Suddenly undefined video mode on bootup

[thenktor]

After loading the kernel it suddenly says something like this:

Undefined videomode number 311
Wait 30 seconds or press space, or enter to see a list of available video modes.

I cannot remember the exact words (it occurs on a friend's living room PC). The strange thing: it has worked fine before. Only change that can be related to this: I've updated the openchrome xorg driver.
I think it's perhaps some hardware or BIOS related problem. The PC uses an onboard VIA Unichrome Pro graphics chipset.

Perhaps somebody already knows this kind of problem and knows a workaround (instead of using vga=normal)?

[thenktor]

I've already found a possible solution
According to Arch Linux forum this message may appear if a external hard disk is attached at bootup: http://forum.archlinux.de/?page=Posting ... hread=8643 (German).
Have to test this tomorrow, but I'm quite sure this is the problem (the USB HD was connected at reboot).

[stillborn]

I had this exact same error when I was trying my qingy package, and the thing that made that message appear was when I played with

Code: Select all

vga=7**

options in lilo.conf. Only thing that works here is option 791.

[JRD]

Perhaps somebody already knows this kind of problem

Yes, I had it on my gf's computer. But sometimes after a reboot without touching anything, all is back ok.

Perhaps somebody already knows this kind of problem and knows a workaround (instead of using vga=normal)?

No I don't, but your suggestion about external HD (or USB key ?) could be a track...