Strange fuzzy screen issue.

thorpe · Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject: Strange fuzzy screen issue.

Ok, I'm not sure exactly when this issue started but it was a few weeks ago, I had just installed Debian onto another partition but had left Gentoo (Grub) and its boot loader in place.

Anyway... now when I start my machine I get the nice Dell logo, then screen flashes and quickly switches to a blurry (wobbly/moving text) Grub menu. I choose Gentoo and it continues all the way through the boot process to a prompt with this wobbly screen.

As soon as I startx it clears up, I can then exit fluxbox and its as if nothing ever happened, the screen is clear.

Also, if at any stage during the boot process (or even at the grub menu) I switch my monitor off then back on, it comes back on crystal clear.

This seems to happen before Grub even kicks in, so I'm not sure what the issue may be.

Any one heard of anything like this? Need more info?
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Research before taking any advice from me. I'm still coming to grips with this myself.

di1bert · l33t Joined: 16 May 2002 Posts: 963 Location: Oslo, Norway

Howdy

I'm not sure if the two are related but I've had the "fuzzy screen" problem when I
specified a splash image with Grub that didn't exist (my path was wrong)...

It may also be that you're using a frame buffer resolution that isn't handled by
your monitor.

If you can please paste the lines from your grub.conf for the kernel you're using.

-m
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choff.

thorpe · Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the help but I think it happens before grub even kicks in. Happens with all distro's / any kernel. I have no framebuffers configured with any of my kernels.

Im at work at the moment, but (from the top of my head) my grub entry reads.

di1bert · l33t Joined: 16 May 2002 Posts: 963 Location: Oslo, Norway

That is a strange one. I see from your grub.conf that you aren't using any frame buffer
resolutions so that's my theory out of the window

Do you still get the same problems when you boot with a live CD ?

The fact that you are getting the problem before grub loads leads me to believe
the problem lies elsewhere, however without being able to see it myself
I can't really be of more help :cry:

Anyone else got any ideas ?

-m
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choff.

padoor · Advocate Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 4185 Location: india

i feel console fonts may be in trouble.
try a vga line in grub.conf
what happens if booted with cd any cd windows/linux
# grep -v rootfs /proc/mounts > /etc/mtab you might not have done this while installing
else it must be looking for /boot for details of kernel and system.map
it is worth a revdep-rebuild and re make of bzImage after another new .config
clearly it looks like a v h sync trouble
if it has a wavy sides of 60 hz modulation it can be mains hum but it cannot go away with X`running.
rule out one by one. try another monitor if you have or your friends, cd boot to find it is monitor / kernel problem
keep all magnetic fields away including speakers
these r only gusses i would do if i were u

edit:
blow air from sides of monitor through vent holes with a vacuum cleaner. idea is to clean any dust sitting on the chips focus pins of the crt etc.
two month old the guarantee is there . do not open the monitor. cleaning from outside shoud be ok
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reach out a little bit more to catch it (DON'T BELIEVE the advocate part under my user name)

gerard27 · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 4:40 am Post subject:

Hi Thorpe,