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Author Topic: LiveUSB boots to blank screen (SOLVED)  (Read 1396 times)

Offline dj_bridges

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LiveUSB boots to blank screen (SOLVED)
« on: July 09, 2012, 06:32:54 AM »
Am trying to install the latest 2012.2 version of MiniMe on a new Lenovo thinkpad T420 with an i5 processor. I have checked the md5sum and the download was fine. I extracted the files onto a LiveUSB which works fine on other computers. However after all the hardware is detected etc, I am left with a completely blank screen. I have since tried booting the system with Kernel options set to Safe and can get to the CLI, but can't get to a desktop. Am guessing it is a graphics card issue, but am unsure how to solve it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
« Last Edit: July 10, 2012, 05:42:32 AM by dj_bridges »
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Offline djohnston

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2012, 06:44:13 AM »
The same thing happened to me when using only 512MB of RAM. Increasing the amount of RAM to 768MB or 1GB cured the problem. How much RAM does your computer have?

If you have at least 1GB of RAM, find out if it really is a graphics card issue. Can you press Ctrl-Alt-F1 on the keyboard and get to a virtual terminal login screen? You can get back to your original screen by pressing Ctrl-Alt-F8.
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Online Just17

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2012, 06:58:40 AM »
Did you try using the   vesa  boot option?

It usually gives a DE even though it is not optimum.

Also get rid of the    quiet and splash=    boot options so you can see if you have failures during boot.

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Offline dj_bridges

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2012, 07:39:26 AM »
djohnston - Have got 6 GB of RAM so that isn't the problem. I can't get to any of the vertual terminal logins either....

Just18 - I tried booting with vesa as an option, and while the screen resolution improved during the hardware detection phase, I was still left with a blank screen.

Thanks for the replies though.....
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Online Just17

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2012, 07:53:52 AM »
Quote from: dj_bridges on July 09, 2012, 07:39:26 AM
djohnston - Have got 6 GB of RAM so that isn't the problem. I can't get to any of the vertual terminal logins either....

Just18 - I tried booting with vesa as an option, and while the screen resolution improved during the hardware detection phase, I was still left with a blank screen.

Thanks for the replies though.....

Any failure or error messages on screen during boot?

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Offline djohnston

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2012, 07:56:05 AM »
Quote from: Just18 on July 09, 2012, 06:58:40 AM
Did you try using the   vesa  boot option?

It usually gives a DE even though it is not optimum.

Also get rid of the    quiet and splash=    boot options so you can see if you have failures during boot.


+1. Does this sound like your video setup?

The T420 can be configured with a Discrete NVIDIA NVS 4200M (1GB VRAM) GPU with Optimus technology that can automatically switch between the integrated and discrete GPU to provide peak performance without sacrificing battery life.

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Offline dj_bridges

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2012, 08:23:19 AM »
Just18 - No error or failure messages.

djohnston - Am unsure what the hardware is in the box - will have a rummage around and get back to you.
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Offline dj_bridges

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2012, 08:28:54 AM »
Looks like I do have the Nvidia NVS 4200M GPU..... So where does that leave me?
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Offline johnmart

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2012, 11:26:31 AM »
dj_bridges, you are in very able hands already, but I have some similar experience lately that might be of help.
I used a live usb with my acer laptop with nvidiaG105m. I got to the desktop, but a screen with 6 miniature desktops. Normal behavior since recent nvidia update.
However the nvidia didn't allow logout-login. So graphic adjustments couldn't be applied.
I created a usb with persistence and eventually booted to console, played with /etc/X11/xorg.conf and got a kde desktop, then finetuned, logout/login was then allowed. All ok.
Hope that is of help.
Back to the experts.  ;D
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Online Just17

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #9 on: July 09, 2012, 12:02:37 PM »
Quote from: dj_bridges on July 09, 2012, 08:28:54 AM
Looks like I do have the Nvidia NVS 4200M GPU..... So where does that leave me?

I don't know  :(   but if it were me I would try disabling the discrete graphics and then rebooting .... or disable the other and reboot if that didn't work .....
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Offline djohnston

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #10 on: July 09, 2012, 02:28:51 PM »
I would go with what Just18 has suggested.

This was the situation a year ago. A package request for the Optimus video driver was made today.



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Offline dj_bridges

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #11 on: July 09, 2012, 11:36:50 PM »
Thanks for all the feedback. I am now able to get to the KDE Desktop if I disable the Optimus card in the BIOS. Only problem is the resoltion looks awful. Will go ahead and install PCLOS and hopefully can tweak things so I can get to the correct resolution.

djohnston - the link to the package request seems broken - want to add my +1... Hope it can be added as seems a shame to have some hardware that I can't use in Linux...
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Offline dj_bridges

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2012, 01:04:33 AM »
OK so I have now installed PCLOS and updated the whole system. However I can't seem to set the resolution to 1440 x 900, even though the system recognises the monitor as a 'Flat panel 1440 x 900'. Any suggestions - should I start a new thread?
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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #13 on: July 10, 2012, 02:25:12 AM »
Quote from: dj_bridges on July 10, 2012, 01:04:33 AM
OK so I have now installed PCLOS and updated the whole system. However I can't seem to set the resolution to 1440 x 900, even though the system recognises the monitor as a 'Flat panel 1440 x 900'. Any suggestions - should I start a new thread?

Re-apply the Graphics card driver and see if it picks up a 'proprietary' driver for it and if so use it.

Quite a number of graphics cards are not automatically recognised ....  I have a couple of Nvidia cards that require manual intervention to get the correct driver loaded, for instance.
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Offline dj_bridges

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Re: LiveUSB boots to blank screen
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2012, 03:23:33 AM »
Just18 - I can't find an option to reapply the graphics card driver withing PCLOS control centre. Am I looking in the correct place?
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