Score:1

Ubuntu 20.04.3 Desktop Live USB - Input Signal Out of Range error

uy flag

I'm trying to boot with Ubuntu 20.04.3 Desktop live USB stick but fail with error on my monitor:

 Input Signal Out of Range 
 
 Current mode:
         H=46.3kHz V=87Hz

This is Whitebox server with legacy onboard PCI graphics card - ATI Rage XL 8MB. Unfortunately, I have no legacy monitor, only modern ones.

"nomodeset" does not help, "try ubuntu (safe graphics)" doesn't help too.

Is there any way to change graphics modes on live USB intro and installer menus among with booted live system?

sudodus avatar
jp flag
What happens when you select the Recovery mode (in the grub menu)? It should activate basic graphics (if you reach far enough to see the grub menu).
kenga13 avatar
uy flag
Find no recovery mode - Shift pressed follows regular boot screen with folowing choices and F1-F6 Help, Lang, Keymap, Modes (Normal/driver disk/OEM), Accessibitlity and Other Options (kernel): `Try Ubuntu without installing, Try Ubuntu without installing (safer graphics), Install Ubuntu, Install Ubuntu (safe graphics), Test memory, Boot from first hard disk` Neither try or install variant succeeds. Refresh rate is too high for monitor (87Hz).
sudodus avatar
jp flag
Sorry, I used the wrong wording, but I understand from your answer, that you tested all available boot alternatives and they failed. You write about the old Rage graphics card, and I think you are right that it is causing the problem. I am not sure if the problem is the modern monitor, I think most modern monitors *can* manage simple graphics modes, so I think the problem is that there is no Linux graphic driver in Ubuntu 20.04.3 that can manage your Rage card.
sudodus avatar
jp flag
I suggest that you try a Linux distro for old hardware, for example Puppy Linux. Recently I tested BionicPup, but I think TahrPup might also be a good candidate. I tested BionicPup in an old IBM Thinkpad T42 and an eeePC 900. - If you can make some Puppy Linux work, the next step might be to try an Ubuntu flavour with a lighter graphical desktop environment, Lubuntu or Xubuntu. If no luck with graphics, you should try Ubuntu Server, which has a text user interface (since you see 'Try Ubuntu' and the other alternatives, text mode works).
kenga13 avatar
uy flag
I think there is no problem with card itself, at least 20.04 server distro have installing successfully, but fail to same problem on first reboot. And, with server, it's solved via GRUB radeon.modeset=0 kernel option (but it won't work with 20.04 desktop one). Problem is in video mode selection. Monitor can upto 60Hz refresh on analog input (HP E243) as I can see from it's specs, but video mode selected have 87Hz refresh. I use 20.04 for test/repair tasks, will try earlier distros.
sudodus avatar
jp flag
Let us hope that someone who knows more than I about creating graphics modes will see your question and chip in to help you :-)
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