This problem often means a video issue and may be fixed by adding in the kernel load option of nomodeset. The nomodeset option is included in failsafe, but you would want to use only the options required to get to a desktop session. You can type in the kernel option nomodeset just before you press the enter key to start the normal openSUSE session. If it works, you can modify the /boot/grub/menu.lst file as root and add the nomodeset kernel load option as you see it exist in the failsafe option, but without all of the other failsafe fixes. Why not take time to describe your video hardware after trying the nomodeset option.
Thanks a lot for your prompt answer, **nomodeset **works well (of cause still get 16 colors GUI)
Concerning video hardware: it is onboard video card. Motherboard: Intel i845EPI
Likely this means that you have booted into X window with the very basic FBDEV graphic driver. That is a highly compatible graphic driver with very basic performance. You can confirm that driver is loaded by looking inside /var/log/Xorg.0.log and you should spot many lines starting with the FBDEV entry.
The driver that ‘should’ have worked is the “intel” driver, and for some reason it did not work (as it is run by default). In addition to the intel, other graphic drivers you can try are the ‘FBDEV’ (which you are likely using now) and the ‘vesa’.
I confess I do not know much about the 82845G/GL[Brookdale-G]/GE Chipset Integrated Graphics Device. You could do the following
install the application ‘mc’ (midnight commander). This is a text editor that runs in a text mode. This is important in case you get stuck in a text mode and need to edit. You can install it by typing with root permissions:
zypper in mc
Try the intel driver. Do that by editing the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf and change it to:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Default Device"
#Driver "radeon"
Driver "intel"
## Required magic for radeon/radeonhd drivers; output name
## (here: "DVI-0") can be figured out via 'xrandr -q'
#Option "monitor-DVI-0" "Default Monitor"
EndSection
and save the change. You will need to make that change with root permissions. Do you know how to do that ? Note I added the line: Driver "intel"
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Then reboot, still use the boot code ‘nomodeset’ and test. That may land you back at a full screen text mode or may freeze. Then you will need to boot with the code ‘x11failsave’ and remove that line. This is where the program ‘mc’ comes in handy. Sorry.
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Try the vesa driver (if the ‘intel’ does not work). Do that by editing the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf and change it to:
Section "Device"
Identifier "Default Device"
#Driver "radeon"
Driver "vesa"
## Required magic for radeon/radeonhd drivers; output name
## (here: "DVI-0") can be figured out via 'xrandr -q'
#Option "monitor-DVI-0" "Default Monitor"
EndSection
and save the change. You will need to make that change with root permissions. Do you know how to do that ? Note I added the line: Driver "vesa"
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Then reboot, you may (or may not) need to use the boot code ‘nomodeset’ . I think you will need ‘nomodeset’. Use that boot code and test. That may land you back at a full screen text mode or may freeze. Then you will need to boot with the code ‘x11failsave’ and remove that line. Sorry.
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Thank you for your great help. “intel” driver didn’t work, but “vesa” works great. I also took nomodeset off from /boot/grub/menu.lst and it boots up with normal GUI now.
jdmcdaniel3, thank you too, your help is also highly appreciated.
There is still a chance that the ‘intel’ driver could be made to work, but it would require some effort and some research.
In essence you need to remove the ‘vesa’ driver specification, boot again to the ‘intel’ driver with the nomodeset boot code specified (which will fail). Then reboot to a text mode and backup a copy of the /var/log/messages and /var/log/Xorg.0.log file. Then you can restore the vesa driver until the research is complete.
Then look inside the backup copy you made of the /var/log/messages and /var/log/Xorg.0.log file and study all error messages. They may give a hint as to why the ‘intel’ driver is failing. Based on that and some surfing it is possible an edit may be found to a file in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ directory, or to a new /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.
I will make this research. For now I’d like to understand why I can’t change monitor’s resolution. It gives me only option in “Configure Desktop” -> “Display and Monitor”: 640x480. Is this because of “vesa” driver or there is some else that I need to be aware of?
hmmm … 640x480 is horrible. Was the ‘fbdev’ driver any better ?
Type in a terminal as a regular user:
xrandr
and post here the output.
Also open up /var/log/Xorg.0.log and post the content of that file to SUSE Paste and post here the URL where the post was pasted/is-located. That log file might give a hint as to why the resolution is at 640x480.
Here is the output of “xrandr” under regular user account:
Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 640 x 480, current 640 x 480, maximum 640 x 480
default connected 640x480+0+0 0mm x 0mm
640x480 0.0*
Here is the URL of /var/log/Xorg.0.log: SUSE Paste
Hmmm … this appears to be the salient information on the vesa driver:
2459.239] (WW) VESA(0): Unable to estimate virtual size
2459.239] (II) VESA(0): Not using built-in mode "640x480" (no mode of this name)
2459.239] (WW) VESA(0): No valid modes left. Trying less strict filter...
2459.239] (II) VESA(0): Default Monitor: Using hsync range of 31.50-37.90 kHz
2459.240] (II) VESA(0): Default Monitor: Using vrefresh range of 50.00-70.00 Hz
2459.240] (WW) VESA(0): Unable to estimate virtual size
2459.240] (--) VESA(0): Virtual size is 640x480 (pitch 640)
2459.240] (**) VESA(0): *Built-in mode "640x480"
Before you 1st edited the 50-device.conf file, and you booted only with the boot code ‘nomodeset’, it is likely the PC was booting then to the ‘fbdev’ driver. What resolution did you have then ?
hmm … ok … well before spending too much time trying to tune ‘vesa’, what happens if you try an OLD 2.9.1 version of the Intel driver ? In openSUSE it is packaged in the rpm xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy . So go to the /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf file, and change ‘vesa’ to ‘intellegacy’ and save the change and restart. Again, try with (and without) the boot code ‘nomodeset’.
It didn’t work with “intellagacy” in both regular and “nomodeset” modes. Just gets stuck. BTW I’m not sure I unpacked the driver properly… Is it suppose to be available by default?
You may need to install it. Open Yast-Software Management search for rpm xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy. If it is not installed you would need to install it. If it is already installed then it just did not work.
You might want to go and do some searching and queries on the Intel site. It is their hardware after all.
