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I'm new to Linux, trying to revive an ancient Samsung N130 netbook (Intel Atom N270, single 1.6 GHz core, 2 GB RAM, Intel graphics) using Lubuntu.

When I try to boot from HDD after successful installation, it shows some garbled graphics (what should be a line of text and blinking cursor), then shuts off the monitor. I'm assuming it's a graphics driver problem since the computer keeps running with the HDD access LED flashing every now and then.

  • It boots just fine as a live system from a USB drive with the native display resolution. Why? Shouldn't it use the exact same drivers?
  • It also boots fine if I put "nomodeset" in the boot options in grub, but then doesn't give me the option to use the native display resolution, only allows 800 x 600 graphics, which I don't like.
  • Reinstalling didn't change anything.
  • I tried creating /etc/X11/xorg.conf since it was missing, but I think that's normal? No idea what it does, just following advice.
  • xserver-xorg-video-intel is installed per default apparently

Please help me, tell me what I can try to make it work. As I said I don't have much experience with linux, I know how to open a terminal and type whatever someone tells me to put there, but I'd like to understand what I'm doing, too.

Thanks a lot for reading and replying!

Streamtronics
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1 Answers1

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I have had the same problem with both Ubuntu Budgie and Ubuntu MATE on a Samsung N130 this week and have got mine working by first adapting the instructions found here.

First you need to edit (temporarily) the grub file by adding i915.modeset=0 to the the line with "quiet splash" in it, then press ctrl + X to boot.

This will boot you into a low graphics instance. After logging in it is necessary to turn off the boot animations. The easiest way is using xdiagnose. If Lubuntu does not have xdiagnose installed by default open the terminal and install using:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xdiagnose

Once you've got it in launch xdiagnose and check the box marked "disable bootloader graphics". Then reboot. This should solve the problem.

pomsky
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John McCaul
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