Lets get this Garbled & Black Screen thing fixed once and for all!

gcain · 06-16-03, 08:32 AM

Hi Guys!

I installed the Nvidia drivers the other day with aparent success. However when I boot and X loads I just get a garbled screen. Kinda looks like random ASCII code.

I did find that if I killed the server remotely and then recompiled the Nvidia drivers then restarted KDM all worked great -I even got the Nvidis splash screen-, however I couldnt drop to console, as I would get the Garbled text again, although I could still hit CTL+ALT+DEL, so it didnt bug me much.

X now locks up the entire box when I have the Nvidia drivers installed.
I am currently using the NV drivers although even with them, if I try to drop to console, or even reboot, my machine hard locks.
Nothing I can do to get back apart from hitting the reset button.

The logs show nothing, and my config hasnt changed, although there are copies of both here

ANY & ALL suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Any one else having these problems, post your symptoms, or what you did to fix it.

Lets get this fixed, or at least get a HowTo written once and for all!

Garreth.

Emoktanar · 06-16-03, 09:07 AM

Read infernator's post a couple pages back or see my reply to the other post regarding 'garbled ascii text'

Christophor · 07-02-03, 12:02 PM

Infernator's post did NOT fix my problem. I changed BIOS settings and complied a new kernel. I tried the successfull parts of Infernator's post it didn't work. I tried other solutions described and it didn't work. I even e-mailed NVIDIA. It didn't work.

I still get a screen full of ascii text when I try to use the nvidia drivers.

Has anyone who succeeded documented exactly what it takes to fix it?

leonardo_carval · 07-02-03, 01:41 PM

what´s your hardware?

Christophor · 07-02-03, 04:54 PM

Sorry.

Epox 8RDA+ with a brand new BIOS chip from EPOX 5/07/2003 version.

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 AGP

512 Mb Corsair RAM

Red Hat 9 - Stock install plus an additional kernel I built as described in infernator's post. Both work fine except for loading the NVIDIA display drivers.

starcrzr · 07-02-03, 10:27 PM

I used beta bios 8rda3522.zip and it fixed my mine. You can get it here. Had to use the alt+F2
method instead of boot disk.

http://www.lejabeach.com/8RDAplus/8RDABIOS.html

8rda+
athlon xp+2500
256mb corsair
8x gf4 440
slack9.0

bahamot · 07-02-03, 10:37 PM

the newest BIOS works as well!!
06/09/2003

leonardo_carval · 07-03-03, 07:26 AM

I´m using a Soyo Dragon Plus, and a GF 4 MX , what´s the chipset of your mobo?
See another post of mine, there´s my dumps and logs.
If your equipment looks like mine, we can look to solve this the same way...

See ya

Christophor · 07-03-03, 08:57 PM

leonardo_carval - I have the Epox EP-8RDA+ system board. It has the nforce2 chipset.

bahamot and starcrzr - How did you have your kernel configured with your respective BIOS versions?

Christophor · 07-03-03, 09:20 PM

GREAT NEWS!

It works. I am using the newest bios 06/09/2003 and the stock redhat kernel from a fresh install.

The nvidia display drivers load just fine. The sound and NIC drivers also work fine.

It looks like we've got an answer now. I don't know what to do about the non-Epox users though. Maybe your board's manufacturer will follow suit with Epox and release a decent BIOS version.

Thanks to everyone that posted their succeses and not so successes.

bahamot · 07-03-03, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Christophor
GREAT NEWS!

It works. I am using the newest bios 06/09/2003 and the stock redhat kernel from a fresh install.

glad to know that

Krees · 08-18-03, 05:22 AM

well for me it still doesn't work. I have an A7N8X mobo / XP2200+ / GF4 Ti4200 AGP8x / 2x256 DDR2700 Samsung. ACPI in ON in the BIOS, I know that if I ever try to turn it off, XP will need to be reinstalled (many people have experienced this...) !

I still need to try manipulations described by one the mbs with an old version though.

What's happening to me is a complete hang on exiting the graphical env. On switching to a terminal (CTRL+AL+Fn) the lockup occurs : a reboot is mandatory. Same when leaving KDE for instance (or any other win mngr). Logs don't show anything.

I've flashed my mobo (PCB 1.04) but it didn't change anything.

HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPPPP !!!!

06-16-03, 08:32 AM	#1
gcain Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 9	Lets get this Garbled & Black Screen thing fixed once and for all! Hi Guys! I installed the Nvidia drivers the other day with aparent success. However when I boot and X loads I just get a garbled screen. Kinda looks like random ASCII code. I did find that if I killed the server remotely and then recompiled the Nvidia drivers then restarted KDM all worked great -I even got the Nvidis splash screen-, however I couldnt drop to console, as I would get the Garbled text again, although I could still hit CTL+ALT+DEL, so it didnt bug me much. X now locks up the entire box when I have the Nvidia drivers installed. I am currently using the NV drivers although even with them, if I try to drop to console, or even reboot, my machine hard locks. Nothing I can do to get back apart from hitting the reset button. The logs show nothing, and my config hasnt changed, although there are copies of both here ANY & ALL suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Any one else having these problems, post your symptoms, or what you did to fix it. Lets get this fixed, or at least get a HowTo written once and for all! Garreth.

06-16-03, 09:07 AM	#2
Emoktanar Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 12	solved. Read infernator's post a couple pages back or see my reply to the other post regarding 'garbled ascii text'

07-02-03, 12:02 PM	#3
Christophor Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 4	Infernator's post did NOT fix my problem. I changed BIOS settings and complied a new kernel. I tried the successfull parts of Infernator's post it didn't work. I tried other solutions described and it didn't work. I even e-mailed NVIDIA. It didn't work. I still get a screen full of ascii text when I try to use the nvidia drivers. Has anyone who succeeded documented exactly what it takes to fix it? __________________ Christophor

07-02-03, 01:41 PM	#4
leonardo_carval Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Brazil Posts: 6	Same Thing on GeForce 4. what´s your hardware? __________________ -- Bleh

07-02-03, 04:54 PM	#5
Christophor Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 4	Sorry. Epox 8RDA+ with a brand new BIOS chip from EPOX 5/07/2003 version. NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 AGP 512 Mb Corsair RAM Red Hat 9 - Stock install plus an additional kernel I built as described in infernator's post. Both work fine except for loading the NVIDIA display drivers. __________________ Christophor

07-02-03, 10:27 PM	#6
starcrzr Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 1	I used beta bios 8rda3522.zip and it fixed my mine. You can get it here. Had to use the alt+F2 method instead of boot disk. http://www.lejabeach.com/8RDAplus/8RDABIOS.html 8rda+ athlon xp+2500 256mb corsair 8x gf4 440 slack9.0

07-02-03, 10:37 PM	#7
bahamot Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 161	the newest BIOS works as well!! 06/09/2003

07-03-03, 07:26 AM	#8
leonardo_carval Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Brazil Posts: 6	Well, hardware looks like the problem... I´m using a Soyo Dragon Plus, and a GF 4 MX , what´s the chipset of your mobo? See another post of mine, there´s my dumps and logs. If your equipment looks like mine, we can look to solve this the same way... See ya __________________ -- Bleh

07-03-03, 08:57 PM	#9
Christophor Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 4	leonardo_carval - I have the Epox EP-8RDA+ system board. It has the nforce2 chipset. bahamot and starcrzr - How did you have your kernel configured with your respective BIOS versions? __________________ Christophor

07-03-03, 09:20 PM	#10
Christophor Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 4	GREAT NEWS! It works. I am using the newest bios 06/09/2003 and the stock redhat kernel from a fresh install. The nvidia display drivers load just fine. The sound and NIC drivers also work fine. It looks like we've got an answer now. I don't know what to do about the non-Epox users though. Maybe your board's manufacturer will follow suit with Epox and release a decent BIOS version. Thanks to everyone that posted their succeses and not so successes. __________________ Christophor

08-18-03, 05:22 AM	#12
Krees Registered User Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Paris, France Posts: 4	well for me it still doesn't work. I have an A7N8X mobo / XP2200+ / GF4 Ti4200 AGP8x / 2x256 DDR2700 Samsung. ACPI in ON in the BIOS, I know that if I ever try to turn it off, XP will need to be reinstalled (many people have experienced this...) ! I still need to try manipulations described by one the mbs with an old version though. What's happening to me is a complete hang on exiting the graphical env. On switching to a terminal (CTRL+AL+Fn) the lockup occurs : a reboot is mandatory. Same when leaving KDE for instance (or any other win mngr). Logs don't show anything. I've flashed my mobo (PCB 1.04) but it didn't change anything. HEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLPPPPPPP !!!! __________________ Christophe.