From: nospam@needed.invalid
On Thu, 9/11/2025 11:55 AM, pinnerite wrote:
> On Wed, 10 Sep 2025 22:53:02 -0400
> Paul wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 9/10/2025 3:35 PM, pinnerite wrote:
>>>
>>> I won't pretend that this is the most reliable machine.
>>> It was built in 2013 and curently r=uns Linux Mint 21.3 cinnamon.
>>>
>>> After an update yesterday, it would not complete a startup.
>>> I tried booting from a flashdrive and trying to repair the hard drive
>>> but that didn't seem to find any filesyatem errors.
>>>
>>> Occasionally it would complete a startup and it is up now.
>>> The problem is that the bottom panel (I only have one)is not showing.
>>>
>>> I would like to fix this otherwise I cannot get to the start button.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> In the boot menu, isn't there an option to use a slightly older kernel ?
>>
>> I don't generally delete my older kernels, as I want "lots" of options
>> for Houdini Escape mode.
>>
>> You should always set up your machine, so the boot menu is exposed at
>> boot time, so you will see these options.
>>
>> sudo xed /etc/default/grub
>>
>> # The first part here, is the install default, where no menu shows up
>>
>> GRUB_DEFAULT=0
>> GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
>> GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
>> GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`( . /etc/os-release; echo ${NAME:-Ubuntu} ) 2>/dev/null
|| echo Ubuntu`
>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
>>
>> # I just did these to mine, to make the menu show. This will
>> # boot using the default choice after 10 seconds.
>> # Removing quiet splash, it to see everything as it boots.
>> # Use a video camera, record that screen, if you want/need to see
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING.
>> # dmesg or sudo dmesg, is no longer as reliable as a recorder, as it used
to be.
>>
>> GRUB_DEFAULT=0
>> GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=menu
>> GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
>> GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`( . /etc/os-release; echo ${NAME:-Ubuntu} ) 2>/dev/null
|| echo Ubuntu`
>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""
>> GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
>>
>> # Save and exit, then
>>
>> sudo update-grub
>>
>> *******
>>
>> Depending on what instructions you followed, there may not be an
>> older kernel in the menu to choose from. For example, I did a clean
>> install, and I don't seem to have options except for "recover" or so.
>> And that may not be sufficient for a kernel-version-induced problem.
>>
>> *******
>>
>> You can chroot in, and do the above recipe to prepare the
>> install for the less-quiet boot. It's possible the Boot Rescue CD
>> leaves the menu in the exposed state as well, if you're as lazy
>> as I am :-)
>>
>> *******
>>
>> Linux 21.3 is what I recommend for people with old computers.
>> The 5.15.xx kernel is more likely to leave a smile on your
>> face, with an old computer. Using bleeding edge distros, using
>> HWE kernel, that's for techbros with really new kit. The 222 I'm testing,
>> is on an 11 year old machine, so that is an example of how far back
>> you could go, but I don't know if my video driver (if I switched out
>> of Nouveau) would work for me. Linux 21.3 won't last forever...
>> and that's a problem for a number of people.
>>
>> driver-manager shows "nvidia-driver-550" as Recommended if I want
>> to run NVidia. So my GTX1080 is still supported well enough. If
>> your hardware is old enough, maybe the 470 driver does not support
>> your NVidia card (and it is Nouveau for the old thing).
>>
>> Paul
>
> Thanks for that.
> Well it is using LM 21.3.
> I was astonished to find it was built in 2013.
> I get to the boot menu on this machine using F12 on boot-up.
>
> To the grub menu, by holding down Left-shift as it boots up.
>
> I have four kernels in grub. Now none of them complete a boot-up.
> I do have a flash-drive with Mint 21.3 but I will have to use a
> different screen from the wide-screen TV to avoid a divorce.
>
> I have an 11 inch one that should do the trick although getting it to
> work through HDMI I recall, is a headache.
>
> Alan
While there are passive (just wires) DP++ to HDMI adapters,
there are also some active DP to HDMI adapters that use a chip
to make a brand new HDMI signal. That's what I used with one HDMI
monitor that did not like the NVidia card output on HDMI. Originally
that adapter was only going to be used with the Optiplex 780 (which
doesn't have DP++ output and is only DP), but I've since used the
adapter for all sorts of other scenarios.
There are a couple kinds of monitors. There are VESA monitors that
accept 640x480, 800x600, ... 1920x1080 and can adapt those resolutions
so you can at least see something. There are also display devices
that accept HD (1920x1080) and SD (1280x720) and nothing else, and
those could be a lot more annoying, depending on the computer. Those
would work with set top boxes or BluRay/DVD movie players. A good
display device has an EDID table, and something like ReadEDID in Linux
can read the table. That's how the video card is supposed to figure
out the mode line to make the output work on the card. On Windows,
you would use Moninfo from entechtaiwan, to display the EDID table.
You can dial in the strange monitor, on your now-working PC, then
when you understand it better, take it over to the HTPC.
Paul
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
|
