Grub Splash Screen/Dual Boot issues

[Shadai]

Okay, so its my first post, be gentle.

I've been playing with linux lately and learning the ropes. I'm not sure my problem belongs in this forum, but it's boot related so here goes.

I have an HP laptop that had Vista on it. I decided not to upgrade it to windows 7 or 8, so I installed Linux Mint on it. After updating and playing around with the settings and look of the os, I have a computer that I really like.

However, I just can't seem to leave well enough alone.

I started looking at other linux distros and really like the look of linux deepin. I tried installing it before, but I must have had a bad iso because it never seem to take. I was looking into it the other day and saw they released a new version of deepin, so I thought, hey I'll give this a go, since it seems to be a pretty decent learning experience. So after downloading the iso and checking it, I burned it to a usb stick. I freed 10 gb of space from my linux home folder to make room for the os, and the tried to install it.

Well, here's where the problems started. I couldn't get it to install, because it kept doing a GPU lockup halfway through the install. To make matters worse, since it was only half-assed on, it interfered with me booting back into Mint. I knew it had to do with deepin replacing the grub but I didn't quite know how to fix it, although I was looking it up while trying desperately to finish the install time and time again before the GPU lockup.

This morning I finally got it to install and I was pretty excited. Furthermore, once I booted up the computer I got a selection screen asking which os I wanted to run. Awesome. So I go into deepin to play around with it for a bit. I play with the boot menu options to make my Mint install the main boot if I don't select deepin within the 10 second time limit. So I'm good right?

Kinda, here's where I ran into a problem I didn't know how to fix.

Because this computer has an NVidia Geforce 7150M card in it, I have to use the proprietary drivers in the Mint install. Currently, I'm using the recommended nvidia-304 which seems to be working fine. However, when I first installed Mint, I noticed that by using those drivers, instead of getting the pretty splash screen logo at the beginning I got something that said "LINUX MINT 17" with four dots below it. I had previously solved that problem the first time using the fix helpfully listed here: http://www.binarytides.com/ubuntu-fix-nvidia-graphics/

I set the grub screen or whatever it is to 1200x800 and everything seemed to work fine from there. However, now that I have deepin installed, I no longer works and I'm greeted upon selecting Mint from the boot screen with the ugly "LINUX MINT 17" and four dots screen again. When I log out of mint, I get a similar screen, though instead of saying Linux Mint it just has a bunch of white text on a black screen all over the place. Again, resolution issues. I tried running through the fixes listed on that helpful site only to find they were still in place, meaning after updating again and rebooting, I still had the wrong resolution.

I suspect I need to go into the deepin install and apply the fix there, although I fear doing anything to it since I don't want to mess with that boot menu that pops up at the beginning.

Anyone have any ideas?

Bonus points if you know how to fix a GPU lockup in Deepin, which I'm still experiencing even after install. I suspect that has something to do with the drivers for the nvidia card, but I don't know where to go in deepin to install/uninstall the proprietary drivers.

Thanks, sorry for the wall of text but I felt some background could help solve this issue.

[austin.texas]

I set the grub screen or whatever it is to 1200x800 and everything seemed to work fine from there. However, now that I have deepin installed, I no longer works

You are correct that it is because the GRUB on deepin is now controlling the appearance. You have to make the same change to that GRUB as you did in Mint. (edit /etc/default/grub)

[Shadai]

Okay, so an update.

I've come to realize that deepin just seems to have a problem with my computers graphics card, because it kept doing a GPU lockup. It was at a point that it wasn't a matter of if, but when. And, the developers of deepin don't recommend the proprietary drivers because it messes up the system. I have those installed for my Mint install, but that shouldn't affect the deepin install. Nevertheless, I got tired of the crashes and set out to find something new.

So I wiped Deepin off and installed Elementary OS in its place. Its very nice, looks good, and it will work for the time being. However, I tried to update on the Elementary OS the /etc/default/grub to change the resolution to 1200x800 hoping that would fix my splash screen issues in Mint. It does not.

Sad really, I don't have any such splash screen issues on pretty much any other distro OTHER than Mint. I don't know why it suffers so. Anyone have any other ideas?

[austin.texas]

First, I would say that you need to try a lower resolution. When the GRUB menu loads, your graphics driver is not yet loaded, so that limits the resolutions that are available.
Edit /etc/default/grub:
You may have to add (or change) the line:
GRUB_GFXMODE=800x480,auto
and then do

Code: Select all

sudo update-grub

- so that the change takes effect.

Uncommenting the line:
# GRUB_TERMINAL=console
might work also, as an alternative.

[Shadai]

Sorry for the noob questions, but...

Edit GRUB_GFXMODE back to 800x480 but add a , then auto? That will automatically resize it based on the monitor I'm assuming?

And how do you uncomment a line? Remove the # before it?

Thanks for your help btw

[austin.texas]

Edit GRUB_GFXMODE back to 800x480 but add a , then auto? That will automatically resize it based on the monitor I'm assuming?

Yes, first you list 800x480 then a ,(no space)auto
That tells GRUB that you want to use 800x480 but if 800x480 doesn't work, switch to auto

And how do you uncomment a line? Remove the # before it?

Right.

[Shadai]

okay so using 800x480,auto didn't seem to work.

I was about to uncomment the line when I noticed something interesting.

There is # in front of the resolution line.

I have the following in my grub file:

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports v$
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=800x480,auto
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

So my line of thinking becomes... do I uncomment that line where the resolution is? Will that make a difference? If not, I'll try the uncommenting the console line.

[austin.texas]

If there is a # on the line it is only a comment, and will not work. Remove the #