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Can't install any linux after format pc

Ask for help with issues regarding the Installations of the Debian O/S.
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lyt
Posts: 11
Joined: 2013-03-19 23:43

Can't install any linux after format pc

#1 Post by lyt »

Hello, well i digged in google and other forums about a "black screen after boot" and all that stuff... but i couldnt find what was going on...
The problem began after i unplugged my speakers while running ubuntu and after doing that -->green screen, all broken, not even a console...
Well that wasn't a problem for me because i was about to format my pc an install windows and debian, so after installing the first OS, i went for debian... and after all the installation (where i choose install graphics enviroment and basic packages), i rebooted pc and nothing happened when i chose debian on GRUB...
I thought i might have downloaded the wrong iso, so i downloaded for amd64 (i used i386 iso file before), installed all again, and again black screen after installation.
Then i tried with the live image, to test if it worked before installing... And after loading all modules, black screen.
I downloaded distros of fedora, ubuntu, open suse, debian (i386, amd64, multi-arch) and with all of them i had exactly the same problem, some of those distros didnt even take me to the installation menu...

My PC is: AMD Phenom II X3 720 Processor---Motherboard Asus M2N68-AM SE2 (AM2)--- 128MBGeForce 7025 / nForce 630a (ASUStek Computer Inc) --- RAM 3,00 GB

Anyone has any clue of what the problem could be? I only installed linux once in my pc (it was ubuntu 9.10, and then updated to 10.04 until i broke it), and several times on virtual PCs, till i learned a bit more and decided to move to debian... But now i can't even taste a piece of the free software =/

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saulgoode
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#2 Post by saulgoode »

Do you perhaps have a graphics card installed in the PC (in addition to the motherboard's nVidia chipset)?
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it. -- Brian Kernighan

lyt
Posts: 11
Joined: 2013-03-19 23:43

Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#3 Post by lyt »

No nothing... I never changed any part of my pc since i bought it. By the way, i just tested with the ubuntu 9.10, the same iso i used the first time, and didnt worked either... after all modules were loaded for the live version, black screen =(
I dont know if this could have something to do, but just to add more info my pc is partitioned like this (500GB disk): 100 MB for something wind 7 needs, 90 GB for win 7, 60GB free space (was supposed to be for linux), and rest of the space is a ntfs partition for files...

Randicus
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#4 Post by Randicus »

lyt wrote:The problem began after i unplugged my speakers while running ubuntu and after doing that -->green screen, all broken, not even a console...
Did that happen immediately after unplugging the speakers, or upon the next log-in or reboot?

Not saying I know the answer. Just curious.

lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#5 Post by lyt »

immediatly.. You know, people always recommended me to shut down the pc before plugging/unplugging something.. I forgot about that and after unplugging speakers the desktop turned distortioned and green, and after the reboot, only green...

Randicus
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#6 Post by Randicus »

However, I get the impression from your first post that you are dual-booting and the Windows system is working, but any Linux system you install does not. Is that correct? If so, it is unlikely your hardware was fried. Although plugging and unplugging speakers and printers has never hurt my computer. Perhaps I have been lucky. :)

lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#7 Post by lyt »

yes windows was working great, even after the error i got in ubuntu. Now i installed it again and it's fine too, and when i could install linux, the grub showed me the option to choose it (and kep working fine), but when i choose linux it loads everything until i get the black screen... This is weird because how is it possible that one OS is working and the other doesnt.

lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#8 Post by lyt »

I just checked which version of debian i had downloaded and installed in my virtual pc, using the command uname -a i got:

Linux debian 2.6.32-5-686 #1 SMP Mon Feb 25 01:04:36 UTC 2013 i686 GNU/Linux

And the iso i downloaded is named "debian-6.0.5-i386-CD-1.iso"...

So... i686 is not i386 as the installer i downloaded says... could it be that? If so, how can i get the REAL i386 iso? because it seems that all the iso files i downloaded were for other architectures (considering that the problem was that).

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sakamoto
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#9 Post by sakamoto »

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/6.0 ... etinst.iso

i would advise to use to the netinstall version in the future but rest assured, you installed the correct distro i386 but with the 686 kernel. you can install 486 kernel for older pc's as following on squeeze stable:

# apt-get install linux-image-2.6.32-5-486


however i am not confident that it will solve your problem. is windows still working? i would like to exclude hardware failure.... it's impossible that unplugging speakers can break a system
debian 7.0 wheezy 3.2.0-4-686-pae gnu/linux

lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#10 Post by lyt »

Ok i'll download it now and try if it works.
Though i can't try the apt-get install command because i can't boot any distro or live version of linux.
About windows, yes, it always worked fine... When ubuntu crashed i had win XP, and nothing changed there, now i am using win 7 and works fine also. Only problem is with linux.

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saulgoode
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#11 Post by saulgoode »

When you install Debian, are you re-installing GRUB? (It sounds as though you are not.)
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it. -- Brian Kernighan

lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#12 Post by lyt »

i installed first win 7, and then debian... it installed grub but it didnt recognized win 7, so when i choose debian to fix grub, i discovered it wasn't working. But yes, i always install grub (i say always because i tried to install linux like 15 times trying to make it work).

lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#13 Post by lyt »

@sakamoto:
i downloaded the distro you suggested and tried it on a virtual box to see which kernel it installed, unfortunately it's the same kernel of the iso i had... i686, which means that won't work on my pc..

I'm a bit dissapointed that i can't install linux, particularly debian :( ... and it's strange that the difference between i686 and i486 is not listed in any official site of linux distributions

Well i don't want to spam anymore, so you can close topic.

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sakamoto
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#14 Post by sakamoto »

do a new regular install (not virtual machine install) and make sure that you will overwrite grub during installation like saulgoode suggested

this should work


dont go back to the darkside... be a man and grow some balls :D
debian 7.0 wheezy 3.2.0-4-686-pae gnu/linux

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kiyop
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#15 Post by kiyop »

The problem may be due to graphical issue or boot issue.

If it is a graphical issue ...
As for graphic issue such as black screen, adding "nomodeset" or so to kernel options may solve the problem.
To add some words to kernel options, at grub screen, press e key.
And add a space and "nomodeset" or so to the end of the line starting with "linux" and press ctrl and x keys.
The following link may be of help: http://wiki.debian.org/GraphicsCard

If it is a boot issue ...
Boot repair may give a URL where the information on your PC is uploaded. Boot repair can be downloaded from:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
Openbox, JWM: Jessie, Sid, Arch / Win XP (on VirtualBox), 10
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lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#16 Post by lyt »

problem is not with boot, grub was installed properly many times.. Graphic is not the problem either... Now i know that the problem is because there is not a single distribution of linux that comes with i486 kernel or even an option to choose which kernel you want to install...

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saulgoode
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#17 Post by saulgoode »

lyt wrote:My PC is: AMD Phenom II X3 720 Processor---
It should not matter whether you use an i386, i486, i686, or x86_64 kernel.
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it. -- Brian Kernighan

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kiyop
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#18 Post by kiyop »

lyt wrote:problem is not with boot, grub was installed properly many times
Success in installing grub does not mean that problem is not with boot.
My former words "boot issue" involves wrong boot configuration.
lyt wrote:Graphic is not the problem either
How could you know that?

Oops... we should not argue with an idiot.
YOU should not argue with an idiot like me. ;)

Excuse my bothering. Good luck!
Openbox, JWM: Jessie, Sid, Arch / Win XP (on VirtualBox), 10
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lyt
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#19 Post by lyt »

grub is installed in mrb, if i rewrite mbr for booting only windows and i re install boot loader the problem is not with boot. Configuration you say? How can i configurate something without console?
Graphics.. I can install linux in vm, and i had linux before, and i used old iso versions, graphics? Nah.
How can you say it's not the new kernel that comes in the whole distros? Theoretically my cpu support i686, but in practise doesnt look like that, and without 1 single distro including i486 kernel, how can i discard that possibility?
But ok you are the kid who like insult people so i hope you are happy now.

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saulgoode
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Re: Can't install any linux after format pc

#20 Post by saulgoode »

lyt wrote:grub is installed in mrb, if i rewrite mbr for booting only windows and i re install boot loader the problem is not with boot. Configuration you say? How can i configurate something without console?
It is unclear what precisely you are saying, however, the behavior you previously described to me suggests a problem with your GRUB installation.
lyt wrote:Graphics.. I can install linux in vm, and i had linux before, and i used old iso versions, graphics? Nah.
I tend to agree that if you are experiencing the same problem with different distributions then it is not particularly likely to be a graphics configuration problem. The possibility still remains (as does the possibility of a hardware problem).
lyt wrote:How can you say it's not the new kernel that comes in the whole distros? Theoretically my cpu support i686, but in practise doesnt look like that, and without 1 single distro including i486 kernel, how can i discard that possibility?

Code: Select all

saul@tesla:~$ uname -a
Linux tesla 3.2.29 #2 SMP Mon Sep 17 14:19:22 CDT 2012 x86_64 AMD Phenom(tm) II X3 720 Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
I also have installed on this machine a 32-bit Slackware installation -- both with the stock i486 kernel and an i686 kernel that I compiled myself.
lyt wrote:But ok you are the kid who like insult people so i hope you are happy now.
I extended no insult. I would be happier if you described your problem in more exacting detail so that someone might be able to provide a solution, but I'm not going to be particularly miserable should you choose not to do so.
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it. -- Brian Kernighan

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