Subject: bug#65572: Black screen in installer

From: "pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:52:42 +0200

Hello Iku-Tulo, thank you for the report.

Vilutar <[email-masked]> writes:
> intelfb: Version 0.9.6
> intelfb: Cannot reserve FB region

An unlikely guess: I have had problems with a black screen when using a
television as a screen.  However this does not sound like it.

> Then I tried `nomodeset video=uvesafb` Linux parameters and the GUI
> now rendered. I don't know if these work as a global workaround for
> other machines,

No, there have been reports that uvesafb does not work on every machine.

> should they be documented in the installation
> instructions?

Yes, if we can give proper instructions.  Perhaps the attached patch?

Regards,
Florian

From: Florian Pelz <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:44:55 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] doc: Describe black screen issue when booting the installer.

With suggestions by Iku-Tulo Vilutar <[email-masked]>.
Fixes <https://issues.guix.gnu.org/65572>.

* doc/guix.texi (System Installation): Add suggestion when
booting the installer fails with a black screen.
---
 doc/guix.texi | 10 ++++++++++
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+)

diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 04e5875925..5aeed7851d 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -2402,6 +2402,16 @@ BIOS or UEFI boot menu, where you can choose to boot from the USB stick.
 In order to boot from Libreboot, switch to the command mode by pressing
 the @kbd{c} key and type @command{search_grub usb}.
 
+Sadly, on some machines, the installation medium cannot be properly
+booted and you only see a black screen after booting.  This may
+indicate that your machine cannot run Guix System; perhaps you instead
+want to install Guix on a foreign distro (@pxref{Binary
+Installation}).  If you are adventurous, a possible workaround is
+pressing the @kbd{e} key in the GRUB boot menu and appending
+@option{nomodeset video=uvesafb} to the Linux bootline.  Sometimes the
+black screen issue can also be resolved by connecting a different
+display.
+
 @xref{Installing Guix in a VM}, if, instead, you would like to install
 Guix System in a virtual machine (VM).

base-commit: 299d0463d54c97b237deb2fe9e464108544344c0
-- 
2.41.0