12.04.3 can start only after I press "resume" in rescue mode (every boot) - problem with Nvidia driver

I've tried to install maybe ten Linux distros on my new PC, and every time I have problems with video drivers: black screen or visual artefacts.

I was able to install only Ubuntu 12.04.3 64-bit, but also with problems: black screen on startup (sometimes all was normal when I used Live mode before install, sometimes I was not able to load Live Mode - Ubuntu says that I have problems with video and gives me a choice with four elements, one of them "use safe graphics mode", but I even can't choose this - the system is frozen).

In tty I installed nvidia-current, but it didn't help me. Every boot I need to press ESC and enter rescue mode and just press Resume and after this the system boots normally. If I try to do a normal restart I get a black screen after Ubuntu logo again.

I tried switching nvidia driver in the options - I have version 319-updates and version 319 [Recommended], but neither works.

I have Palit GeForce GTX650, all updates.

My dmesg output

Output of dpkg --get-selections | grep 'nvi\|nou'

My /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Solution 1:

The proprietary nvidia driver should be used without KMS. You have to edit the /etc/default/grub file, use your favourite text editor (vi, nano, gedit, etc.):

sudo vi /etc/default/grub

Change the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" line to the following:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset"

Save the file, then run sudo update-grub Then reboot, and it should work.

If it still doesn't solve it, then remove also "quiet splash" from the previous line, and again sudo update-grub. (This will disable the graphical boot screen.)

The recovery booting did work, because the recovery menu entry had the nomodeset parameter.