Computer "died" after installation of openSUSE

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi everybody!
I own a PC with a HDD with 3 partitions. C containing Windows Vista Business, D is empty and E contains my Data.
Well, yesterday I tried to install openSUSE on partition E.

During installation, my screen turned black and nothing happened anymore. When I restarted my PC, I could choose between Windows Vista and openSUSE. Choosing openSUSE, some text appears on the screen and after that, the screen turns black again. Choosing Windows, my PC tries to start openSUSE, but with the same result.
If I start my PC with the installation DVD, I also can choose a failsafe mode. Well, in this mode my PC starts completely and I can work in this failsafe mode.

I think that I have to deal with two different problems:
a) My PC not being able to start Windows Vista and
b) My screen turning black during startup. I think it may have to do with my screen. I own a HP 22" LCD (w2207h) and I think that maybe, openSUSE doesn’t include a driver for that screen, because when I start my PC in Failsafe mode, with a 600x800 resolution, my screen doesn’t turn black. But that’s just a thought.

Does anyone has or has had the same problems, or does anyone know how I solve these problems. I would be very thankful, if anyone could help me.

Gilles

2

Hi,

It looks that the graphic resolution mode you selected when performing the installation is not supported by your graphic subsystem, either the video card or the monitor.

Keep in mind that the kernel used at installation time does not necessarily has to be the one used by your system once it has been installed. This is a common known problem.

-Assuming the system was completely installed, I would boot it in rescue mode, then mount the root partition and after that, edit the /etc/inittab to boot the system in non graphic mode.

To do that, look for the line with the keyword initdefault and
change 5 to 3.

As an alternative way, edit /boot/grub/menu.lst and give the kernel line corresponding to the default stanza you want to boot the parameter 3.

Then, reboot your system. Once you have control of your system at least in text mode, you can investigate what is going on.

Try to configure X with sax2 or manually by tweaking the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
If not familiar with X file, try to restore /etc/X11/xorg.conf.install to be the one used by X.
This last trick will only work if the X settings used by the installation were OK.
It surely won’t take advantage of all the features of you graphic card, but at least you won’t see a black screen.

If that doesn’t work, use the basic graphic mode and build upwards from that.

Look inside the file /var/log/Xorg.0.log for error messages. This is the place where your X server writes all the things she finds and doesn’t like.

-Now, if the install process was aborted due to a graphic system problem, I’ll suggest starting over again, following the same suggestions I did before: perform the installation using a basic graphic mode with a mid-low resolution (vesa if possible), and then, once your system boots without problem, tweak X from the command line.

Hope this helps.

3

Press e to edit the boot line when you are at the boot screen, and look for something like vga=0x317.

Mine is 0x317, but yours might be a different number, just delete that whole vga= bit and then press b (from memory!) to continue booting.

It might work.

If it does, you can get rid of it permanently by editing the menu.lst file in /boot/grub/.

It is just a graphics size for the virtual consoles (the text that scrolls by at boot), and won’t affect your normal desktop.

Oh and on another slightly related note, if your computer came with vista pre-installed, don’t delete any of the original partitions!! Visa will throw a fit and lock you out!

You can resize them, but don’t remove them.

I removed my D: (restore partition) to gain extra space and it happened to me.

I had to backup 200 gigs of Linux stuff and restore vista from a DVD that I made, then re-install openSUSE.

4

Hello

I’m having the similar problem, but it happens during the installation. It is one of the last phases when it creates automatic configuration. When it comes to graphics, it sends the console message saying something like -Don’t panic, it will switch to console mode to detect your graphics subsystem- and then everything disappears. Is there a way to avoid automatic hardware detection and edit it manually?

Thanks in advance

MT James

5

Hi again!

now I have “control of my system in Text-Mode” but am not really sure what to do next.
could anyone explain it to me??

my menu.lst looks like this:
Hi everybody
my menu.lst looks like this:

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE
root (hd0,6)
…

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe
root (hd0,6)
…

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (hd0,1)+1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title windows
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (hd0,2)+1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 3###
title windows
rootnoverify (hd0,6)
chainloader (hd0,3)+1

How do I have to change that file to get access to my Windows Vista??
And, how can I edit this file in my Text mode, because the command gedit doesn’t work here??

I would be very thankful if anyone could help me,
Thanks, Gilles:(

6

“And, how can I edit this file in my Text mode, because the command gedit doesn’t work here??”

There are many editors in linux… Try emacs, joe, vi