Display problem running Puppy Slacko 5.4 off CD

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evoliphant
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Joined: Wed 12 Dec 2012, 23:17

Display problem running Puppy Slacko 5.4 off CD

#1 Post by evoliphant »

I am trying to run puppy-slacko 5.4 off a CD so I can install it to a USB stick using the Universal Installer but I can't get puppy to display properly. After puppy loads into RAM, the monitor blinks and then I get this white gibberish screen with lines/static all over it. I assume this is a display adapter problem but I am relatively new to linux and in particular puppy, so I'm not sure how to fix this display issue.

It is an ASUS laptop with both integrated graphics chip (AMD A6) and a separate 1GB Radeon GPU (HD6720). Not that it matters but, I currently have a dual boot set-up with Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04. I use the EASY BCD program to do the boot loader, but that is not an issue really as I have chosen the CD/DVD to be first in the boot priority list and I can get to the initial puppy loading screen.

Is there a command I can run prior to loading puppy that will fix this issue? If not, is there another version of Puppy that will not give me this problem? TIA for any help.

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bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#2 Post by bigpup »

This is probably a video driver issue.

To see if you can get it to work:
Boot with the Slacko Live CD.
At the boot screen hit F2.
Add the command puppy pfix=nox
This will get you to a prompt.
Type xorgwizard at the prompt.
Select the vesa driver.
set resolution.
run test to see if it works.
finish xorgwizard.
back at prompt.
Type xwin
should see desktop.

You can also try one of these boot options:
If you have video blackscreen at boot try:

pfix=ram i915.modeset=0
pfix=ram radeon.modeset=0
pfix=ram nouveau.modeset=0

depending on your card of course.

NB:
i915 is for intel
radeon is for radeon
nouveau is for nvidia
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

evoliphant
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed 12 Dec 2012, 23:17

#3 Post by evoliphant »

Good news, I'm posting from my new puppy os and just as I had hoped, it is absolutely smoking fast. I'm quite happy. Trying to get past this display issue was odd though.

I had tried the
puppy pfix=nox
prior to your suggestion, but it did not work. It wouldn't give me a prompt. Then, at your suggestion, I tried the
pfix=ram radeon.modset=0
but it did nothing either. It was almost as if it was totally ignoring the commands. Then I tried...
puppy pfix=nox,ram radeon.modset=0
and it worked. I got to the prompt and was able to set up the Vesa driver. Now all I need to figure out is how to get my resolution higher. The current resolution looks sort of stretched out. I don't like it. Anyways, I got it up and running so, many thanks for the help!

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bigpup
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Location: S.C. USA

#4 Post by bigpup »

I tried the

Quote:
pfix=ram radeon.modset=0


but it did nothing either. It was almost as if it was totally ignoring the commands.
Should have pointed out that any boot option has to start with puppy then the option.

Example:
puppy pfix=ram radeon.modeset=0


What resolution do you want?
The Vesa driver is limited on what resolutions it supports.
In a console type

xrandr

a list of usable resolutions will be provided.
May not have the one you want, but choosing something close will usually give you a good usable desktop.

Running xorgwizard, at the prompt, is how to change resolution settings.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

evoliphant
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed 12 Dec 2012, 23:17

#5 Post by evoliphant »

I guess that is the only resolution I can run it at under the Vesa driver. I guess it's not that big of a deal.


I have another question in regard to these commands. The way I am running puppy slacko right now, I am having to enter these commands and choose the Vesa driver every time I boot.

I just made another usb stick where I put the vmlinuz, *.sfs and all the other files required to run puppy on another USB stick formatted to ext3. Under one of the tutorials on doing an extended frugal install, it suggested that I copy those files tor /mnt/sdb1/puppy and then use Grub4Dos to make it bootable

I did all that and it boots fine. The problem now is that I don't get that screen that asks you to hit f2 or f3 to run commands and I can't get it to install the Vesa driver, so I'm having the same issue as before.

Is there a file to edit so that it will automatically choose the Vesa driver so I don't have to type that in every time I boot?

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bigpup
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Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#6 Post by bigpup »

After you boot and change to the Vesa driver, if you reboot and make or update the save file, it should reboot and now use the Vesa driver.
But you have problems getting to just a prompt, so probably will need menu entry change to make change stick.

On the USB stick, using Grub4dos to boot, there is a info file that has the info for the boot menu you see.
You can edit that file.
Look for a file named:

menu.lst

In Puppy file manager left click on file to open in text editor.
Find entry that boots Puppy.
Add option to end of kernel line in that entry.
Save change.
Now option is used on next boot.

Example:
title Puppy slacko 5.3.6.5 (sdb1)
uuid 593c30ef-fa09-4080-9b8c-476ca94a43f3
kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash pfix=fsck radeon.modset=0
initrd /initrd.gz

The radeon.modset=0 option should work for you here.

The first time you boot, using it, you will probably have to play with resolution settings.
Rebooting will make sure any changes are in save file, so they are used at next boot.

Notice when using options here, the option does not use puppy at beginning. Just the option is entered.

Do not have option pfix=ram here. It will keep save file from being used.
You may have another Puppy entry that uses that option. It is good to have to use as a recovery boot of Puppy, if something goes wrong with the save file.
Example:
title Puppy slacko 5.3.6.5 (sdb1) RAM mode\nBoot up Puppy without pupsave
uuid 593c30ef-fa09-4080-9b8c-476ca94a43f3
kernel /vmlinuz pmedia=usbflash pfix=ram, fsck radeon.modset=0
initrd /initrd.gz
Last edited by bigpup on Sun 16 Dec 2012, 19:50, edited 1 time in total.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

User avatar
bigpup
Posts: 13886
Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#7 Post by bigpup »

After reading some of your earlier posts.
Is there a chance you have a old save file, on your hard drive or someplace, that is maybe being used when you boot?
Running from a CD will sometimes make one the first time you reboot, if you do not watch how you shutdown and carefully read the shutdown messages.
Having to use pfix=ram to get to a prompt is a clue to this. This option keeps any save files from being used.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)

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