[Bug 797543] Re: Grub2 and tty characters illegible white blocks

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

** Changed in: grub2 (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Confirmed

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/797543

Title:
  Grub2 and tty characters illegible white blocks

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: grub2

  After a fresh install of Natty on my new PC I noticed that upon
  booting the characters of grub and the 'scrolling list of messages'
  were completely illegible. Updates were made but it only showed white
  blocks where there should be messages. Boot up commenced successfully
  however.

  After logging into the normal unity shell I typed Ctrl-Alt-F1 to go to
  tty1 and found the situation there similar. I could not read anything.

  After some searching I found the following post:
  http://harrison3001.blogspot.com/2009/09/grub-2-graphical-boot-tips-
  to-set.html and followed the following instructions:

  "For example i use Debian within VirtualBox at a resolution of
  1280x800 for the console and also for the Xorg server. If you want you
  to start with this resolution also for GRUB 2 (remember in the past
  was very limited this feature, and if you are using VirtualBox or
  other virtualization programs the annoying result was in resizing the
  window and than enlarging upon the system goes into graphical mode,
  for example, with the splash screen: usplash, splashy and others),
  very nice, no more discrepancies between modes: the line to change
  into the /etc/default/grub file is GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x800 and then
  issuing update-grub. The resulting action is to write the line set
  gfxmode=1280x800 into the grub.cfg file."

  I used a gfxmode=1280x1024 as this is the resolution of my screen.
  After this both the tty, grub and scrolling list of messages were
  legible again.

  I think the problem is that the 'gfxmode' was set to a property that
  my new ATI card could not handle?

  If any more information is required please let me know.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
  Package: grub-common 1.99~rc1-13ubuntu3
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-10.44-generic 2.6.38.7
  Uname: Linux 2.6.38-10-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Wed Jun 15 08:59:29 2011
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=en_US:en
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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