Re: black screen -- cannot boot

[Telecom Tom <tom scott veda-home com>]

Manuel,

I'm leaving for a few days and will try your suggestions later this
week. But I can answer a few questions now:

0. My problems started because I used the netcfg utility without
consulting the documentation. There was no man page, and the only
information I could find in "Linux Unleashed 4th Edition" was "Setting
Up PPP with the netcfg Client (for Red hat users)". So I figured I'd
experiment with netcfg and modify some /etc files manually with vi. If
I'd known that messing up network configuration files might result in
a black screen, I would have been more cautious. Thank god we aren't
using it as the server yet!

1. I checked the cables and connectors. Everything appears to be
attached.

2. After making the alterations with netcfg and vi, I gave the "init
6" command -- an old superstition to appease the filesystem gods by
forcing a coupld of sync's. The screen echoed each service as it shut
down, after which the only output has the dreaded black screen and
audible beeps despite numerous attempts to boot from disk, CD, and DOS
system diskette. 

3a. Q: Can I load BIOS-ware on screen? A: Prior to receiving the PC
with Linux pre-installed by a friend, we've used only Sparcstations
with Solaris, which is what I'm using now for these email
communications. As far as I know, we've never bought BIOS-ware,
although my children might have something like that on the Wintel PC
they use at home. Can I download it from the web?

3b. Q. Have I enabled booting from floppies and CDs in our BIOS? A:
No, I didn't do anything like that because I've never configured PCs.
I don't know if my friend enabled it before he gave us the PC/Linux
box but I'll guess that he didn't. (Previously, if we needed to boot
from different devices in Solaris/Sparc, we could set the default boot
device from the monitor prompt that results from the "init 0" command
or by pressing the "L1 a" or "Stop a" key sequence.)

My question: How can we override the logjam? Is there some software
that I can download from the Solaris/Sparc onto a DOS diskette, then
insert the diskette into the PC, and power up or hit the reset button?
Essentially, I'm asking for a magic pill that will solve my black
screen disease. :-)

4-6. I don't know about the video card. I'll check. Ditto for MB and
BIOS.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

--Rgdz, TT
------------------------------------------------
Tom Nelson Scott         tom scott veda-home com
The Veda Home Company    Bowling Green, Ohio USA
"In IP We Trust"         "E Pluribus Unix"
------------------------------------------------



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: black screen -- cannot boot
Resent-Date: 25 Dec 1999 16:34:41 -0000
Resent-From: redhat-install-list redhat com
Resent-CC: recipient list not shown: ;
Date: Sun, 26 Dec 1999 10:31:41 -0600
From: mcamacho habitat co cr (Manuel Camacho)
Reply-To: redhat-install-list redhat com
To: redhat-install-list redhat com, Telecom Tom
<tom scott veda-home com>,redhat-install-list redhat com
References: <3864AE14 14196F58 veda-home com>


> We tried the installation CDs but still the black screen. Even with a
> DOS diskette with the system files on it, we still get the black
> screen. Is there software we could download from the web that enables

Sorry if this seems too obvious, but sometimes we forget obvious
things:

1. Checked all the conectors and cables? Maybe one is loose.
2. Do you get ANY kind of signal on screen during the booting process?
3. Can you load you BIOS-ware on screen?
3. You are trying to boot up with a DOS disk with same results. Have
you
enabled booting from floppies and from CDs in your BIOS? 
4. Do you have any other video card on hand? Maybe your video adapter
harmed
itself at the same time (and not necessarily as result) of your
changes.
5. What MB and BIOS do you have? There are software from Phoenix, for
instance,
to *UPGRADE* your BIOS, but I don't know how can you use the software
if you
can't boot.
6. What about your MB information? You can take out your HDDs, and
some MBs
have jumpers that clear out your BIOS programming, and set up the
factory
defaults.

Hope this helps.

Merry X-Mas!

-Manuel.