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Suddenly undefined video mode on bootup

Posted: 13. Oct 2009, 23:22
by 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)?

Re: Suddenly undefined video mode on bootup

Posted: 13. Oct 2009, 23:30
by thenktor
I've already found a possible solution :mrgreen:
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).

Re: Suddenly undefined video mode on bootup

Posted: 14. Oct 2009, 06:18
by 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.

Re: Suddenly undefined video mode on bootup

Posted: 14. Oct 2009, 08:21
by JRD
thenktor wrote: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.
thenktor wrote: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...