MCE install hangs on Kubuntu splash screen...

[rob_cod]

Hi all,

I've been wrestling with my first install of Linux MCE (have some prior Myth TV experience but thats about it).  I've come up against a problem and have no solution other than changing the motherboard, which I really would like to avoid.

I have the following hardware:-

Celeron 2.66
Asus Motherboard P5P800-MX (http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=145&l4=0&model=372&modelmenu=1)
Avermedia 771 TV capture card
512mb ram
Nvidia FX5200 PCI card
80gb IDE HDD


In the BIOS (Ami) of this board there is no option to disable the internal graphics card.  It does have a VGA priority option.  When I install using the internal "Intel Extreme Graphics 2" card as the priority I can install fine.  Everything seems to be working accept the level 2 and 3 UI - as I just get the open GL not found error.  I have read on here that its due to the Intel graphics driver not being found.  This is ok as I want to use my PCI nvdia FX5200 as the card of choice.

My problem is when I tell the bios to use the Nvdia card as the primary I cannot get past the initial Kubuntu spash screen.  It simply freezes after a minute or two.

If I install using the onboard graphics and then switch the bios to the external card it freezes on boot at the same Kubuntu splash screen.  It doesn't seem to lock the keyboard, just sits there doing nothing.

I have tried both DVD 0704 and 0710 beta.

Any ideas before I change the motherboard would be appreciated.

Nice one.

Bob

[orionsune]

This sounds kind of like a problem I vaguely remember on those slightly older boards.  In the bios should be options for assigning IRQ to VGA and/or USB.  Make sure you ARE assigning an irq to the video adapter.

Since playing with the bios/video combination has an affect for you, I recommend flashing your bios to the latest release also.

Other than that... i'm not too sure.  I'm not even too sure about my previous suggestions, but only the second suggestion can hurt... so be cautious.

[lon22]

rob_cod, what version of LMCE are you using? What is the longest amount of time you waited to see if you could get past the splash screen. 0710 of Kubuntu caused the splash screen to display for over 5 mins before proceeeding for some people. There is a fix posted somewhere on this site if that is indeed your problem.

lon22

[JimmyGosling]

what peripheral are plugged into the machine? Anything USB? Mine would hang as well and then go into a prompt if I had any usb devices plugged in, including the mouse and keyboard.

[rob_cod]

Many thanks orionsune, lon22 and JimmyGosling for your thoughts.

I found the settings in the Bios for assigning a specific IRQ to the PCI card but they don't appear to have any effect.  I flashed the Bios to the latest version (nothing of note in the fix list) but that hasn't helped either.

I'm using the DVD auto install disk (ver 0710 beta) as I had problems with the Avermedia card not being picked up on version 0704.

I've tried leaving the splash screen to see if it was just being slow but after about 5 hours it was still stuck.  I can't seem to be able to drop to a console with any key combinations, although the caplocks lights etc still respond.

I don't have any usb equipment connected at the moment, but I did forget to mention that I have a standard 3com 10/100 network card in addition to the onboard one.

Revised hardware list at the moment:-

Celeron 2.66
Asus Motherboard P5P800-MX (http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=145&l4=0&model=372&modelmenu=1)
Avermedia 771 TV capture card
512mb ram
Nvidia FX5200 PCI card
80gb IDE HDD
DVD RW IDE
3com 10/100 network card


So my three pci slots are:-

1 - nvdia fx5200
2 - 3com network card
3 - Avermedia 771 tv capture card

No agp slot on this motherboard.

Keyboard and mouse standard Ps/2 connections.

I've tried flipping the battery out of the cmos to reset things but no luck there either. 

I've got another pc (this one) that I may demote to the role of Linux Mce but I'm so close with this one its got me hooked! 



Nice one,

Bob

[orionsune]

Sorry I can't help you any further.  But there is one thing I should point out, I would lean towards your video card.  The reason I say this, is most of the lmce users out here, most likely are using either an AGP or PCI-E card, and I really don't think much thought had every been put into PCI based video cards (don't take offense now) since they are considered very obsolete.

i'm really not sure though...

[JimmyGosling]

That card is a PCI-E card if my google is correct (http://www.nvidia.com/page/fx_5200.html). 

Since you say it simply sits at the splash screen I would have to say this is different than my situation as well.

[orionsune]

LOL DUDE That is a PCI card. according to this http://uk.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=145&l4=0&model=372&modelmenu=1 his motherboard he's using doesn't even have a  PCI-E slot dude.  So explain to me how he's got a PCI-E card working on a non-pci-e board.  In fact, did they even make socket 775 boards with PCI-E?

According to my searching, I only see there is an AGP, PCI, and PCI-E version of this card.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=32&catref=C6&from=R10&_trksid=m37&satitle=nvidia+5200+pci&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=27520&sabfmts=1&saobfmts=insif&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32&fsoo=2


but logic dictates that is not what he's using.  He provided a link to his motherboard's model.  Did we miss the socket 775 part?

[JimmyGosling]

If you're right your right, I should not be so quick to comment 

[orionsune]

I honestly think a new motherboard will solve you problem.  I'm not sure the developers spent a whole log of time debugging lmce to work with PCI video cards and obsolete chipsets... so it's not going to surprise me when problems like yours arise.

[Zaerc]

I don't see why that setup wouldn't work. 

Press [Esc] when booting to get to the grub menu and edit the "kernel" line, remove "quiet splash" from the end and boot.  You should be able to see what's going on now.

[rob_cod]

Many, many thanks for all your help it is sincerely appreciated.

I'll try removing the silent spash screen switch tonight and let you know what I find.

Nice one,

Rob.

[rob_cod]

I don't see why that setup wouldn't work. 

Press [Esc] when booting to get to the grub menu and edit the "kernel" line, remove "quiet splash" from the end and boot.  You should be able to see what's going on now.

hi there,

I have edited the quiet splash line and here are the results:-

Seems like its the same errors repeated again and again?

Any thoughts?

Nice one,

Bob

[Zaerc]

That screenshot tells me just about nothing.  I'd need to see where the errors start.

Another thing to try is to boot in "recovery mode" and starting X manually with "startx".

I suspect there are a couple of problems with that setup, not really specific to lmce, they could be fixed but in all honesty that will take a lot of effort.

[JimmyGosling]

creative though