After other distro update fail, Mageia re-install problems

[boombaby]

In another post today I explained my experience reconfiguring my (older) PC hardware setup. Normally I run two HDs and multiple partitions and multiple O/S's. Windows2000 had been my workhorse - and in the past year I have experimenting to see if there was a linux I could use instead.

I had ended up with Mageia-5-MATE which installed and worked perfectly for me at the GUI level. (I don't like tinkering in Command Line.)

However, in my most-recent dalliance with another distro, I decided to reconfigure my system. Then an update of the distro on my setup failed, due to non-support within the O/S of components involving my graphics card driver (an old SiS-6326).


I am wondering IF anything happened to my graphics card in the update. Here's why...


Firstly, I want to say on my old desktop system I have an old SiS-6326 graphics card working with a modern LCD monitor. [This config must be so unusual that many distros "detect" that I am running a laptop (and configure it as such).]

Secondly, on installing Mageia-5 off DVD (something which previously went without a hitch) it booted - briefly - to a text-based install screen then presented the graphics installer. (I don't remember that before.) I ignored that and continued - but after later events I decided it MIGHT be related to the failed other distro updates. [If anyone knows whether that is possible that would be handy.] <---- That's an inquiry.

Thirdly, the Mageia-5 re-install refused to accept my existing partitions. [Somewhere along the way they MIGHT have been "adjusted" with gparted (in various other distros).] Mageia reported the partitions were "so corrupted" that they were not configurable, and refused to continue. [All other installed distros booted OK, and saw the partitions OK.]

Fourthly, at Mageia re-install when I got to the graphics setup (ie choose a monitor/graphics-card and set a resolution) the "TEST" - at EVERY resolution selected - presented a black, blank screen. This did NOT happen when I first installed Mageia-5 many months ago. Here, even after I re-loaded, re-configured, re-selected, and re-tested (various resolutions) it still presented the same result (black/blank display). I decided to take a punt (ie a gamble) and chose the resolution that I KNEW was useable (ie I had used it on Mageia-5 previously) - then continued with the rest of the install. At re-boot time the screen/resolution came up PERFECTLY.

Fifth, at the subsequent re-boot I selected the XFCE desktop (just as a test) which booted up fine. HOWEVER, the following re-boot - and change BACK to MATE - left me with the black/blank screen (ie it looked EXACTLY like the faltering resolution tests). [I can't remember exactly how I re-jigged it but I got MATE working again, and I won't be using anything else.]

If anyone knows any reason why my old graphics card/monitor might falter (a.) this way, or (b.) after it failed to upgrade in another distro - then please advise.

Regards,

[jiml8]

For some reason, the video driver you need is not being reliably detected, or alternatively some other video driver is claiming your card. Either (or both) is possible.

Without knowing how you reinstalled after the Mageia installer refused to accept your partitions, I can't comment much further. If you have the ssh daemon running on your system, you can connect to it after boot even if the display won't work, and can fix your problem that way.

Alternatively (and probably better), when you get the black display, simultaneously press the keys ctrl-alt-F2 which should bring you to a basic console window, where you can work. If ctrl-alt-F2 does not work, try ctrl-alt-F3 through F7 to see if one gives a console. You should wait for several seconds after pressing the key combo for the console to appear.

Once you are talking to the machine and logged in as root, the command "lsmod | grep video" should tell you which video driver is actually loaded. You may need to blacklist that driver, and/or you may need to require the driver you need to be loaded at boot time.

To blacklist a driver, edit the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-compat and add the name of the driver you don't want to load in the same format as what is already in there.

To require a driver to be loaded, edit the file /etc/modules to add the name of the driver that is to be loaded.

I do not know what driver you actually need loaded; I don't recognize the 6326 designation, and a grep of the kernel source turns up only three digit SiS numbers...and 630 is one of those numbers; possibly the 6326 is some variant of that one.

Also, FWIW, I run Windows 2000 every day. I still do my billing out of it using Wordperfect 8 and I even do some dev work in it because it is much faster than Win7. I no longer run Win2K as a native install...not for a long time. It is a virtual machine running in my Mageia host. Works perfectly and is completely portable as I upgrade hardware.

[boombaby]

Hello, jiml8...

Yes; the only program I found to assist me with the partitioning (there may be others of course) was on an Isolinux boot/rescue disk I had. It says "Partition Wizard 8" but also has "Minitool" against it. I formatted partitions and set labels using that. Mageia settled for that, and I continued the install.

Later at the blank/black screen problem (from memory - so much happened in the time I was re-installing) I logged into a terminal (CTRL-F2) as Root or User, attempted to start X (or did, I think), then logged out, then rebooted. [That is a vague recollection.]


To see what driver is installed now, I just used the command you suggested: "lsmod | grep video" but get no response. [I'm logged in as User; terminal as Root.] Also tried "...grep sis" and "...grep driver", also without any reply. Oh, I see now. I used "lsmod" and looked through the list. No video.

Ah, yes, the driver name. Whenever a distro ACTUALLY DOES recognize my video card it calls it "sis old series". For instance, in the Mageia Control Center (MCC) display settings the driver is currently listed as that. As pointed out to me in the past by Doktor5000, if you type "man sis" in a terminal all the details for SiS-6326 are there! It's amazing!

I just did a very quick read, and something twigged with me. Last install of Mageia-5 I was using a 4.12???? kernel. The current install is 3.19. Perhaps there is something in that. At the moment I am so tired (3:45am) I don't even want to try anything further. Will do more tomorrow, and give feedback.

<Yes; I still have Win2K because of all the variety of freeware to use, although I haven't used it in months - ie while I was trying out Mageia-5. Except for the "speed" Mageia-5-MATE is pretty impressive as a useful alternative for me on my 32-bit system.>

In this post I originally was trying to find out if an "update" can physically "reconfigure" a graphics card ie permanently alter settings (perhaps one of an olde vintage might be susceptible), but it could be as you suggest an issue with the driver, perhaps in conjunction with the kernel. Will test later, and advise.

[doktor5000]

I just did a very quick read, and something twigged with me. Last install of Mageia-5 I was using a 4.12???? kernel. The current install is 3.19. Perhaps there is something in that.

You simply want to install updates, which include the newer kernel. As root

Code: Select all

urpmi --auto-update --auto

or use the regular update applet.

[isadora]

OK, jiml8, doktor5000, et al, I have done several reboots, and everything is still coming up roses (ie without any need for "adjustments"). I'm happy with that so far.

Doktor5000 suggested urpmi --auto-update --auto

Code: Select all

# urpmi --auto-update --auto
  unable to access medium "Core Release".  [Ed. that's the DVD]
  medium "Core Release (distrib1)" is up-to-date
  medium "Core Updates (distrib3)" is up-to-date
  medium "Core Release" is not available
# ...

Never mind. Remember, I use GUI. So instead I fired up MCC (Media Control Centre) and updated the kernel to 4.1.12.

Doing so reminded me THAT step was one of the first things I did post-install the last time I installed Mageia-5, some months ago. Indeed, I upgraded the kernel to have both 4.1.12 and 4.1.13 available at boot. (No particular reason.)

However - forget THAT - this time, I still do NOT know WHY I ended up DURING install with the TEST resolutions (ie every one) giving blank/black screens. [That has NEVER happened before with Mandrake, Mandriva, OpenMandriva, Rosa or Mageia - ie "the family". Each has always produced exceptional results with graphics/display/resolution selection.]

[Here I want to insert a bit of remembered information into the post, and the puzzle. During this install, Mageia searched and "found" my exact model monitor "L196WTQ" (from EDID?) yet I knew that model was NOT in the vendor list. (My knowledge was from "experience" during a previous install.) Nevertheless, I kept the model offered, selected and tested several resolutions, but each produced the black/blank screen. So NEXT I changed to model L204WTQ in the vendor search-list (ie the model which had worked for me during the previous install). However, TESTING each and every resolution with it this time I got the blank/black screen too.]

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Despite now having a system that is apparently working well (which makes me HAPPY), I'll leave this post go for a little while longer - to see if I can get an answer to the puzzle above.


Regards,

[doktor5000]

For the record, usually the test of new X server configuration will not work, as most graphic drivers usually grab the exclusive control of the graphics card, so don't rely on the test not working. That's not beautiful, but when you select different settings, save and reboot that usually always works.

Also I'd recommend not selecting a particular monitor model, but just select the default (Plug&Play) as then the graphic card will try to automatically recognise it and use some sane defaults. Only choose a different model, if you know that plug&play will not work (which is really rare, maybe only for some exotic old CRT monitors.

And if you monitor is wrongly recognised, best open a bugreport and add the EDID data, so this might be possibly fixed in the installer/drakx11.