[Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

zenten · 2012-04-15 03:32:25

So, this problem is one that originally existed for me with the latest Ubuntu stable live CD. It did not happen with an old Live CD I had from 2007. I ended up trying the netboot install CD for Arch because I've been thinking of switching to this distro anyway, and when I saw the same problem happening I thought I'd come here. I gave this preamble because it might help point to where the issue is (something in more recent versions of the kernal maybe?)

So here's what happens. I boot from the 64 bit netinstall CD. It goes along the boot process fine until I get to:

Waiting for udev events to be processed

Note, I'm only pretty sure that's what it says, as I have to write it down from my own memory as the screen is unreadable after that point.

A bit after that the screen starts scrolling rapidly, like it's out of sync or something. I can't really read anything on the screen because it's scrolling so fast.

In terms of hardware I have an older 64 bit system, with a video card going to an analog TV (old style, not HD). I think I can get more hardware info from the install CD from the menu before it actually gets to booting up the system, if there is some sort of specific information that would help.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Last edited by zenten (2012-04-17 12:12:57)

ConnorBehan · 2012-04-15 06:12:21

You say this bug affects new LiveCDs but not old ones... a bug with a new kernel version sounds plausible. Does it work if you run a Linux distro that's fully installed and / or a standard monitor? Or have you only ever used LiveCDs and the analog TV? You can try installing Arch from an old ISO and then see if an update breaks it. If you manage to get it installed, try setting up a framebuffer console since this will use your video card differently.

zenten · 2012-04-15 15:15:26

It booted fine fully installed with an older version of Ubuntu that I ended up breaking in a totally unrelated issue. Rather than trying to restore what was left I thought I'd just install from scratch. And I haven't tried a monitor hooked up, because that would require a lot of lugging things around and whatnot.

I'm going to try http://schlunix.org/archlinux/iso/2009. … so.torrent and see if that works, and if so setting up that framebuffer console.

Trilby · 2012-04-15 15:28:40

It's a bit of a shot in the dark, but have you tried adding nomodeset to the kernel line?

The point you describe is when (late) kernel mode setting kicks in.

zenten · 2012-04-15 16:02:02

OK, so I hit tab in the installer to bring up the kernel boot line, and added nomodeset to the end. Same problem happened.

The last line I can see is actually

waiting for udev uevents to be processed

Does anyone know what the next line should be? Maybe that's where it goes all screwy.

As to installing from an old version of arch I'll be burning that later today.

zenten · 2012-04-17 12:12:44

So I was asking a friend of mine for help on this, and he suggested adding the following to the kernel boot line:

vga=normal nomodeset

This did the trick. Not sure if there will be problems when I try to load X on the system, but I'll try to see if I can get the video card driver installed first and see if that helps.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-04-15 03:32:25

[Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

#2 2012-04-15 06:12:21

Re: [Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

#3 2012-04-15 15:15:26

Re: [Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

#4 2012-04-15 15:28:40

Re: [Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

#5 2012-04-15 16:02:02

Re: [Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

#6 2012-04-17 12:12:44

Re: [Solved] Getting a rolling screen while booting from installer

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