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Re: [LUG] Major woe trying to install Ubuntu 18.10 on a new laptop

 



On 29/10/2018 12:12, Ian Dickinson wrote:
I've just ordered myself a new Cosmos VII laptop from PcSpecialist.
I've done a number of Ubuntu installs in the past, and generally
speaking they Just Work. Alas, not this time.

The machine is an I7 CPU with the NVidia GTX 1050 graphics card, and
no other OS.

* The first problem was that booting from the USB startup disk hangs
while either trying to "Try Ubuntu" or "Install Ubuntu". Googling
suggests that this is due to graphics driver issues, and to add
"nomodeset" to the grub boot command. This does indeed stop it
hanging, but:

* the second problem is that with nomodeset on grub, the aspect ratio
of the installer is out-of-whack, and some of the dialog boxes are off
screen. It's kind-of OK because I can tab to the "ok" button to
proceed through the installation, even when it's off screen, but then:

* having completed the installer, and booted to the Ubuntu login menu,
when I log in I get the "black screen of death" - a mouse pointer, but
then everything freezes up. Again, googling suggests maybe graphics
driver issues, but the suggested work around is to install the nvidia
drivers and I can't get a console up with ctl-alt-F2, even from the
boot screen

* I also can't get the Grub boot menu to appear. The suggested route,
hitting shift after the BIOS boot, doens't work. Hitting ESC *does*
get the grub command line interface, but I'm not sure what I need to
do from there to get a text-mode boot.

I haven't yet tried: disabling BIOS options, like secure boot, or
installing an older Ubuntu distro. I also feel that there are more
intelligent grub options I can other than just 'nomodeset' (I don't
really understand what that does, I just copied it from a forum
posting I found!), but I've reached the limit of my understanding of
the lower levels of Ubuntu.

Very happy to receive any suggestions!
Thanks,
Ian

Maybe try getting into "safe-mode"?

https://askubuntu.com/questions/172319/how-can-i-start-ubuntu-in-safe-mode


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