC: »https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206/0/w···nst.html
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790100 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:44:47 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790001 No_Strings : Don't know if it was installed, but it's not in use according to your xorg file. Here's the pertinent section:

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20790001 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:25:56 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20789915 C0deZer0 : I'll give that a try soon as I get home.

But in the meantime, I did want to bring something up.

Even though I followed through and it supposedly did install the 8.6 video driver for my graphics card, when I go into xubuntu's hardware drivers applet, it still says that I need to install the ati driver. So I'm guessing it never installed it at all...?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20789915 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:08:07 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787307 No_Strings : Here's an example of what a typical xorg file contains. »ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.p···197.html You might want to make a backup of your current file, learn how to get a console and do some simple copy commands so you can recover if things go to hell and try a more "complete" xorg.

Save the example (or some other ATI sample xorg.conf file example) in your home directory:
From your browser, save-as xorg.cong.sample

Back up your existing file:
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup

Copy the sample to the right spot:
sudo cp ~/xorg.cong.sample /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Restart X
Ctrl-Atl-Backspace

If it's borked, Ctrl-Alt-F2
Log in with your normal user/password
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Restart X

Check the logs to see what went wrong:
less /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Edit the sample and try again.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787307 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:53:36 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787221 C0deZer0 : Because I didn't want this computer to basically just be sitting there without having some kind of purpose; and - if nothing else - if my main one ever goes south, to have something I can at least use until that one gets fixed. I don't have a (valid) copy of windows available for it anymore. And if I ever get myself a ps3 that I decide to keep, I'm going to want to know what I'm up against, since it's some flavor of linux that'll only work on it (and to code for it).
said by No_Strings See Profile :

Your xorg file is bare - almost no settings at all. I've never seen one like that.

Are there any others, like xorg.conf-vesa or xorg.conf-ati?
In /etc/x11/, I can't find any other .conf files.

default-display-manager file only has the line "/usr/sbin/gdm". There's a file called rgb.txt that lists a bunch of values and stuff.

Xsession.options just has this:

# $Id: Xsession.options 189 2005-06-11 00:04:27Z branden $
#
# configuration options for /etc/X11/Xsession
# See Xsession.options(5) for an explanation of the available options.
allow-failsafe
allow-user-resources
allow-user-xsession
use-ssh-agent
use-session-dbus

And even though I'd enabled the driver to install it, that damned CCC is nowhere to be found.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787221 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:31:41 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787136 No_Strings : Why is it that you're installing Linux again? ;)

Your xorg file is bare - almost no settings at all. I've never seen one like that.

Are there any others, like xorg.conf-vesa or xorg.conf-ati?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787136 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:08:17 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787087 C0deZer0 :
said by No_Strings See Profile :

Aversion to using the command line will limit both, in my view.
You would be averse to it too if you were forced to suffer through it refusing to cooperate at every step of the path to solution, especially when a course grade depends on it doing what you need it to do.

I had the unlucky and rather aggravating trial of trying to learn *nix in a college course, which mostly involved us telnet-ing into a RedHat server (I think 8 was the newest available at the time, since this was in '02) and basically learning different CLI commands and writing up scripts to be their own mini-programs.

Long story short, the only people that ever seemed to get it done "right the first time" were the stereotypical potheads of the class, and everyone else (including myself) were ready to rig up some C4 to the aformentioned server for all the times that it refused to let us run known working code in a new file. Or how you're following what is supposed to be simple maintenance in a web server class where I chose to use Linux, only to find that it chose to delete a few errant files and left the thing unbootable. Considering I was trying to get the thing to get work done, so I wouldn't have to retake the whole class and affect my GPA/financial aid/etc. I grew to really hate that stupid little command prompt - and the feeling is mutual across ALL OS's.

It gets old really fast when you have to re-enter the same command about six different ways before you find the right one that the system will actually let you use instead of whining about some stupid error or saying the command doesn't exist when I'd just used it successfully, too!

Anyway, that's my bit of rant about the CLI; hopefully you can better understand why I hate the thing so hard now. :mad:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787087 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:54:15 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787061 C0deZer0 : As promised, here is a copy-paste of what my /etc/x11/xorg.conf looks like.

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
EndSection]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20787061 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:49:19 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20786110 Ctrl Alt Del :
said by No_Strings See Profile :

I hope you have a successful install and enjoy it immensely. Aversion to using the command line will limit both, in my view. It's difficult, if not impossible to stay CLI-free, regardless of any hype or street reputation Ubuntu may have.
I as able to use, install, and setup Ubuntu 8.04 on my Dell Inspiron 8600 without touching the command line at all. Synaptec was able to install and setup everything I needed.

But I have no experience with Xubuntu.
--
less talk, more music]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20786110 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:21:43 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20785057 No_Strings : I hope you have a successful install and enjoy it immensely. Aversion to using the command line will limit both, in my view. It's difficult, if not impossible to stay CLI-free, regardless of any hype or street reputation Ubuntu may have.

The more commands you know, the easier it will be.

You can want it to be otherwise, but that doesn't make it so.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20785057 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:46:38 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784924 C0deZer0 :
said by antiserious See Profile :

Perhaps if you would post the contents of the file located at /etc/X11/xorg.conf it might help.

Good luck.
Sure. I'll just have to do it after I get back from work though. Personally, it doesn't even look like it changed at all, but I could be wrong.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784924 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:17:47 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784866 antiserious :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Well, you too would hate the CLI if anything that ever involved it consistently went horribly wrong, too.

Please understand and admit that the problem is not the CLI, it's that you do not know how to use it correctly. I can understand and sympathize with your difficulties, but the CLI works very well for most other people - indeed it was there before the GUI tools were, and many linux users do everything from the command-line. That said, there are usually ways around using it in most current distros, but when they fail an experienced user will usually recommend the CLI solution. Folks here will walk you through the steps if you will only let them, and provide the info they request.

If your video worked adequately after install, and the 'recommended update' was the problem, might I suggest you forgo the update until you know more about what you're doing, and what will happen, and how to remedy that without a re-install? A good backup plan makes this much easier, btw. Simply doing the install and backing up a working setup before doing updates allows you to revert instead of re-installing when you muck things up, which you will do from time to time. This method applies all along the way, and it's much faster than constantly re-installing and starting from scratch.

Perhaps if you would post the contents of the file located at /etc/X11/xorg.conf it might help.

Good luck.

--

"My goal in life is to become the kind of problem that people throw money at".
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784866 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:03:35 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784769 C0deZer0 : Well, you too would hate the CLI if anything that ever involved it consistently went horribly wrong, too.

Seriously, you act like it's somehow a crime to want to install and use an OS and avoid the terminal/command line as much as possible. Yes, for this specific situation, it needed it. But what's wrong with wanting an easier way of getting something fixed/done?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784769 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:40:39 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784641 No_Strings : Yes, I gave answers I thought would be helpful. The OP mentioned multiple installs and listed details I took as evidence of some experience.

I offered a simple key sequence that I thought would be pretty self-explanatory. Even Windows users know some Ctrl-Atl-somethings. I gave explicit instructions on getting to a console, on making a file executable and on running the file.

Instead of "I tried that and got xxx" I got "Why doesn't it just do this for me?" To that, I'll concede my response was condescending.

Now, we get "I have a fundamental hatred for the command line". If I'd had that information up front, I would not have tried to answer, in good faith, every question asked.

You're welcome to take over from here.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784641 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:06:04 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784540 rolfp :
said by NS4683 See Profile :

[..]
My question is why the OP kept asking the same question over and over again. It seems No_Strings answered his question more than once. But I think the OP reformatting and installing Linux again isn't a wise solution. That's more of the Windows philosophy to fix problems. It's like knocking your house down and rebuilding it just to fix a light bulb.
I think it was pretty obvious OP had little or no background with the terms and procedures suggested. When someone spits terse "xorg.conf" sorts of info w/o path, at a minimum, and more of a step-by-step, basic set of instructions, re-install is the better solution, as was here demonstrated,
than dealing with the sort of passive-aggressive, condescending, obscure (to a newbie) references it seems No_Strings, and perhaps you, think passes for help.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784540 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:35:24 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784533 C0deZer0 :
said by NS4683 See Profile :

I think you mean VGA connector and not AGP, as AGP is a bus on the motherboard.

My question is why the OP kept asking the same question over and over again. It seems No_Strings answered his question more than once. But I think the OP reformatting and installing Linux again isn't a wise solution. That's more of the Windows philosophy to fix problems. It's like knocking your house down and rebuilding it just to fix a light bulb.
Because I don't know? I don't understand? Because I have a fundamental hatred for the command line?

That being said I found something called envyNG, which I suppose was supposed to automate all this for me. Problem is it's still based on an older release of the driver. So no point in having it install the driver for me.

I still cannot find the CCC though, much less find anything to tell me at least what linux thinks I have regarding hardware. System Monitor only tells me what kind of processor I have and that I have 1011MB of RAM (out of the 1GB that is installed - don't know why). I've yet to find anything that even remotely works like Windows' Device Manager nor Apple System Profiler so I can at least see what it thinks I have available.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784533 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:31:56 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784441 Derspankster :
said by NS4683 See Profile :

I think you mean VGA connector and not AGP, as AGP is a bus on the motherboard.

My question is why the OP kept asking the same question over and over again. It seems No_Strings answered his question more than once. But I think the OP reformatting and installing Linux again isn't a wise solution. That's more of the Windows philosophy to fix problems. It's like knocking your house down and rebuilding it just to fix a light bulb.
Duh, another senior moment! Of course I meant VGA!!
--
I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784441 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:05:22 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784427 NS4683 : I think you mean VGA connector and not AGP, as AGP is a bus on the motherboard.

My question is why the OP kept asking the same question over and over again. It seems No_Strings answered his question more than once. But I think the OP reformatting and installing Linux again isn't a wise solution. That's more of the Windows philosophy to fix problems. It's like knocking your house down and rebuilding it just to fix a light bulb.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784427 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:02:34 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784207 Derspankster : This may or may not have relevance to what you're experiencing but I thought I'd share it none-the-less. For some reason, still unknown to me, when I did a fresh install of 8.04 Hardy on my desktop, I got a blank, black screen. I have a Nvidia video card (6600), not an ATI though.

Turns out my problem was the fact that I was using a DVI cable! There was some kind of an issue with that with the installer. At any rate, I switched back to AGP and was able to boot normally.

I might add that I could tell that the box was booting despite the fact that I had no screen because I could hear the login sound.

I'm still using the AGP cable because I'm too lazy right now to run down the original issue and apply whatever fix that's appropriate.

Again, this may not have anything to do with what's going on with your installation but I just wanted to relate it on the outside chance it might help.

So, if you're using a DVI cable you might try changing to an AGP to see if that helps.
--
I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784207 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:56:13 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784114 No_Strings : Ah. You may need to run the command to launch the control center from a terminal. Check the ATI docs for more on that.

You can certainly use VNC if you have a server installed on the Linux box and a client on the Windows system.

You can log in remotely as well, using SSH. If you use X forwarding, you can have your app display on the remote machine, although if the remote machine is Windows you'll need additional tools. CYGWIN, for example.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784114 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:28:36 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784088 C0deZer0 : CCC = Catalyst Control Center... the fancy new name for ATI's specific control panel for their video drivers.

Anyway, assuming I get this all working, any way that i can VNC to this machine and control it remotely from my main desktop? I assume that vnc can be run so that I can even remotely log in and use the machine as if I was physically in front of it...? At least that way I can tinker/tweak with it (I would think) as much as I need/want to while still being able to work from my main desktop and get stuff done. Obviously I'd need a vnc client installed on my windows box for that, but I'm just wondering if the vnc server install can be up and running so I can log into it from within the LAN?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784088 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:18:25 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784015 No_Strings : No idea what CCC is.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20784015 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:58:27 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783990 C0deZer0 :
said by No_Strings See Profile :

Install the downloaded file by first making it executable - chmod +x filename
Run it with sudo ./filename
Okay, I did that, and restarted the system (with about everything I could cross on my body crossed).

Posting from the system in question now. So I at least have a display. But where the hell is the CCC? I made a point of making sure I installed it too. :hmm:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783990 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:51:49 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783961 Bill_MI : C0deZer0, regardless what it says I'd consider not loading that driver. Do you KNOW you need it? Doesn't it flag it's a proprietary driver with warnings?

A new Linux user combined with hardware not cooperating with a proprietary driver is a bad combo. I'm personally aghast Ubuntu went this direction after going through holy-hell with such an NVidia driver on my laptop. It only took 6 months to discover the monitor hardware info (called an EDID) was from a large bad batch from SamSung - but ONLY the proprietary driver cared. This was only after a week of fixing another problem to make the damn driver select the internal monitor and not the external connector. I can't even imagine a new Linux user getting into what I did off the bat.

Here's what I know as "official" from Ubuntu on the ATI driver:
»https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Binary···owto/ATI

Here's the thread devoted to getting ATI driver running:
»ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=515573

Hope this helps clarify from a different perspective.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783961 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:42:28 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783847 No_Strings : It is a proprietary driver.

Install the downloaded file by first making it executable - chmod +x filename
Run it with sudo ./filename

Restart X

If you end up with the black screen, get a console as described a couple of times already and look at the xorg log for errors and/or post the contents of the xorg.conf file.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783847 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:02:50 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783818 C0deZer0 : Okay then. Now, how do I install this driver so it'll actually... you know, work? :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783818 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:49:05 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783806 ds5v50 : /etc/X11/xorg.conf]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783806 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:42:03 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783705 C0deZer0 : Okay, new morning, now...

Where is this xorg file? Which driver should I get? How do I find out what driver it's using for what? Hell, how do I even find out what it thinks I have?

Anyways, to answer the question, as soon as I was running from the installation, it was able to detect right away that I had an ATi card and offered up the driver. But since doing what ubuntu wanted me to do led me to having an inoperable system, now I don't know what to do, and honestly I'm scared as heck to try anything here. :(]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783705 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:54:12 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783335 C0deZer0 : How do I find out what driver it's using? or for that matter, what hardware it thinks I have? Complete linux n00b here. All I know is that I was able to get my girlfriend's Thinkpad up and running with this version of xubuntu, but now with my system it wants to get all pissy. :(

And from the looks of ATi's site, it's still a proprietary driver, and it gave me this 57-something MB .run file; tried opening it up in whatever program it is that the package manager had for opening up compressed files thinking that would help, but all it does is just pull up a page showing what formats it does know how to work with.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783335 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:42:58 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783318 firephoto : Before you do the update that pulls in an ATI update, see what driver is actually being used for your graphics. It's possible the installation set you up with VESA but once it's up and running it's detecting the ATI card and giving you an option to install the driver for that and it's not working.

That card is pretty common so you should be able to find a step by step to make it work. ATI has open drivers now, not sure for that card or not.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783318 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:33:37 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783293 No_Strings : Do you want to know how to fix it or do you want to whine about how it's not like Windows? I'm trying to help.

You should be able to get to a console as I described above, invoke an editor and make changes to the config file to properly list the driver, resolutions available and the like.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783293 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:13:39 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783277 C0deZer0 : What xorg file? I just did what it told me to do. It told me I needed the driver, I let it download and install. It asked me to reboot, so I did. When I restart, I got blackout and no way to get anything to turn up.

couldn't it just have done this already? :huh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783277 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:05:11 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783225 No_Strings : Because you didn't make the required changes to the xorg file. I suspect you'll have the same result with the driver from ATI.

Good luck.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783225 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:44:35 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783221 C0deZer0 :
said by No_Strings See Profile :

2.Why not use the one from the Ubuntu repository?
Unless I'm mistaken, the one that xubuntu told me to go get through its notifier for hardware drivers is from the ubuntu repository, and that's the one that led to me having a nice blackout and unable to use the computer at all.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783221 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:42:42 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783212 No_Strings : 1. Check the permissions on the driver file. You may need to make it executable: chmod +x filename

2.Why not use the one from the Ubuntu repository?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783212 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:41:07 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783193 C0deZer0 : ... okay, this is annoying.

I try to go to ATi directly to download their driver for Linux. I get the file on my desktop, and I try to double-click and it won't run. I open up a terminal, type in the name of the file completely, and it won't run. it keeps saying command not found.

... Seriously, what? :hmm: it's like who do I have to murder at ATi to get a driver that will just work? :uhh: :p]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783193 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:31:33 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783124 No_Strings : Are you running anything that requires h/w acceleration? If not, don't install the ATI driver. If you need it, install, but be prepared to manually edit the xorg.conf file ass mentioned above.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783124 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:03:31 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783119 C0deZer0 : Okay, so I finally get it to successfully (re)format and install, and now when I start, it talks about the software updates, but again it pops up with that same notification about updating the ATi driver. And after what just happened, I'm afraid as hell to click that again! :o]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783119 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:00:00 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783018 jimkyle :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

Should I just go ahead and reformat and start fresh?
That depends on how much customization you've done to the system. I usually spend several days tweaking a system to do what I want, right after installing it, so when something goes wrong a few months later I tend to try to fix it rather than re-installing. However if you've just done the install and haven't added much to the system, that would definitely be the quickest way to solve the problem.
--
Jim Kyle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20783018 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:27:29 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782657 No_Strings : Ctrl-Alt-F1, Ctrl-Alt-F2, Ctrl-Alt-F3, ...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782657 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:55:36 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782651 C0deZer0 :
said by No_Strings See Profile :

said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

How do I fix it if I can't even get to a desktop or see anything? :huh:
Ctrl-Alt-Fx to get a console, then use a text editor?
Fx? huh? Never saw that key before on any keyboard... most I'd ever seen was Fn, and that was specifically on laptops.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782651 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:53:42 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782636 C0deZer0 : Should I just go ahead and reformat and start fresh?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782636 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:49:44 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782068 No_Strings :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

How do I fix it if I can't even get to a desktop or see anything? :huh:
Ctrl-Alt-Fx to get a console, then use a text editor?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782068 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:14:29 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782062 jimkyle : Try booting from the Live CD rather than the hard disk. This may get you through the blackout, since the Live CD will use its own drivers rather than the update that you put on the hard disk. If you get there, you should then be able to mount the hard disk (if it's not mounted automagically) and navigate to its /boot/grub/menu.lst file. Open the file, locate all occurrences of the word "splash" and delete them, then save the file (you may need to launch Mousepad via gksudo in order to edit this file).

You can now reboot using the hard disk and you should see the long list of status reports, rather than the logo screen and its progress bar. This may show you exactly where the problem is hitting. You can also edit the menu.lst file to specify using the "vesa" driver for video rather than the ATI driver, but I don't remember just how...

In general, booting from the Live CD is the way to get around a borked hard-disk configuration issue. You can change the video driver in the xorg.conf file from "ATI" to "vesa" and this should give you a usable screen again although at the cost of losing most of the acceleration features of your ATI card...
--
Jim Kyle]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20782062 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:13:39 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20781956 C0deZer0 : How do I fix it if I can't even get to a desktop or see anything? :huh:]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20781956 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:39:02 EDT Re: Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20781822 No_Strings :
said by C0deZer0 See Profile :

•ATi Radeon X1600 Pro (512MB)

I suspect that's your issue. Install the ATI driver and fix the xorg.conf file. You should be good after that.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20781822 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:09:52 EDT Fresh install of xubuntu blacks out after installing video http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20781628 C0deZer0 : First of all, the specs of my personal "oldie" system that used to be my gamer rig:
•XP-m 2400+
•DFI NF2 Ultra Infinity
•2x512MB DDR400 RAM
•nForce onboard audio
•ATi Radeon X1600 Pro (512MB)
•(currently) Maxtor 20GB hard drive (it used to have a Samsung 120GB, but that failed :( ).

Long story short... I install Xubuntu 8.04; everything appears to be running just fine; audio, lan, etc. After installing, and running the regular software updates, it says that there is a driver update for the ATi card. I think nothing to install it, and after updates were done/applied, have it restart as it suggests.

Upon restarting, after the "loading up..." text shows, it blacks out... completely. I get nothing to click on, no login menu, nothing. It is just completely black. I tried to restart and going to what it said was a safe mode, but not knowign what the other options where, had it resume normal booting, and it just goes blacked out again.

It's funny how someone else's machine runs linux no problem, and yet it is always with my personal machines that linux decides to do a 180 and create as much frustration as possible. :mad: :( p.s. no, this is not the same machine that has the Netgear wLAN PCI card *sigh* So what can I try doing in this situation? because where I'm sitting, it just seems like it's already FUBAR.

Also, is there anything in xubuntu that would resemble Windows' device manager? It's just strange to me to have never been able to find anything like this in any of the **buntu distro's I've tried. :hmm:
--
Front Line Force Fortress Forever]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,20781628 Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:24:01 EDT