Hi Guys. Was wondering if you could help me, as support in ubuntuforums and Launchpad has been virtually non-existant in my 4 days of trying to solve this problem :(
My problem is this. I was trying to get dual screen to work, and a guide on the net said to download a new driver. So I went to the ATI website and downloaded a new ATI Radeon 9600 driver. When it installed however, my screen was compressed, so I tried to change the resolution to match my screens (I have dual screens - so that's ultimately what I wanted) - and from there it all went haywire. My screen started scrolling up and down. I thought this might have been a refresh error - so I restarted. And I haven't been able to enter Ubuntu graphically since.
Now the only advice I got from Ubuntuforums (Launchpad hasn't even replied) was to run Ubuntu in recovery mode and do xfix.
QuoteStart in recovery mode nad at the menu choose xfix, once xfix is finished select resume and continue to the desktop. THis assumes you are rinning Intrepid (v. 8.10) if you are running an older version, in recovery mode type at the prompt:
Code:
dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg
both actions will reset your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to the default, and you should be able to get to your desktop.
Now I did the top one. However nothing happened. Now whenever I try to launch Ubuntu for some weird reason it shows me the Windows XP startup page (I have dual boot Windows XP and Ubuntu) - cept blurred, multi-coloured (on the edges) and completely un-responsive. So really, no change.
I didn't do the second thing, because I'm using 8.10 Ubuntu. Would me doing that change anything? I just don't want to wreck anything further.
So I was wondering, could I somehow reset it to Ubuntu's defaults? I dunno, I got the LiveCD still, is there a way to reset it from that? Or from terminal line on startup? Could you guide me through, because I'm a Linux newbie completely.
Thanks, hopefully you guys can help me more than Ubuntu official support.
-Den
I had a resolution issue in Ubuntu 8.10 and ran a command very similar to the second one listed and it worked fine, so it should be fine to run it under 8.10. But before you do that, can we establish one thing? If you boot into Windows, is the resolution etc normal? We should rule out a hardware issue first.
Yes, Windows XP works perfectly. So should i give it a go? Could anything go wrong from that?
Can anyone help? I ran the script, but nothing happened. No change occured. Can I reset Ubuntu via the LiveCD or something?
i had a dual monitor setup with a Matrox agp card, and ubuntu and XP
so.. (ignore the matrox stuff) and try here for a bunch of other necessary info
http://forum.tuxx-home.at/
also
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=221174
the tuxx forum postings were a real education and helped completely solve my prob
the ubuntu fora less so
HTH
Hey thanks, it still isn't fixed :( http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1077178 that's the thread I'm in.
My most recent advice was to use apt-get and get envyng-core. However it didn't work (see thread for more details). It fails at au.archive.ubuntu.com
Is there any other way for me to get this fixed? Please, I'm really desperate...
Does sound like a network connectivity issue...
Run the following command: ping -c 5 au.archive.ubuntu.com
If it comes back with something ending something like shown below, the connection is fine:
--- au.archive.ubuntu.com ping statistics ---
5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss, time 4018ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 375.062/378.731/382.288/3.001 ms
Hi,
This is what I got:
ping -c 5au.archive.ubuntu.com
ping: unknown host au.archive.ubuntu.com
Which is weird... perhaps could i download that package from another source? Or if you think theres a different solution to my problem
Do you use a proxy server to access the internet normally? If so, you might need to put those settings in.
Alternatively, could you just reinstall Ubuntu? (Would you lose anything vital if you did?)
Quote from: Wang Solutions on February 28, 2009, 01:02:38 PM
Do you use a proxy server to access the internet normally? If so, you might need to put those settings in.
Alternatively, could you just reinstall Ubuntu? (Would you lose anything vital if you did?)
No i wouldn't. What would be the best way of doing that? I already had partitions set up, could I reinstall to those same partitions - like exactly the same position as it is in right now? Any good guides?
Yes, you could try getting the package from another source.
But perhaps the problems are DNS related as it cannot find the host. To test that, what happens if you run the following (which does the same thing as before but without looking up the host):
ping -c 5 91.189.88.46
You should be able to just reinstall to the same partition by selecting that partition when prompted. But if you have plenty of disk space you could instead install again into a completely new partition and then have two instances of Ubuntu to choose from when booting. That will give you some time to sort out the display issue on the current installation (or you could delete it once it you get the new one working).
Ok with Yoda's suggestion I get the following:
Network is unreachable
Wang, I don't have enough disk-space to install 2 partitions of Ubuntu, how would be the best way to uninstall it. (Or is it possible to install a fresh graphics driver from the LiveCD?
Thanks
-Den
Any ideas?
When you are doing these network traces, are you in Windows or Ubuntu?
I would think it possible to just reinstall Ubuntu into the existing partition over the top of it without first uninstalling but it is not something I have ever had to do.
Well, since the network isn't working either I'd say a reinstall from CD is probably the quickest fix.
When doing so, do the partitioning manually, using the existing partitions (with the large one set to be the "/" or "root" partition and the other set to "swap")
Could you recommend a good guide to doing that?
Not really - I find following the steps from "Install" on the live CD or alternate CD simple enough, but then I live and breathe computers. You could google for "guide to installing Ubuntu" - there's thousands of links
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22guide+to+installing+Ubuntu%22
Pick one that looks good to you
Yes, but don't I have to un-install it first? That comes up with results telling me how to install Ubuntu (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=guide+to+uninstalling+Ubuntu&btnG=Search&meta=)
Or does the installation replace the current one?
Installation can overwrite whatever you have on the hard-drive (including any Windows partitions if you have them).
Just a matter of (during the installation) using the MANUAL partitioning and picking the right existing partitions. You should be able to tell which they are by their TYPE (ext3 and linux-swap for Linux*, FAT or NTFS for Windows)
Choose the ext3 partition as the root ("/") drive and the one marked as "linux-swap" as the swap drive (if it's there). Alternatively, you can DELETE those partitions and get Ubuntu to set itself up in the resulting unused partition(s).
Note: you can find out what partitions there are with the following command:
sudo fdisk -l
(that's a lowercase L at the end, not a capital i or number one)
Ok, just to clear up some things. I DON"T want my Windows system wrecked, I have a backup, but yes it's where I do most of my work.
So if I do it, it will over-write it yes? Is that by default, or do I have to do something else?
Thanks heaps for your help as well!
Quote from: den160593 on February 28, 2009, 04:03:24 PM
Ok, just to clear up some things. I DON"T want my Windows system wrecked, I have a backup, but yes it's where I do most of my work.
So if I do it, it will over-write it yes? Is that by default, or do I have to do something else?
If you let Ubuntu use the whole hard-drive (which IS the default), you WILL lose everything on it, including Windows
If however you MANUALLY choose the partitions to use (and leave the Windows partition/s well alone), nothing would happen to the Windows installation.
If you do not have ANY Linux partitions, you can set up Linux within Windows.
See http://seogadget.co.uk/the-ubuntu-installation-guide/
I ran the command. I do have Linux partitions, however I have some unusual things (which hopefulyl you could explain)
Disk /dev/sda
Device Boot goes from /dev/sda1 - 3... then has a gap and continues from /dev/sda 6-9. Why's this?
Also, device /dev/sad2 has a weird ID of f and is called a W95 Ext'd. What does this mean? The other ones are all HPFS/NTFD and have an ID of 7
Lastly, /sda9 has an ID of 83 and is called Linux. Is this in some way special?
Thanks
-Den
That sounds like a lot of partitions and the gap is probably some unpartitioned (unused) space.
ID 83 is a regular Linux partition (which is where you'd install Ubuntu)
ID 7 is a Windows NTFS partition (Windows 2000/XP/Vista?)
ID f is a Windows 95 extended partition
Hmmm, ok so how can I check where my current Windows XP is installed so that I don't overwrite that space?
Quote from: den160593 on February 28, 2009, 04:41:13 PM
Hmmm, ok so how can I check where my current Windows XP is installed so that I don't overwrite that space?
If you install Linux in the partition with ID 83 only (/dev/sda9), Windows should not be affected.
Ok i'll give it a go, wish me luck :)
/me crosses fingers...
:rofl: at WW +1
Fixed it! Thanks heaps everyone! :aus1: BoincAustralia support beats Ubuntu Support :)
Re-install fixed it, although for some reason it still remembers all my cookies in FireFox and everything.... meh :)
Just wondering two things. Firstly, how do I get firefox to display Microsoft XP style fonts and everything, cos it all looks weird.
Secondly, can I make it auto-connect to my wireless network? Because now i have to manually add it.
Thirdly, can I make Windows XP default boot for now?
Glad to hear it's all working again :)
Sounds like you got a repair-install, given your cookies etc are still there. Great!
1. In Firefox, go to Edit | Preferences - then pick the "Content" tab. You should see settings there for fonts. If it does not list the likes of Arial and Times New Romsan, you can install the package "msttcorefonts" which has Arial, Trebuchet, Times New Roman, Verdana and some other Windows fonts
2. Can't help you with the wireless network. I gave up on wireless a long time ago
3. See http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/set-windows-as-default-os-when-dual-booting-ubuntu/
Sweet got both to work. Thanks heaps!! :cheers:
Well done - now you are an expert! :congrats biggrin
I have an "Ubuntu failure" of sorts... and it cropped up a while back.. dont know how or why it "fixed" itself , but it's doing it again.
I will come downstairs here to the computers after not attending them for a few hours and they are all in "screensaver/ sleep mode " (whatever.. no images, just black.) and they all wake up except for one...
the fans, both case and cpu are running..no HDD activity (according to light), and no amount of anything can wake it... even a 4 lb lump hammer !
sometimes, if I press a gazillion keys, wiggle the mouse too much etc, it WILL all of a sudden show some text on the screen.. no idea what it is saying...
Just wondering if anyone else has had this prob?
EDIT: forgot to mention.. when it is restarted, it "winds up" in cpu speed... with Gkrellm monitoring, it starts around 40% and slowly (over 20 seconds) winds up to 100% processor speed/ use.
This may be a silly response but could this be a hardware issue? U can go through the old reinstall and if that doesnt help id vote hardware if its only one of your systems and they all have similar installs.
I'd be inclined to put it down to hardware as well. I have had the same issue occasionally on two computers.
In one case it was due to faulty RAM (which I exchanged at the shop, only to get a second set of faulty RAM).
In the other it seems to have been due to too much overclocking - as soon as I wound it back a tad, the problem stopped recurring.
I wont even go into the troubles im having with my gaming PC atm. Cant even OC the thing it locks up and reboots regularly Overclocked or not. Cant find a faulty piece anywhere even sent it to the PC store for a look when i couldnt get past BIOS at one point and it mysteriously came good once the HDD was unplugged......plugged it back in and all good again..... going insane here.