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General => Installation issues => Topic started by: sviva on December 23, 2011, 04:30:18 pm

Title: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 23, 2011, 04:30:18 pm
Hi!
I am trying install Linux MCE. When I boot from the DVD, I get the regular menu and I do Linux MCE. At that point I get a black screen with a white blinking cursor in the top left corner. No keys respond and it never loads. I have tried a different graphics card to no avail. The system is custom built, AMD 880G chipset with a AMD FX processer and a integrated ATI Radeon HD 4250 GPU. ASUS motherboard.
 
Thanks for any help,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: purps on December 23, 2011, 04:50:59 pm
Might be a duff disk. Try downloading again (preferably with torrent) and burn on the slowest speed. Then try again.

If you have another live disk for any other OS try that as well. Have you ever had a Linux OS running on this specific machine?

Cheers,
Matt.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 23, 2011, 04:57:48 pm
Hi,
I will try to reburn the disk and try it again.  I have tried running just straight Kubuntu 8.10 with the same result.

Thanks a bunch for your answer,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: purps on December 23, 2011, 09:45:27 pm
Re-download is the important thing, and do a MD5sum hash check this (google how to do this if you don't know, it's easy). Then re-burn.

Was the Kubuntu you tried a different disk, or did you just select the other option on the same disk?

Cheers,
Matt.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 24, 2011, 05:40:49 am
It was a different disk.  Sorry I didn't get a chance to reburn the disk.  I will do it tomorrow!

Thanks,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: JoakimL on December 24, 2011, 11:08:10 am
With two different disks giving you the same result, there's not much hope it will be better with a third.
Take a look a ACPI and APCI settings when booting from the DVD. Also try an logging option, you might spot what's causing this malfunction.

/Joakim
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 24, 2011, 03:16:49 pm
Hi,
I will try the ACPI, but I don't have much experience with it.  Should I disable it in the boot parameters?  Or is there somthing in the BIOS?  I would assume the logging is a boot parameter, right?

Thanks,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: JoakimL on December 25, 2011, 11:21:51 am
This depends on your hardware. On my AM2 motherboard I sometimes get similar behaviour; adding NOAPIC and ACPI=OFF to the kernel boot parameters solve it on my hardware. Logging could be enabled by passing loglevel=n to the kernel; n= 0 (fatal) to 7 (debug)


/Joakim
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 25, 2011, 09:08:56 pm
Hi,
ACPI = off gives me: [0.022701] Kernel panic - not syncing: Boot ACPI ID in local ACPI unexpected
(0 vs 16)

Everything else related to ACPI gives me the same blinking curser.

Thanks,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 28, 2011, 02:48:28 pm
Hi,
Thanks to everyone who posted, but I still need help! My boss is threatening to install Windows MCE if I don't get this up and running soon!

Thanks for further help,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: l3mce on December 28, 2011, 03:17:12 pm
Look at your bios settings, how SATA is treated (assuming it is a SATA drive), see if you can change the mode to IDE or something similar (the SATA mode is usually under "integrated peripherals"). Turn off extraneous things like Cool n Quiet and AsusGate...
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: JoakimL on December 28, 2011, 04:40:14 pm
Did you search for anything related to your motherboard, BIOS or graphics card and Linux at the kernel level of 8.10? Did you try lmce 10.04 (it have a very different hardware handling).

/Joakim
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: gurumaia on December 28, 2011, 06:36:35 pm
I don't remember having this exact behavior but when I tried my first install, ubiquity wouldn't show up because I was hooked up to a plasma TV and it couldn't handle the resolution. When plugged into a CRT monitor, everything went fine.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: purps on December 29, 2011, 02:32:04 am
He's getting a blinking cursor, which suggests it isn't a display issue.

As Joakim suggested, search for a problem relating to your hardware and Linux in general - at this stage, it's not an LMCE issue I'm afraid.

Definitely take a look at 1004.

Cheers,
Matt.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 29, 2011, 03:15:27 pm
Thanks a ton for all the responses! I think I now have a plan of action on how I will solve the problem.

1. I will look at the BIOS settings as said here:

Look at your bios settings, how SATA is treated (assuming it is a SATA drive), see if you can change the mode to IDE or something similar (the SATA mode is usually under "integrated peripherals"). Turn off extraneous things like Cool n Quiet and AsusGate...

2. If that doesn't work than I will have to go for 10.04.

Thanks,
sviva

ps. Does anyone know more about 10.04?  It says on the wiki that it is highly unstable.  Is this true?  Should I be worried about it crashing or otherwise failing when I need to use it?  Thanks again for any help.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: purps on December 30, 2011, 12:15:36 am
Have a go. What's the worst that can happen?

(I was pleasantly surprised).

Cheers,
Matt.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on December 31, 2011, 10:01:04 pm
Ok everyone,
I have made the bold leap to 10.04 and have successfully installed and completed the av wizard.
I am now at the part where the lady says," when you can see and hear me....." and it really starts getting messed up.  The windows flash and a black window comes up saying that not all components have started correctly and that things might not work properly.  After she has said her speech about 3 times, that window dissapears and she talks about remotes.  I select no remote and come the page where you type in your name.  I have been able to type in my name, but than it freezes and I cannot select next.  Every time it does somthing similar to this, but sometimes it will freeze earlier.  My boss is at the end of his rope and is going to buy Windows MCE on Monday!  Please help!  Greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: tschak909 on January 01, 2012, 01:44:23 am
Dude, please use an NVIDIA GPU.

99% of your problems are stemming from the fact that you are deliberately using hardware that isn't supported (namely the ATI graphics card.)

-Thom
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: purps on January 01, 2012, 07:18:49 pm
If you've got a deadline for this Monday to get things up and running... then you are going to struggle. You can't rush this, you need to do your research, take things slowly, understand what it is you're doing.

Are you sure LMCE is right for you? Are you just looking for a media solution? If so, then mythbuntu might be better. Or, do you need the home automation side of things as well? If you're in that much of a hurry, consider a pre-built/supported Dianemo system from Andrew (totallymaxed).

Not trying to put you off, just trying to be realistic.

Cheers,
Matt.
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: sviva on January 02, 2012, 03:32:11 am
Hi,
Thanks for that flash back to reality, purps!
I totally understand your point and will consider mythbuntu as a last resort.  About the Monday deadline... Lets just not worry about that.  I might be able to get that extended if I take some major steps in the right direction with this system.  So, you can forget the deadline and just walk me through the problem like it doesn't exist.  I think that's what will help me most.

Thanks,
sviva
Title: Re: Blinking cursor during Kubuntu 8.10 install
Post by: l3mce on January 02, 2012, 04:13:14 am
You can drop into irc and I will probably be able to walk you through it... but... seriously... you should drop the 40 bucks (after rebate) and use the system properly.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500147

Even if I get you through this, you aren't going to be able to run HD content on ATI, or use alpha blending... You are going to have to strangle a lot of features/settings just to get it to run.

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