Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

tshafer · 2024-12-26 21:17

ACER Aspire 4520 5803
AMD64 + nvidia video

Installed in 'auto-defaults' mode, with new HD. Appeared normal linux boot until video??? driver auto-installed.

Freaky ! Q4OS with first home-screen icon in horz#20, same icon at horz#50, same at horz#90.
Three "hi-rez" VGAs compacted on one line !
At this moment, the clock-timer is ticking on the screen, slowly moving down and off the screen.

Some other distros have 'boot VGA only',,, on the GRUB startup menu. Works perfect for me.
Is this something I can add ? ACER is a windows-only machine.END.

Your help is appreciated.

hchiper · 2024-12-27 05:35

Sorry, hard for me to help: I'm French speaking and despite I do my best I don't understand much of the problem you are describing. Google Translate doesn't help at all.

If possible, follow this procedure:
https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.ph … 962#p19962

Try also to boot from a Q4OS live media and see what happens.

Last edited by hchiper (2024-12-27 05:45)

tshafer · 2024-12-27 21:03

ACER Aspire 4520 5803 - AMD64 + nvidia video

1. Boot USB Q4OS 5.7 (downloaded 12/26)
2. Run 'Normal' Install to HD. (completed no problems) Removed USB.
3. Boot from HD.
GRUB displays seems normal.
During Q4OS initial loading, video mode 'shifts' screen size, font, & blue color.
4. Final loading, blue screen with small white box "Q4OS Desktop Operating System" + UserID.
The blue screen appears "duplicated" four times. The Q4OS display is in the lower right area.
The upper blue areas are empty. There are several blurred areas that appear to be scrolling information.
5. Finally, a time-out, screen goes dark.
6. Enter Ctl+Alt+Del. Screen displays same "Q4OS" box with blurred text,, containing readable "re-boot" !
End.
.
My desktop Q4OS version 5.15.8 - APPLE MAC giant-screen. Required many extra-reboots before suitable video fittings were obtained.
This new Q4OS install , does not bother to ask ???

hchiper · 2024-12-27 22:43

Duplicated displays and blurred text seem strange.
I presume the display was fine with your previous OS and during Q4OS installation?
Can you post pictures of your screen with those duplicated blue screens and blurred text?
What install media did you use and where did you get it?

tshafer · 2024-12-28 00:48

Strange Duplicated Display ("freaky"). <--- I could take digital camera photos ???
Display works fine with most OLD **Linux (which use OLD GRUB).
NEW Linux does not ask for video settings,,, there is no "VGA=791" parameter in NEW GRUB.
Favorite USB Install media: Plug-able SanDisk 'cruiser' Plenty of Q4OS 's !
Old (small/slow) disks are replaced by SanDisk SD cards.

**Remember Damn_Small_Linux ? It has been re-released ! And it works perfectly in the ACER !

hchiper · 2024-12-28 15:15

tshafer wrote:

,,, there is no "VGA=791" parameter in NEW GRUB.

If the problem is there, this Debian page might be helpful (see "Grub 2 and the VGA parameter"):
https://wiki.debian.org/GrubTransition
Note: I didn't test those modifications, I just searched the web.

crosscourt · 2024-12-28 19:45

Hchipers advice is good as that may help the situation. The bigger problem youre going to have down the road is, youre laptop uses the Nvidia 610m chipset/ Geforce 7000m IGP and the drivers really werent good to start. As distros continue to progress the driver issues will get worse.
Damn Small Linux is great as I used it a lot in the old days.

tshafer · 2024-12-28 23:39

Tried to "GRUB-Transition" as Hchipers mentioned.
Had to boot a working distro, to patch a non-working distro, which produced a un-bootable machine.
Simply another day wasted in the GRUB 'dungeon'. Been there, done that.

CrossCourt speaks the facts. ACER makes that clear, there never was, and never will be software to support those non-windows machines.
So my answer is simple - avoid any distro that relies (solely) on GRUB.

I support four ACER machines. Three happy Linux, and one sad Windows.
Thanks for your input.

hchiper · 2024-12-29 10:49

tshafer wrote:

Had to boot a working distro, to patch a non-working distro, which produced a un-bootable machine.

Editing /etc/default/grub and running `sudo update-grub` should be done on the same machine under the same running (booted) OS.
Since Q4OS GUI is not useable on your Acer, you can try to switch to a pure console (Alt+Ctrl+F2) --hopefully the display will be readable-- and login there. You can use nano as text editor.

tshafer · 2024-12-29 20:07

I used a bootable-usb, then added the "VGA+" paramenter to the HD-installed-GRUB,,, it worked !
Booting GRUB, you could see & edit the 791 value, and watch the first few seconds of the Debian load, then blank screen.
The ACER has a keyboard 'blinker' when WiFi is loaded. Thats how I assumed it had completed the boot.
However, in my computer world, GRUB is the enemy ! Good riddance.

Hint: My keyboard 'windows' key has a APPLE logo. My grand-children enjoy booting MS-DOS for the HangMan game !
Thanks again for your help.

tshafer · 2024-12-29 20:27

Thanks again for your help.

Last edited by tshafer (2024-12-29 20:28)

Q4OS Forum

#1 2024-12-26 21:17

Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#2 2024-12-27 05:35

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#3 2024-12-27 21:03

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#4 2024-12-27 22:43

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#5 2024-12-28 00:48

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#6 2024-12-28 15:15

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#7 2024-12-28 19:45

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#8 2024-12-28 23:39

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#9 2024-12-29 10:49

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#10 2024-12-29 20:07

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

#11 2024-12-29 20:27

Re: Q4OS 5.7 install in VGA mode ???

Board footer