Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

ravensrest · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 306 Location: Hood Canal, WA

I have a Gateway NV55S09u computer (AMD quad core, 64 bit) with 4 gig of memory. I have downloaded and burned copies of Slacko-5.5-4g, Precise 5.5 and Precise 5.6. In each case the programs load to the point where the "loading kernel modules" message appears. Then I am presented with a colored snow screen with a roughly 1"x1" mouse cursor, also of colored snow. The cursor is responsive to the mouse pad. If I try pfix=nox I simply get a blank dark screen when the kernel modules start to load. Rebooting is necessary to escape.

Slacko, Wary, Racy 5.3 and older all load. What is happening, and how do I fix it?

ed.: just downloaded, burned and ran Racy 5.5. Worked fine.

Thanks for any light you can shed on my problems.
BS

cthisbear · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 2980 Location: Sydney Australia

Maybe try>>>

puppy pfix=ram nouveau.modeset=0

or

puppy pfix=ram nouveau,noaccel=1

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=85348&start=60

:::::

Specs:

http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/61526/best-buy-gateway-nv55s09u-laptop-amd-a63400m-2.3ghz-15.6-1366x768-led-4gb-ddr3-500gb-hdd-radeon-hd-6520g-wifin-6cell-battery-win-7-prem

Good luck....Chris.

ravensrest · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 306 Location: Hood Canal, WA

Thanks cthisbear, but neither option worked. Same results as before

BTW, I am unfamiliar with the options you suggested; I know only those available at boot time from the boot messages. Where can I find additional options?

BS

rcrsn51 · Posted: Wed 29 May 2013, 11:25 Post subject:

Your Gateway NV55S09u appears to have Radeon graphics.

Try booting with

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2691 Location: Earth

@Ravensrest

The options that are suggested are to be used when your machine boots and pauses at the Puppy boot screen.

Also, once there, If you hit the "F2" key, you will see options that others offer to try. Also F3 will give additional boot-time options.

Hope this helps

`f00 · Posted: Wed 29 May 2013, 18:35 Post subject: Subject description: modeset=0

@ravensrest
If the "puppy radeon.modeset=0" bootcode gives you a usable display/desktop, you can set that boot parameter in /etc/modprobe.d/radeon.conf file - edit to change the "1" to a "0"

With some vidcards, xorg (in the more recent pups) will do that blackscreen bit when attempting to start the X server Neutral

ravensrest · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 306 Location: Hood Canal, WA

Once again, rcrsn51, you have been an invaluable aid! "puppy radeon.modeset=0" does allow Precise-5.5 and Slacko-5.5 to come up running, and Precise-5.6 defaults to the xorgwizard. But there are problems I do not understand. First, with Precise-5.6 the xorgwizard gives me a choice of ATI, radeon, modesetting, or VESA drivers, but only VESA will work. In Precise-5.5 or Slacko-5.5 attempting to change the video mode will result in xwin not restarting even if the original mode is chosen again. Reboot is necessary. Same happens with Precise-5.6, but xorgwizard will let me reselect VESA. The max resolution appears to be 1024x768 even though the xorgwizard shows it as 1366x768. I can reduce the resolution, but not increase it.

Other clues: when F2 is selected at boot time, the message "DESKTOP FAIL: Black-screen/hangs" appears at the bottom of the page before typing in any commands. In Precise-5.6, when ATI or radeon driver is selected and tested the message "Fatal server error: no screens found" appears. I did look in xorg.conf to confirm there is a Screen0 defined. Also in xorg.conf, the resolution is stated at 1024x768 even though the preferred is 1366x768.

Is it possible that the ATI drivers are not present?

One other question: where does one find all the options that are available at boot time? The F2 and F3 keys do not even show the ones you all have suggested.

Ted Dog · Joined: 13 Sep 2005 Posts: 1064 Location: Heart of Texas

same driver display issue with my AMD notebook.. also no sound.

ravensrest · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 306 Location: Hood Canal, WA

Since my original post I have learned that this appears to be a problem with radeon and KMS, and that the option "radeon.modeset=0" is a message GRUB passes to the linux kernel, not a Puppy option.

However, there is something I still don't understand. Radeon, and I presume Ted Dog's AMD, do support KMS, so why do we have to disable it with modeset=0 in Puppy? All of my versions of Puppy will work if I do this either in GRUB or in etc/modprobe.d/radeon.conf, but won't start xwin if I don't. It also appears as if all the software add-ons needed for radeon are present in /lib/firmware/radeon.

Appreciate any info you can give me.

BS