Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

TheMurf · Joined: 20 Jul 2012 Posts: 4

I am running an HP Pavillion dv 1000 with various frugal installs of Puppy Linux. I've set up Grub4Dos so that I can multi-boot with windows and all these different versions of Puppy.

This setup has been working properly for me for months. I've been using Lucid525 forever with no problems. I have been using Lucid528 for a few months with no problems (well, except for the wireless internet not initializing properly sometimes on startup. But, a reboot usu fixes that.)

Now out of the blue, when I startup Lucid528, it goes through the normal boot process, then once it starts X, I get a black screen with nothing on it. No cursor, nothing. I tried booting pfix=ram and it still does the same thing. I even tried going back and using my old Lucid525 install and that one now gives me a black screen too!

Strangely, Slacko533 still works normally. Go figure.

Anyone out there have any idea what's going on here? I'm stumped.

Dewbie · Joined: 15 Apr 2010 Posts: 1415

TheMurf · Joined: 20 Jul 2012 Posts: 4

Dewbie · Joined: 15 Apr 2010 Posts: 1415

OK, try booting pfix=ram from CD.
Then you'll be running from CD to RAM.
If everything works OK, you'll know the problem involves something on the hard drive.

bigpup · Posted: Sat 21 Jul 2012, 14:23 Post subject:

For Lucid Puppy 528:

Could be the xorg.conf file is bad.
Try boot option pfix=nox
This should boot to a prompt.
Run Xorgwizard to make new xorg.conf file.
Back at prompt, type xwin to finish booting.

Maybe something corrupted with the Lupu_528.sfs file in the frugal install.
Try replacing it with the Lupu_528.sfs file from the Lucid Puppy 528 iso

Could be corrupted save file.
Grub4dos usually makes a menu entry, for frugal installs, that does a file system check on boot.
Are you sure when you tried booting with pfix=ram, that is what you got, not using the save file?

TheMurf · Joined: 20 Jul 2012 Posts: 4

Thanks for the great advice, guys. I really appreciate the help.

I tried booting from CD and I get the same black screen. I didn't use a save file.

Then I tried booting with pfix=copy,fsck,nox

It didn't find any problems with the save file on the file system check as far as I could tell. And it booted to the prompt just fine.

When I run Xorgwizard, it goes fine until I try to test the video settings, then it hangs.

TheMurf · Joined: 20 Jul 2012 Posts: 4

Update:

I tried the above steps and chose the VESA driver this time and X is working now. I never had any problems with the autodetected driver before. I noticed that it mentions there are more than one intel driver, so maybe it was the wrong one.

I went back and tried choosing i810 from the list, and it still works.

I find this to be strange. Why would the intel driver work for so long and stop working all of a sudden?

Either way, I guess the problem is solved. Thanks for the help!