Since Feisty’s release, several users have complained of problems at boot after install. Apparently, Screen resolution preconfig is very limited and GRUB does not look at X for proper resolution, so the screen may go blank or your monitor may tell you there is no signal. Some folks have seen the screen go blank for a while then come back with the login. Shutdown show similar problems.
There are 2 fixes for this that have worked for me, so if you are experiencing the same issue, try them!
Both fixes require you edit your GRUB menu. This is located at /boot/grub/menu.lst
I use vim and nano to edit, but use whatever you’re comfortable with. Move down the file until you see:
## ## End Default Options ##
Your boot options are listed under here and by default, your most recent kernel with standard boot config is listed first. It should look something like this:
title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=blahblah-blobbety-blah ro splash quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault
The first and easiest fix is really not a fix, but a workaround. Simply remove “splash” from your version of the line shown above. This drops you into a default text boot. Some folks prefer this, anyway.
The second fix is a true fix. You need to give GRUB a framebuffer config by telling it what resolution to use. Here’s a table of reference:
Resolution in pixels
Color depth | 640×480 800×600 1024×768 1280×1024
256 (8bit)| 769 771 773 775
32000 (15bit)| 784 787 790 793
65000 (16bit)| 785 788 791 794
16.7 Mill (24bit)| 786 789 792 795
You put the config in the line using “vga=XXX” like so:
title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=blahblah-blobbety-blah vga=792 ro splash quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault
This worked for me. Hope it works for you, too! I found the fix both at ubuntuforums and kubuntuforums.
