Acer 5335/Ubuntu Very dark screen problem.

Zerroth

I am having a problem installing a Linux distro on the Acer Travelmate 5335. I first downloaded the latest ubuntu using the USB method and booted into it. The first screen that comes up is ok. I click Install. The next screen is so dark but I could kind of make out that there's something on the screen. I hit fn+right arrow key and I could see a box pop up. I would guess that the brightness is full. Also tried mint linux and the exact same thing happened.

Can anyone help?

PrzemoF

Sounds weird... Try external monitor/TV?

Zerroth

I did and that worked. Have it installed. Still looking for a solution.

PrzemoF

Can you run:

lshw > a_file_name

and post it on pastebin.com (don't forget to sent the link here ).

I you hit any errors run it again with sudo.

I want to find out what hardware do you have (lshw -> LiSt HardWare) and if there were any problems reported with screen brightness.

GreenWolfe

Is your display gamma setting okay? If you can get to a terminal type

xgamma -gamma 1

and try different values for 1.

Zerroth

Sorry! I'm a noob to any sort of Linux and I don't follow.

Where can I type that?

GreenWolfe

Zerroth wrote: »

Sorry! I'm a noob to any sort of Linux and I don't follow.

Where can I type that?

I'll assume you're using Unity. Click the dash button (or press the Windows key), type "terminal" without quotes and click the terminal icon.

BopNiblets

I've seen this before too with Mint, boots up fine but screen is virtually black... Does that Acer have a DVD drive instead?

Zerroth

PrzemoF wrote: »

Can you run:

lshw > a_file_name

and post it on pastebin.com (don't forget to sent the link here ).

I you hit any errors run it again with sudo.

I want to find out what hardware do you have (lshw -> LiSt HardWare) and if there were any problems reported with screen brightness.

Hi there! Just finished college. Now to take this seriously

I have it pasted here.

http://pastebin.com/A6GkwX2H

Zerroth

EarthlyPangaea wrote: »

Is your display gamma setting okay? If you can get to a terminal type

xgamma -gamma 1

and try different values for 1.

Tried it. I didn't notice any changes.

Zerroth

BopNiblets wrote: »

I've seen this before too with Mint, boots up fine but screen is virtually black... Does that Acer have a DVD drive instead?

This Acer has a DVD drive indeed.

PrzemoF

There is a new version of ubuntu - connect external tv/screen and do the distro upgrade. Trying to find out what's wrong on an old version makes no sense. It might be already solved by someone else and fixed in the new version..

Zerroth

I upgraded to 12.04 yesterday. The issue still persists. I can't see any permenant solution anywhere on the internet. I have the receipt for it so I'm considering returning it if I can't fix this issue.

PrzemoF

OK, so if you i.e. open BIOS it's OK, then you're booting linux and the screen turns black?

Zerroth

Yes. And that also happened when I install Mint, Mandrake and Opensuse. :P

Apparently it might be the Intel GMA 4500M. This is the closest I have seen to any sort of solution.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/740893

PrzemoF

Have you tried that "nomodeset" option?

SOLUTION 1 (bad):
renounce to graphic acceleration and add "nomodeset" into boot (typeing "e" on grub start)

It's a soft modification (after a restart it's gone)



If that's true: "If i boot with 2.6.38-6 kernel, it's ok but if i boot the 2.6.38-7 kernel then i only have an 'almost black screen' as described above." it should be a matter of short bisecting, but if you're not familiar with kernel building/installing I'd not do it.

Zerroth

PrzemoF wrote: »

Have you tried that "nomodeset" option?

SOLUTION 1 (bad):
renounce to graphic acceleration and add "nomodeset" into boot (typeing "e" on grub start)

It's a soft modification (after a restart it's gone)



If that's true: "If i boot with 2.6.38-6 kernel, it's ok but if i boot the 2.6.38-7 kernel then i only have an 'almost black screen' as described above." it should be a matter of short bisecting, but if you're not familiar with kernel building/installing I'd not do it.

I am not familiar with it. So I guess I won't try it?

PrzemoF

Try to add "nomodeset" into boot (typing "e" on grub start)

I meant you shouldn't try to bisect kernel. Trying "nomodeset" is easy (google for detailed instruction).

croo

Sounds like the backlighting might not be on or not on bright enough.

This looks similar to the problem here
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1869927.html

The solution is near the end so don't waste you time with all the suggestions as the start... the bit that is of interest is

sowdust
December 12th, 2011, 08:37 AM
Hi ginestre,

I solved the problem adding the options
acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=vendor
to the default grub entry
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ginestre
December 12th, 2011, 09:02 AM
Thanks for that! I added the line you suggested to the boot, by pressing e during boot up and getting to the GRUB sceen. Then, after adding your option at the end of the vmlinux line, I pressed F10 and it booted perfectly!
Next question, if I may- how do I make these needed options a part of the automatic boot process?
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Toz
December 12th, 2011, 10:09 AM
The file you want to edit is /etc/default/grub. Append the parameters to the end of the line starting:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=......
...so that is looks something like:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=vendor"

...Note: your line may look different.

Then, run the following command to make it permanent:
sudo update-grub

bnt

Does a terminal command like the following help?

xrandr --output LVDS1 --brightness 1

Try different values at the end other than 1, too.

The "LVDS1" is the ID of my laptop's built-in screen. If it does nothing, run "xrandr" by itself and look at the first couple of lines for the correct ID:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200 ...
LVDS1 connected ...

lapino

Hi, i have an Acer Travelmate 5335 and it gives me exactly the same problem.
The solution i found is to install Linux Mint 12 64 bits, using the nomodeset command in the boot menu.
Once installed Mint on the hard disk, boot using nomodeset and run the Synaptic Package Manager (the screen resolution is now 1024 x 768). Then I deselected, completely removed the xserver-xorg-video-intel display driver and anything related to that "X.Org X server -- Intel i8xx, i9xx display driver".
Now you can boot without adding nomodeset and the resolution should be 1366 x 768 wich is the correct one.
Hope it could be helpful. Thanks.