12.10 unable to install or even run from Live CD with nVidia GTX 580

Question

I've used Ubuntu in the past (set up as web server, etc over in Iraq), so I'm not a 100% Linux Noob, however, I'm running into a brick wall here.

I've got a machine I built when I got back to the US earlier this year, running Windows 7 Ultimate on it, and I've now got some free time and would like to transition over to Ubuntu full time.

I've searched around in the forums, and there seems to be an issue with the nVidia graphics cards, so I've tried going to the EVGA site to see if I could find a new BIOS update for it and had no luck, so I'm back searching the forums here again and decided to just go ahead and post my question. My apologies if this is covered in another post and I was just unable to find it. I've found a few 'similar' posts, but nothing as bad as my issue.

With the history aside, here is the actual detailed issue:

I purchased a new SSD (Intel 520 SSD), arrived today, and I disconnect my old Windows 7 SSD. I had pre downloaded the ubuntu-12.10-desktop-amd64 earlier today and burned it to DVD.

Upon inserting the Live CD into the computer and booting up, everything was fine up to the 'Run From Live CD' or 'Install Ubuntu Now' buttons. As I was sure I wanted to go ahead and make the switch, I selected the 'Install Now' from the right hand side.

CD Spins up, black window pops up, and then the errors started:

date/time GPU Lockup date/time Failed to idle channel 1 date/time PFIFO - playlist update failed date/time Failed to idle channel 2 date/time PFIFO - playlist update failed

Thinking it might correct itself, I let it run and it would swap over to a GUI Screen that was locked up with major blurring/etc, then back to the command line with the errors. Eventually it said something along the lines of 'unknown status' and switched back to the GUI and froze.

So, that's when I tried to see if I could find a BIOS upgrade for the nVidia GTX580 cards, and had no luck. So I thought, why not try to just run it from the Live CD and see if I can at least get a look at it, maybe if I could get it running try to do some sort of install from there and fix the driver issue.

I rebooted, brought up the Live CD, and this time chose the left option / run from the CD. It brought me all the way in to the desktop, I saw my drives, the other icons, could move the mouse, etc for about 30 seconds and then it locked up completely. I've tried this a couple of times and get the same results every time.

Hardware:

Intel i7-3930K CPU @ 3.2GHz (12 CPUs) / MSI MS-7760 Motherboard / 32GB RAM / 2 x EVGA (nVidia) GeForce GTX 580 (4GB Ram each)

So the question is:

Is there any way to install 12.10 if you can't even get the Live CD to run (for more than 30 seconds)?

My current hardware configuration is both of the GTX 580 cards have an SLI jumper on them, and I have 2 monitors on each card. (Ubuntu info obviously only shows on the main monitor from the failed installation and the attempt at running the Live CD).

Perhaps opening the machine back up and removing the SLI Jumper and removing the other 3 monitors (so it only would have 1 video card with one monitor on it) would actually allow me to get 12.10 installed, then I could work on an nVidia Video Driver fix for the GTX 580, and then possibly hook up the other video card and monitors? Or is this something that they are currently aware of and may update with a future release in the next few days/weeks?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I can't even try to fix the issue (assuming it is the nVidia drivers) if I can't even get it to install at all.

Solution

I managed to get my desktop running with a Nvidia Geforce GTX 580. I installed Ubuntu 12.04 via the alternative installer, which can be found here.

Before finishing the installation, i installed the nvidia graphics drivers. To do this, open a shell with ALT+F2, then run the command "chroot /target" and then run "apt-get install nvidia-current". Press CTRL+D and then ALT+F1 to exit the shell. Then finish the installation.

After installing, it was necessary to add the option 'nomodeset' in grub.

Credit for the alternative installer trick goes to joelalmeidaptg.

EDIT: Ubuntu 13.04 does not suffer as hard. Nomodeset is needed for installing, but afterwards it is able to boot, albeit with poor resolution. It is then possible to install the nvidia-current package and it works great afterwards. I have submitted a bug report to this issue.

Comments

[NickTux]

Your "Perhaps" would be my answer to your question. Try it and let us know if worked.

[user99056]

At this point, I'm willing to buy some new high end nVidia cards that are -known- to work 100% with Ubuntu if I am not able to come up with any fancy tricks (like maybe installing it to the SSD via a laptop, then putting it back in the tower or something, not sure if that is even possible w/ Ubuntu). Any thoughts on what I might try (other than replacing the video cards)?

[user99056]

Oh, and after I at could not do anything else with the hardware configuration, I downloaded ubuntu-12.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso from the Ubuntu website. Burned it, verified it runs, did a reboot with it in and all I end up with (after a brief flash of the Ubuntu Splash) is a black screen with a flashing underscore cursor. Even updated the MSI MoBo BIOS too, on the off chance it was somehow affecting the process...

[fabricator4]

Ubuntu can't install the 'drivers' because the code is proprietary. No-one can release useful open source drivers because the manufacturers will not release their code as open source for people to look at. Write to the manufacturers and tell them you are unhappy with the level of support they provide for their cards.