No way to install on Gateway Solo 5300?

[Devil]

I seem to really like this distro, and I haven't even installed it yet.
But I'm unable to install or get the X installer to work.

I've tried going to emergency shell, and editing XF86Config to drivers like vesa, savage, via, etc to no avail.
It just gives me that fatal error, no screens available.
Or (EE) No devices found.

Did anyone successfully install PCBSD on this laptop?
If yes, can you PLEASE tell me how to go about it?

[dracheflieger]

There was a patch available 3 months ago...it's probably incorporated into 6.2 or maybe even the latest beta of PC-BSD but if not, here is some information (http://freebsd.rambler.ru/bsdmail/freebsd-mobile_2006/msg01072.html)

[Devil]

Hey man,

Thanks for putting that up.
I'm a noob, but still it makes it look like all this has got to do with ACPI.
Is there a way I can try by disabling ACPI from that root prompt?

[dracheflieger]

Try here http://forums.pcbsd.org/viewtopic.php?t=4967&highlight=acpi+hint

and same here http://forums.pcbsd.org/viewtopic.php?t=3466&highlight=acpi+hint

[Devil]

Thanks for the pointers..
I tried by unset acpi_load.

Then tried the Start X installer and it still hung right there.

[Devil]

Oh, tried this:

unset acpi, and then change res to 800x600 and then tried again. And this time it waited for a second after it says "Starting PCBSD installation.. please wait" and then showed a square block the size of a prompt on the top left of the screen.

Couldn't type either.
No HDD/CD sounds, and after 5 mins. I hard rebooted.


----

Then unset_acpi, change res to 800x600, change to vesa driver, and then tried graphical install. And it hung at starting installation, please wait.


----

I've installed Ubuntu just perfectly on this laptop before, and freebsd. Never had any problems (Oh, this is a clean install btw)

[dracheflieger]

What version are you trying to install?

[Devil]

The latest stable, 1.2

[antik]

The latest stable, 1.2

I think 1.3 beta1 is more "stable" than 1.2- try that.

[Devil]

The latest stable, 1.2

I think 1.3 beta1 is more "stable" than 1.2- try that.

Yeah, see. I was waiting for a new update to it.
The one that's on the ftp mirrors was built on 18th of October (I think?)

I was thinking it's almost been a month, so maybe there's going to be a new ISO built on beta1 sometime soon? Or maybe a beta2?

Can't be that long before that happens, can it?

[antik]

The latest stable, 1.2

I think 1.3 beta1 is more "stable" than 1.2- try that.

Yeah, see. I was waiting for a new update to it.
The one that's on the ftp mirrors was built on 18th of October (I think?)

I was thinking it's almost been a month, so maybe there's going to be a new ISO built on beta1 sometime soon? Or maybe a beta2?

Can't be that long before that happens, can it?

Beta 2 will be out this week- stay tuned.

[TerryP]

I'm glad I have a extra pack of CD-Rs...

[Devil]

The latest stable, 1.2

I think 1.3 beta1 is more "stable" than 1.2- try that.

Yeah, see. I was waiting for a new update to it.
The one that's on the ftp mirrors was built on 18th of October (I think?)

I was thinking it's almost been a month, so maybe there's going to be a new ISO built on beta1 sometime soon? Or maybe a beta2?

Can't be that long before that happens, can it?

Beta 2 will be out this week- stay tuned.

HAHA, this is exactly why I didn't get beta1.
Also, I hope beta2 doesn't have that little error where the installation CD simply doesn't boot.

I hope you mean this weekend or the next week that begins in 2 days?

[jdarnold]

You have to be sure when you burn the ISO onto a CD to use the slowest possible burn speed. Even if you are using the same CD drive you burned it on. I'm not sure if it is just PC-BSD, but I had a heck of a time until I burned it at 8x. Try the slowest speed you can burn it at. I've had luck up to 16x but it hasn't been rock solid. This esp. shows up at boot time, but CD reading problems can manifest themself at just about any time.

[Devil]

You have to be sure when you burn the ISO onto a CD to use the slowest possible burn speed. Even if you are using the same CD drive you burned it on. I'm not sure if it is just PC-BSD, but I had a heck of a time until I burned it at 8x. Try the slowest speed you can burn it at. I've had luck up to 16x but it hasn't been rock solid. This esp. shows up at boot time, but CD reading problems can manifest themself at just about any time.

Yup. Got a new ISO from another mirror.
Checked the md5.

Then burned at the slowest speed, 8x.
And it worked.

But damn, I gave problems with even starting the install.
I think there should be a "Quick and dirty txt install" too.

[TerryP]

Ubuntu does that for people who need more then the basic installation. Like me who does not want GRUB in my MBR !

[Devil]

An update, downloading beta2 now.
Hopefully should be able to install it by later this afternoon.

[Devil]

Got 1.2 beta2, and now inserted the CD, everything seems fine.
...till it comes to "Autoconfiguring X server..."

It's been there for 30 mins approx. now.
Am I hitting a dead end, AGAIN?

[jdarnold]

What do you mean by "1.2 beta 2"? You should just have the 1.2 CD1, right?

What kind of video card do you have?

[Devil]

What do you mean by "1.2 beta 2"? You should just have the 1.2 CD1, right?

What kind of video card do you have?

Umm, the 1.3beta2 that came on the mirrors last night, lol.
It's a laptop Gateway Solo 5300. I think it's a savage card.

[antik]

What do you mean by "1.2 beta 2"? You should just have the 1.2 CD1, right?

What kind of video card do you have?

Umm, the 1.3beta2 that came on the mirrors last night, lol.
It's a laptop Gateway Solo 5300. I think it's a savage card.

Please don't use 1.3BETA2 cd from mirrors yet- we found many bugs that need fixing- this is only testing release so far. We may skip BETA2 and release BETA3 right after that.

[Devil]

What do you mean by "1.2 beta 2"? You should just have the 1.2 CD1, right?

What kind of video card do you have?

Umm, the 1.3beta2 that came on the mirrors last night, lol.
It's a laptop Gateway Solo 5300. I think it's a savage card.

Please don't use 1.3BETA2 cd from mirrors yet- we found many bugs that need fixing- this is only testing release so far. We may skip BETA2 and release BETA3 right after that.

Aaah.
So, wait, you mean since beta2 has many bugs, you will skip beta2 and just release beta3?
When is that happening?

[Devil]

http://www.lothar.com/bill/

This is the only guy out there who has a slight answer as to why X won't work.
But how'd I use his drivers to use it in my install?!

[Devil]

Also, check this out.
For some reason my laptop screen is 800x600. (or one value lower 630x400?)

And I have no clue why.
I ran Gparted LiveCD, option to VESA driver, and change res to lower than 800x600, and it worked!!

Except, PCBSD doesn't give that option on 1.2 setup. It has only 800x600, not the lower value.

I think PCBSD needs to give that value for resolution as well, and it will probably work.