Original question on #ubuntu 15:35 < Ileden> Eerp! just upgraded to 11.04, and the system is acting VERY weird. There's a bar on the left full of static (somewhat random color pixels in blocks) and anything highlited from the left by mouse cursor is also composed of the static. Desktop pic is ok, as are desktop icons. Top menu (which is invisible) acts weird but the menus look ok. Please advice, any help is appreciated! 15:35 -!- Irssi: Starting query in freenode with D34X 15:35 I'll give you a hand on your prob. 15:36 thanks! 15:36 why not on main channel? 15:36 Too crowded 15:36 k 15:36 ok 15:36 SO ur color is f'd up eh? 15:37 more like everything in the menus 15:37 can u read anything on the screen? 15:37 just randomcoloured static 15:37 yea, desktop is ok 15:37 like the labels of some of the tabs in a menu 15:37 nope. hm, windows seem ok. How do i start a terminal without the icon? My previous shortcut has disappeared. 15:38 (i mean my previous keyboard shortcut, it now opens the trash) 15:39 well, whatever window was just opened by -r is also completely messed up 15:39 well, you COULD try the fluxbox method 15:39 ever used fluxbox? 15:39 nope 15:39 not hard, you don't have to install anything either 15:40 shrink Xchat or IRC, whatever u use, so that the desktop is visible 15:40 I'm using an alternative computer fot chat. The other one is rather unusable. 15:41 does it have a ubuntu load or some type of linux on the crappy one? 15:41 what do you mean? 15:42 debian, YLMF, xubuntu, mythbuntu, lubuntu, puppy linux, YLMP. A linux operating system of some basis 15:42 on the screwd up one 15:43 screwed* 15:43 Um, yes? It had ubuntu 10.10, which i upgraded to 11.04, and is now screwed up. 15:46 Ok. On the desktop, right click it and a menu should pop up. This is the fluxbox load of almost any linux that has existed after 2006. If it doesn't have the fluxbox varient, you should get another disc or download another. If the window pops open, it should look like the normal menu. Page through it to appearance and I'll tell you what to do from there 15:46 here's a picture btw: http://ileden.kapsi.fi/dist/ubuntu-11-04-messed-up.jpg 15:47 there's no "appearance" on the right-click popup menu 15:47 ah, it's just renamed. 15:47 Is there an applications tab? 15:48 no. only "theme", "background" and "fonts" 15:49 hey cool, you have the same monitor as me :P Ok, try background 15:49 it should pop up the whole window 15:50 pop up? 15:50 background changes ok 15:51 no, like, it should have window themes and such. guess not. I switched to Xfce right after 11.04 came out. I remember the most of it though. Uhhh... hmmm... 15:51 try theme. 15:52 (i'm using xfce on my netbook here) 15:52 if you can change the color scheme of the windows and even the background, that should fix the problem. The colors of one thing changing should change everything else. 15:53 changing the theme refreshes the static but doesn't help 15:53 hmmm.... 15:54 try re-loading it? 15:54 one other idea 15:54 dual boot the computer if you can 15:54 I've tried rebooting the computer already. 15:54 if you have a copy of windows 2000 or later, the color scheme from that should cross over into ubuntu 15:55 why the dualboot? 15:55 color scheme should cross over? 15:55 Color cross, yeah 15:55 or, put in a load of YLMF. Looks like windows, works like ubuntu 15:55 brb 15:56 So... I should boot into win 2000, then load back to ubuntu? 15:59 2000 or later 15:59 doesn't matter 15:59 but it has to be after 2000 15:59 2000 didn't have the 256 bit color scheme 16:01 What exactly should happen if I do that? 16:04 well, the color type should go throughubuntu because it is booting inside of windows. you don't ever have to use windows to get to ubuntu because it SHOULD have a menu at start up 16:05 That's how I run almost all of my computers 16:09 eden? 16:10 sorry, was away 16:11 w/e 16:11 I don't have a live XP installation, but I really don't see how booting to the other system could help... How should the mechanism work exactly? 16:12 The problem isn't with the monitor settings, as I can see contents of some windows (like the Appearance box) just fine. 16:13 What will happen is that the ubuntu color code will travel through windows to the processor. While going through windows, some of the code will be recognized as color cheme/video out and will e fed through the windows video codecs. When they go through, they will be over written if any of them are corrupted 16:15 scheme* 16:16 basically they will be replaced by the windows side and you will kind of 'cross' your system. 16:16 i've never heard of that sort of thing, and it really doesn't fit my understanding of how computer hardware works. I don't think my problem is with color scheme, either, looks more like a display driver issue or such. 16:16 then get a new driver? 16:17 most of what computers are are experiments 16:17 play around with it 16:18 if a new driver doesn't work, completely switch OS's 16:19 How do I get a new driver into Ubuntu when the screen is messed up. I can start a terminal, though. 16:26 take the HDD out, get an ATA bridge and install the driver through the bridge 16:26 What's an ATA bridge, and how do I install the driver though that? 16:30 An ATA bridge is a usb plug that can access a hard drive that is out of a computer 16:31 when you want to load the driver, open up through the bridge to wherever the driver should go 16:31 from there I don't know 16:31 So you mean use another computer to access the HDD and put the driver to the system? 16:31 yes 16:31 but not plugging in the GDD 16:31 HDD* 16:32 I have to go 16:32 bye 16:32 Not plugging in to where? 16:32 aw, please don't go. 16:32 the main slot for the HDD 16:32 It's not fixed yet. 16:32 ok, hold on a while 16:33 main slot on the computer? Like primary master? But don't I have to have the HDD plugged in to do something with it? 16:41 The bridge is supposed to be usb. don't try to load it in a seperate computer in the master slot. As I said before, I don't really know what to do for now until you can say exactly what you mean. I'm a little confused right now 16:42 google ATAPI usb bridge 16:43 Me too. I do have an USB ATA bridge which you described, but do I really need to use it? Seems a bit bothersome since I can access the termial in Ubuntu. 16:52 if you can rea it then go for it 16:53 I think it would be better to continue this conversation on the main channel, so others could also comment on it if they have any idea. 16:54 Anyway, I need to get going as well. Bye!