Ubuntu GNOME - Corrupted screen at boot...HELP!

By The Dark Knight
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The Dark Knight

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I'm having some trouble with Ubuntu. Kindly note that I am a newbie to Linux. This is my hardware setup:

 

MSI AM1 motherboard: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/AM1I.html#hero-overview

Processor: AMD Sempron APU 2650 1.45 Ghz with Radeon R3 graphics

RAM: Corsair 4 GB DDR3 (single stick)

 

I have installed Ubuntu GNOME 16.04 after a few tries. The issue I faced during installation and the one I face during boot is a corrupted display. I have to turn off / reset the system multiple times before it works. I have updated it fully after installation, and also installed a proprietary AMD driver that was under the Additional Drivers section.

 

I get the GRUB boot screen below:

IMG_20160703_134659.jpg

 

After I select it, I get this:

IMG_20160703_134713.jpg

 

I have to hard reset / turn off the system multiple times before it boots.

 

Please help!! :cry::cry:

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Barney T. Administrators

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It looks like a video driver incompatibility. I would reboot until you get a usable system up and running, back up all of your important data then look for another video driver (either the Ubuntu suggested or another version of the proprietary driver). You might also want to try different versions of either Ubuntu or a variation (like Mint or Debian) in a Live CD to see if the video works better with one of them. As another alternative, you could try Xubuntu for a different desktop since it uses less resources than Gnome or KDE.

 

Hope that this helps!

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The Dark Knight

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  On 03/07/2016 at 10:34, Barney T. said:

It looks like a video driver incompatibility. I would reboot until you get a usable system up and running, back up all of your important data then look for another video driver (either the Ubuntu suggested or another version of the proprietary driver. You might also want to try different versions of either Ubuntu or a variation (like Mint or Debian) in a Live CD to see if the video works better with one of them.

 

Hope that this helps!

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But the thing is, it does eventually boot with the exact same settings (BIOS). Earlier today I was configuring software and users in Ubuntu, no issues. The issue is only during boot. I tried booting with a Mint distro, same graphic corruption. So it is definitely a graphics issue, just that it happens before booting. If and when it eventually boots, everything works perfectly. Also, no drivers showed up under Additional Drivers in the OS.

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Barney T. Administrators

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Yeah, this is a tough one. Since drivers load at boot up, I think that it is an incompatibility instead of a corruption (since you can get it booted up from time to time. here is an incompatibility with the distro and your boot up. Again, if there are valuable files on this computer, I would save them first. Then you can try other distros or solutions.

 

Some others having this problem:

 

http://askubuntu.com/questions/460591/ubuntu-14-04-screen-corruption-on-live-desktop-amd-7970

 

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=127818.0

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Barney T. Administrators

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You'li have to try the Live CD. Linux distros can be burned in .iso format as an image file and booted up as a Live CD. This installs the distro to RAM instead of the had drive. Then, you can see if it works better with your hardware. Post how this works and we can move forward! Each distro has it's own make up so the driver make-up could be different. Based on your computer hardware, the results will be different. Good luck and let us know.

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The Dark Knight

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  On 03/07/2016 at 11:20, Barney T. said:

You'li have to try the Live CD. Linux distros can be burned in .iso format as an image file and booted up as a Live CD. This installs the distro to RAM instead of the had drive. Then, you can see if it works better with your hardware. Post how this works and we can move forward! Each distro has it's own make up so the driver make-up could be different. Based on your computer hardware, the results will be different. Good luck and let us know.

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I've tried with Fedora and Mint. They don't even let me boot into the Live environment! Same corrupted screen when I select the boot without installing options in each of them.

  On 03/07/2016 at 11:37, Mindovermaster said:

Wouldn't nomodeset be an option?

 

http://askubuntu.com/questions/38780/how-do-i-set-nomodeset-after-ive-already-installed-ubuntu

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Tried exactly like mentioned in the link you gave, same problem.

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Barney T. Administrators

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Hmmm, looks like something in your hardware might not be compatible with Linux. The fact that other distros are unable to fix this problem points to hardware (still most likely your video card). Also, your GRUB menu boots up fine, so I believe that Ubuntu is installed correctly on your hard drive. Another option is to try another video card (if you have one lying around) and try to boot up using that instead. NVIDIA has always had a better track record with Linux.You'de to select it in the BIOS or in the Linux settings. I am sorry that you are having such problems! :(

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Mindovermaster Global Moderator

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  On 03/07/2016 at 14:26, Barney T. said:

NVIDIA has always had a better track record with Linux.

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Truth, that. When I moved from my Radeon 7850 to my 750Ti, my system became a lot better...

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Mando

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  On 03/07/2016 at 11:37, Mindovermaster said:

Wouldn't nomodeset be an option?

 

http://askubuntu.com/questions/38780/how-do-i-set-nomodeset-after-ive-already-installed-ubuntu

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thats exactly what i was thinking tbh, Linux Mint 18 did this with me also, nomodeset fixed this issue for me on mint (intel HD gfx)

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BetaguyGZT

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I've run into this issue before. It's always, always driver-related. It's got nothing to do with your hardware "going bad" or anything, so don't panic. :) 

 

Common problem. Nvidia users will see this a lot when using the open-source driver, and it will mostly correct itself; ie, there will still be artifacts on the screen but the user can at least get the system installed and then the proprietary drivers installed afterwards and the problem is eliminated upon next reboot.

 

I've only ever had one chipset that had Radeon R3 graphics on the chip in the house, a 5350 APU, and I never could get it running properly with Linux. Installed Windows on it and it's actually a fairly decent machine for what it is.

 

My advice is to get yourself a cheap Nvidia card, like a 610. They're $35~$55 on Newegg, and they'll push most games ... if you turn the graphics settings all the way down. I could get 25~55 fps in The Secret World with my old one. That's playable in my book. :yes: 

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The Dark Knight

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  On 03/07/2016 at 17:27, Unobscured Vision said:

I've run into this issue before. It's always, always driver-related. It's got nothing to do with your hardware "going bad" or anything, so don't panic. :) 

 

Common problem. Nvidia users will see this a lot when using the open-source driver, and it will mostly correct itself; ie, there will still be artifacts on the screen but the user can at least get the system installed and then the proprietary drivers installed afterwards and the problem is eliminated upon next reboot.

 

I've only ever had one chipset that had Radeon R3 graphics on the chip in the house, a 5350 APU, and I never could get it running properly with Linux. Installed Windows on it and it's actually a fairly decent machine for what it is.

 

My advice is to get yourself a cheap Nvidia card, like a 610. They're $35~$55 on Newegg, and they'll push most games ... if you turn the graphics settings all the way down. I could get 25~55 fps in The Secret World with my old one. That's playable in my book. :yes: 

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  On 03/07/2016 at 14:26, Barney T. said:

Hmmm, looks like something in your hardware might not be compatible with Linux. The fact that other distros are unable to fix this problem points to hardware (still most likely your video card). Also, your GRUB menu boots up fine, so I believe that Ubuntu is installed correctly on your hard drive. Another option is to try another video card (if you have one lying around) and try to boot up using that instead. NVIDIA has always had a better track record with Linux.You'de to select it in the BIOS or in the Linux settings. I am sorry that you are having such problems! :(

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Looks like my only option is to run Windows on it then. The problem is this is a Mini ITX board, so there is only 1 PCI-E slot. I need this slot later on for a LAN card, as I intend to have a PFSense router VM running as well.

 

Thanks for all your help! :)

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BetaguyGZT

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Understood. Yeah, that would be a problem. I suggest you try an older version of Mint based on 14.04 Ubuntu that has the proprietary drivers, such as 17.3. It'll be supported until 2019, and AMD have already said they're going to have something figured out by the end of the year.

 

Unless this was Mint 17.3/Ubuntu 14.04.x; in which case yeah .. but my own experience says you'll end up much the same way I did -- getting Windows for that particular hardware.

 

I have to say that for AMD being a full member of the OSS Foundation and everything, they sure are a bunch of foot-dragging sloths when it comes to actually supporting their own products on Linux and having some proper drivers. It's quite disgusting, really.

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The Dark Knight

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  On 04/07/2016 at 14:47, Unobscured Vision said:

Understood. Yeah, that would be a problem. I suggest you try an older version of Mint based on 14.04 Ubuntu that has the proprietary drivers, such as 17.3. It'll be supported until 2019, and AMD have already said they're going to have something figured out by the end of the year.

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Oh, so 17.3 will not give me this problem then? If yes, that would be awesome! I tried the latest MInt 18 and plain Ubuntu 16.04. Strange that the older version of the OS has the drivers and not the new!! :s

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The Dark Knight

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Actually I think I'll just proceed with installing WIndows on it. It is an additional cost because of the license, but it is hassle free. And I can always run OwnCloud and PFSense in VM's. :)

 

Do you think this setup will be up to the task? Windows 10, the above mentioned VM's and incremental backups from computers on LAN. Incremental individual files that is, not image backups.

  • 2 weeks later...
Grand Master

chrisj1968

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  On 03/07/2016 at 14:26, Barney T. said:

Hmmm, looks like something in your hardware might not be compatible with Linux. The fact that other distros are unable to fix this problem points to hardware (still most likely your video card). Also, your GRUB menu boots up fine, so I believe that Ubuntu is installed correctly on your hard drive. Another option is to try another video card (if you have one lying around) and try to boot up using that instead. NVIDIA has always had a better track record with Linux.You'de to select it in the BIOS or in the Linux settings. I am sorry that you are having such problems! :(

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You're right. Back in the early.. stone age days of Linux, 95-98-ish, I tried linux(AMD 600Mhz Slot A CPU day) but kept getting corrupt screens. my cards weren't up on drivers. So  I concur with Barney. even though that was many moons ago. But same exact problem. if you get your system back up, go to the forums and let the devs of the distros know of your issues. the only way for them to get the issue fixed.

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