Very Computer

> Up spake Phony Account:

>>I tried booting to run-level three to go to a text mode only by
>>specifying init 3 at the end of the boot kernel command.  The os loader
>>is GRUB.  But the same thing happened again.

> Try adding "vga=normal" or "vga=ask" to the kernel boot parameters.

> FC probably defaults to framebuffer consoles, which require VESA or
> whatever drivers.  Adding vga=normal will use 80x25 text-mode for the
> console.

>>Not knowing a thing about hardware, (and just slightly more about Linux)
>>I am wondering if the video card bios is too old and cannot respond to
>>the probing by the installer.

> A laptop I had mis-reported its capabilities, so Linux tried to run with
> vga=790 (1024x768) on an 800x600 screen.  The result was black display
> until X started.

>> Up spake Phony Account:

>>> I tried booting to run-level three to go to a text mode only by
>>> specifying init 3 at the end of the boot kernel command.  The os
>>> loader is GRUB.  But the same thing happened again.

>> Try adding "vga=normal" or "vga=ask" to the kernel boot parameters.

>> FC probably defaults to framebuffer consoles, which require VESA or
>> whatever drivers.  Adding vga=normal will use 80x25 text-mode for the
>> console.

>>> Not knowing a thing about hardware, (and just slightly more about
>>> Linux) I am wondering if the video card bios is too old and cannot
>>> respond to the probing by the installer.

>> A laptop I had mis-reported its capabilities, so Linux tried to run with
>> vga=790 (1024x768) on an 800x600 screen.  The result was black display
>> until X started.

> Will try it Trent.

> Thanks,

> Mirko

> Hi,

> I am installing Fedora Core 3 on a Dell Precision 330.
> Video card is a Diamond Fire GL2 with a rather old BIOS.

> (The PC was rebooted with the distribution CD, and I was prompted for
> the type of installation.  However, no partitioning yet, language
> selection, ...)

> So, just before the actual installation, I see a message that the
video
> card was not detected (the monitor, kbd and mouse are) and that the
> installation is going ``headless''.  It then proceeds without
incident
> to partition, install packages.

> When the system reboots for the first time (this is when I'll set up
the
> users, etc), I briefly see a Fedora splash screen, then the usual
kernel
> boot messages, and _then_ the screen goes wild: on a blue background
> reddish diagonal stripes march across the screen.

> I am not in X at that point.  X has not been configured yet.  I can
> ctrl-alt-del to reboot.  But ctrl-alt-backspace, ctrl-alt-F2 don't
work.

> I tried booting to run-level three to go to a text mode only by
> specifying init 3 at the end of the boot kernel command.  The os
loader
> is GRUB.  But the same thing happened again.

> Not knowing a thing about hardware, (and just slightly more about
Linux)
> I am wondering if the video card bios is too old and cannot respond
to
> the probing by the installer.

> Also, according to the same * theory, during the boot
process,
> the video card gets wierd signals because its bios is out of date and
> throws garbage to the monitor.

> And it is not a  monitor issue.  I have tried two.

> But I seriously hope that it will not come to installing a new bios,
> because I currently don't have a usable system, and using the rescue
> mode from the install media to reach across the network to grab the
> drivers which I downloaded to a windows machine seems like a great
> project for my retirement.  Right now, I need a working machine.

> Thanks for any suggestion,

> Mirko

> When the system reboots for the first time (this is when I'll set up the
> users, etc), I briefly see a Fedora splash screen, then the usual kernel
> boot messages, and _then_ the screen goes wild: on a blue background
> reddish diagonal stripes march across the screen.

> I am not in X at that point.  X has not been configured yet.  I can
> ctrl-alt-del to reboot.  But ctrl-alt-backspace, ctrl-alt-F2 don't work.

> I tried booting to run-level three to go to a text mode only by
> specifying init 3 at the end of the boot kernel command.  The os loader
> is GRUB.  But the same thing happened again.