So I install Ubuntu on this computer. No dual boot, no funny business. Everything is working fine. I have done pretty much NOTHING with this comp.

Today, I press the power button. It starts off fine, gets to the login screen. I log in, give it my password. It makes the welcome noise, and the screen turns black. It refuses to respond to anything. Pressing the power button does nothing. I can repeat this process if I pull the plug and wait a while.

What gives? I thought I left Windows cause of this shit.

You should get your money back.


But in all seriousness, have you tried fixing it, or just expected that it should have worked for everything possible out of the box? What graphics card, configuration, etc., do you have?

What shocks me is the absolute lack of any type of warning. I have literally NO idea where this came from.

I have no idea how to fix this. Right now, my best solution is to boot it from the LiveCD to get a few files, then reinstall Ubuntu.

when that happens press ctrl+alt+bkspace

and if that doesnt work
try ctrl+alt+f3

it will bring up a text login

reconfigure you xorg.conf file with follow through the instuctions and give needed information, then restart the x server

That worked!!! Why though?

Also, after I log in, it still flashes a black screen for a second, then proceeds to load the desktop.

So what exactly was the problem?

Xorg.conf is the setup file for your graphics card and other computer periphals. If it has an invalid setting, the x server can't load - so you'll get a black screen. If it can't show anything on your screen, it can't give you an error warning either

Try tweaking it with the new ubuntu graphic card setup thingy, haven't used it but I thought I read something about it coming out in 7.10.

You can edit it yourself by using "sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf" (or any other text editor).

Well technically Ubuntu is unstable.

If you want a rock solid system go with Debian Etch.

Actually the current testing version is about to move over to stable sooner or later, so it probably be better to go with that.

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=13362

No, Ubuntu is perfectly stable. They have their own testing and unstable branches. Debian, on the other hand, has a ridiculous definition of what "stable" is and won't even apply simple bug-fixes on time.

No, Ubuntu = Debian unstable.

The only adatanage you have with Ubuntu is noob friendliness and a little wider software compatibility range.

Debian "unstable" is everyone else's "completely stable, what the hell are you talking about"? These are the people that wouldn't even apply the date-fix because they're so fucking neurotic.