Peppermint 5 won't boot

Linux Support
1

Hi Guys,
Decided to install Peppermint 5 in place of Pep 4 on my ageing Dell Inspiron 1640 laptop. The installation seemed to go ok and the screen came up for restart after installation, I did the restart but the touchpad locked up, screen went black, lots of writing including something about Kernel panic. Managed to shut down but now it just gets to the peppermint starting up screen and goes no further.

Your advice as always would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Degsy

Tried again using recovery mode, the second option on the Boot Menu and after much screen writing etc the system booted successfully!
Not sure if this is helpful/useful but here it is
derek@derek-MM061 ~ $ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for derek:

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders, total 234441648 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00098838

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 499711 248832 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 501758 234440703 116969473 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 501760 234440703 116969472 83 Linux

Disk /dev/mapper/sda5_crypt: 119.8 GB, 119774642176 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14561 cylinders, total 233934848 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/sda5_crypt doesn’t contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/mapper/peppermint–vg-root: 118.2 GB, 118170320896 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14366 cylinders, total 230801408 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/peppermint–vg-root doesn’t contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/mapper/peppermint–vg-swap_1: 1602 MB, 1602224128 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 194 cylinders, total 3129344 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/peppermint–vg-swap_1 doesn’t contain a valid partition table
derek@derek-MM061 ~ $

What do you suggest next?

Degsy

2

Make sure you’re connected to your router by an ethernet cable … now boot into recovery mode, log in …then run:

sudo apt update

then

sudo apt upgrade

then

sudo apt dist-upgrade

once finished, run:

sudo shutdown -P now

will it boot normally now ?

3

Thank you Mark, will do that later today and let you know what happens.

Degsy

4

Hi Mark,
Carried out your suggestion but unfortunately the boot up stops at the " peppermint. Starting up" screen.
Would the easy answer be to boot to the live cd and re-install Peppermint 5?

Thanks for your help,

Degsy

5

Did you install from the Live session desktop … or from the screen that offers you “Try Peppermint” and “Install Peppermint”

If you’re going to reinstall … select “Try Peppermint” … then once at the desktop use the “Install Peppermint” icon that’ll be on the desktop.

Reason - If the Live session boots … so should the installed version.

6

Hi Mark,
Well again I did as you suggested and booted to live CD then selected Install (which is what I did first time), the install as carried out and then on re starting after the install the system just stops at the Peppermint Starting up screen with just a very small bit of red along the indicator line. There was no Kernel Panic this time but still wont boot up. Did as last time and went to Recovery Mode and this boots OK, which is where I am now typing this reply.
If you have any further suggestions they would be most welcome, sorry about this, I just dont understand what is going wrong.

Thanks in advance,
Degsy

7

The Recovery Mode essentially uses the nomodeset by default, so this is pointing to a graphics problem.

As Mark suggested in your other thread:
Boot with the Recovery Mode, once you are on the desktop:
Go to Software & Updates > Additional Drivers (tab), and that should offer you the proprietary driver(s) for your graphics card.

8

Hi Sezo,
The Software and Updates, Additional Drivers Tab shoes "No additional drivers available "
Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Degsy

9

Difficult to say without knowing what graphics your laptop has.

Can you post the output from (boot to Recovery Mode):

sudo lshw -C display
10

Hi Sezo,
As requested:
derek@derek-MM061 ~ $ sudo lshw -C display
[sudo] password for derek:
*-display:0 UNCLAIMED
description: VGA compatible controller
product: Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
resources: memory:eff00000-eff7ffff ioport:eff8(size=8) memory:d0000000-dfffffff memory:efec0000-efefffff
*-display:1 UNCLAIMED
description: Display controller
product: Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
resources: memory:eff80000-efffffff
derek@derek-MM061 ~ $

Many thanks,
Degsy

11

I am not too up on graphics drivers but you could try to install (or reinstall) the xserver-xorg-video-intel drivers
To see if it is installed do the following:

aptitude search xserver-xorg-video-intel

You will see the xserver-xorg-video-intel with an “i” in front of it.
The “i” means installed. If it were not installed there would be a “p” in front of it.

sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-video-intel libgl1-mesa-glx libgl1-mesa-dri xserver-xorg-core

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Then reboot and see if that makes any difference.

12

Hi Sezo,
Thank you for your response, here is what happened:derek@derek-MM061 ~ $ aptitude search xserver-xorg-video-intel
i A xserver-xorg-video-intel - X.Org X server – Intel i8xx, i9xx display
p xserver-xorg-video-intel:i386 - X.Org X server – Intel i8xx, i9xx display
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-dbg - X.Org X server – Intel i8xx, i9xx display
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-dbg:i3 - X.Org X server – Intel i8xx, i9xx display
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-qu - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-qu - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-qu - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-qu - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-ra - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-ra - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-ra - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-ra - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-sa - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-sa - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-sa - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
p xserver-xorg-video-intel-lts-sa - Transitional package for xserver-xorg-vide
derek@derek-MM061 ~ $ sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-video-intel libgll-mesa-glx libgll-mesa-dri xserver-xorg-core
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
E: Unable to locate package libgll-mesa-glx
E: Unable to locate package libgll-mesa-dri
derek@derek-MM061 ~ $

Any further help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Degsy

13

OK, try without those two packages:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall xserver-xorg-video-intel xserver-xorg-core

Then

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

And reboot

14

I am afraid it is still the same, just sits stuck on the “peppermint. Starting up” screen.

Degsy

15

It looks like the drivers are not loaded for your card:
Try this old hack:

sudo gedit /etc/default/grub

and make it look like this:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=“quiet splash i915.modeset=0”
or
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=“quiet splash i915.modeset=1”
Save the file. Run:

sudo update-grub

Then reboot

16

Hi Sezo,
Thanks very much for your help, in the meantime I decided to try installing Ubuntu 14.04 which I was going to install on my desktop to replace 12.04, and it has installed and booted with no problem at all, and this is what I am using at the moment to post this response.
I will now probably try and install Peppermint 5 on the desktop and see if that works ok as well.
Hope that you dont mind my change of route, I really do appreciate all the effort that you have put in.

Many thanks,
Degsy

17

No problem at all, glad you sorted it.
Just out of interest, what does

sudo lshw -C display

show now with Ubuntu.

18

Hi Sezo,
here is the output you asked for from Ubuntu 14.04
derek@derek-MM061:~$ sudo lshw -C display
[sudo] password for derek:
*-display:0
description: VGA compatible controller
product: Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
resources: irq:16 memory:eff00000-eff7ffff ioport:eff8(size=8) memory:d0000000-dfffffff memory:efec0000-efefffff
*-display:1 UNCLAIMED
description: Display controller
product: Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 2.1
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
version: 03
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
configuration: latency=0
resources: memory:eff80000-efffffff
derek@derek-MM061:~$

Does this make any sense to you?

Degsy

19

So the difference is (beside display:0 claimed this time):
configuration: driver=i915 latency=0

20

Sorry Degsy … Sky in their ultimate wisdom decided I wasn’t worthy of internet for a day and a half >:(

Kinda odd that Ubuntu 14.04 would load the i915 driver yet Peppermint 5 wouldn’t … could the installation media have been corrupt ?