this is a copy of something i forwarded to the linux kernel mailing list, and i'd be interested if anyone else would test this and reproduce the problem: ===== start ===== on my ubuntu laptop (gateway NV79), a 2.6.37-rc7+ kernel i just built now boots to a black screen. no text mode, no virtual consoles, nothing. this is probably the best explanation: http://www.oblurb.com/ubuntu-dell-latitude-e6510-intel-gpu-blank-screen.html annoyingly, i'm currently running a 2.6.37-rc5+ hand-rolled kernel that works fine, but this more recent kernel doesn't, and a kernel *earlier* also doesn't work, so this issue seems to come and go. here's another extended conversation on the same topic: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/600453 here's the relevant output from lspci: 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 12) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller]) Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Device 031c Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 41 Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M] Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M] I/O ports at 3050 [size=8] Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled] Capabilities: <access denied> Kernel driver in use: i915 Kernel modules: i915 if i use "nomodeset", i can boot to the command line and no further. i'm open to suggestions. ===== end ===== in short, a while back, building a kernel from the git repo failed to give me a working kernel. suddenly, as of 2.6.37-rc5, it worked fine and it's the kernel i'm running under right now: $ uname -r 2.6.37-rc5+ $ and now, as of 2.6.37-rc7, it's back to being borked. i'd love to have piles of free time to track this down but, before i do that, i'd be interested in having someone else try this and let me know if exactly the same thing happens for them. this is a a gateway NV79 laptop, intel core i3-330m, with intel integrated graphics controller. thoughts? rday p.s. it seems clear that the system doesn't simply hang. even after the screen goes black very early in the boot process, there is ample disk activity showing that the boot is continuing, and i eventually hear the little ubuntu "drum roll" that indicates i'm at the login screen. so it's just the video that's died. -- ======================================================================== Robert P. J. Day Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA http://crashcourse.ca Twitter: http://twitter.com/rpjday LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/rpjday ========================================================================