Ubuntu
unity package

Run without Unity on unsupported hardware?

Asked by spinylumpsucker

This issue is similar to 157571, but that solution is not workable in this case.

I support a large research staff who own a variety of hardware that runs anywhere from a few months old to four or five years. Many would like to upgrade to 11.04 without having to purchase new workstations & laptops.

As a sample test case to evaluate 11.04 for this use, I have selected a typical Dell Latitude D620 laptop for testing purposes.

/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p clearly indicates the hardware is unsupported, so this can end here if the answer is "too bad."

However question 157571 suggests it may be possible to reconfigure 11.04 to run with the Classic Desktop and a solution is provided.

Here's the rub; there is no X session available on the console.

A command line login is available through the alternate terminal keys (e.g. Ctl-Alt-F2), but it is unclear how to modify the system strictly by command line to default to the Classic desktop.

Any suggestions?

Or should I just tell the research staff to bypass 11.04 in the hope that 11.10 will provide a better solution with the 2D fix?

As an aside, the UPGRADE option offered on 10.10 should do hardware tests PRIOR to installing 11.04 as this has broken several older ystems forcing a reinstall back to 10.10. This is needless to say very annoying.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Ubuntu unity Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
wojox (wojox) said : 		#1

Sure

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Look for this line and add the nomodeset:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"

Save and close and

sudo update-grub

Reboot.

Revision history for this message
spinylumpsucker (bill-nec-labs) said : 		#2

It was a good suggestion, but as they say "no cigar."

Behavior of the laptop is unchanged; no video signal on the console.

I have a few more observations to add....

All of the alternate command line window (F1 in this test case) has an odd horizontal bar striping rolling bottom to top though the display almost like there is some beat-note in the screen refresh.

An examination of dmesg reveals nothing clearly of interest.

/var/log/gdm/:0.log also is uninteresting

/var/log/gdm/:0-greeter.log contains two "Window manager warning:" lines,

"Buggy client sent a _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW message with a timestamp of 0 for 0xa00034 (Login Wind)"
"meta_window_activate called by a pager with a 0 timestamp: the pager needs to be fixed."

There is also:

"gdm-simple-greeter[1941]: WARNING: Ubable to load CK history: no seat-id found"

Looking at the X and gnome entries in the process table doesn't disclose anything remarkable other then it is clearly running the autostart/LoginWindow and settings-manager-plugins as well as DisplayManager/Display1

Any other thoughts?

Revision history for this message
wojox (wojox) said : 		#3

Nope, unfortunately your hardware really isn't supported.

Revision history for this message
Glenn Strazds (gstrazds) said : 		#4

I'm burning bandwidth..

at the login screen bottom middle; drop down list - change session to ubuntu classic or ubuntu classic no effects

That live CD either loads or doesn't.. Compix needs graphics hardware acceleration; yours worked in 10.10

Revision history for this message
spinylumpsucker (bill-nec-labs) said : 		#5

This problem does not seem to be as simple as the window manager selection, rather it appears to be some sort of initial video driver issue. Without deeper analysis no resolution to this problem appears available.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask spinylumpsucker for more information if necessary.

To post a message you must log in.