Bug 476178 - White screen on install
Summary: White screen on install
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED INSUFFICIENT_DATA
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: xorg-x11
Version: 10
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
low
high
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: X/OpenGL Maintenance List
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2008-12-12 09:25 UTC by bryanschuman
Modified: 2018-04-11 17:55 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2009-02-02 21:54:27 UTC
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description bryanschuman 2008-12-12 09:25:18 UTC
Description of problem:
On at least the live-cd and the x64 install DVD, when initially attempting to boot the install image, X will boot to a white screen symptomatic of a driver incompatibility with the video hardware.  This occurs on many levels of video hardware from Intel chipsets to modern ATI chipsets (such as the Radeon 4870).  The issue pervades the forums.  Running into this issue requires in-depth research and user guesses for command line options that are not apparent to an average user.

How reproducible:
Every time, with incompatible hardware.


Steps to Reproduce:
1.  Boot Install or Live CD/DVD
2.  Select Install from the GRUB menu
  
Actual results:
White screen

Expected results:
Installer Screen

Suggested Remedies:
Add a command option such as "xdriver=vesa" to the default install options so that users are far less likely to run into this issue.  Alternately, add an option the GRUB menu such as "Safe Graphics Mode", which adds such an option.
Ubuntu 8.10's solution was to add an option of F4 to the install that allows the selection of the install mode, including safe graphics mode and text mode (also a welcome addition).

Comment 1 Matěj Cepl 2008-12-19 23:49:32 UTC
It doesn't make a sense to fight all the bugs which fill forums. Could you please file a bug for each issue YOU encounter? If you do so, please, attach your X server config file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf, if available) and X server log file (/var/log/Xorg.*.log) to the bug report as individual uncompressed file attachments using the bugzilla file attachment link below.

We will review this issue again once you've had a chance to attach this information.

Thanks in advance.

Comment 2 François Cami 2009-02-02 21:54:27 UTC
I'm closing this one as INSUFFICIENT_DATA as it concerns multiple bugs on multiple components without hard data (no logs, etc).

However, reporter's suggestion to add a "Safe Graphics Mode" should be kept and discussed. Bryan, the best place to do that is the fedora-devel list. Could you post there ? Thanks in advance.


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