Ubuntu Server 11.10 boot, white terminal with garbled black text

I just installed Ubuntu server 11.10 and the install went fine. This system is running on an Intel Pentium II board with onboard graphics.

However when I try to boot into Ubuntu I get a white terminal with garbled black text. I have tried various grub 'fixes' as googling the issue seemed to suggest it was a res or grub related issue.

I cannot ssh in so the issue does affect Linux as well.

I have had no luck with anything thus far and am at my wits end. This was my first Ubuntu excursion as my friend told me it was better for servers than CentOS because it was easier... Not so much....

Does anyone have any ideas as to what the issue could be? When answering bear in mind I am an Ubuntu noob and Linux novice.

As of 1/26/12 I have tried to add the console=ttyl line to the /etc/default/grub and run update-grub. This results in the line in the boot parameters that normally reads:

linux /vmlunz-3.0.0-12-generic-pae root=/dev/mapper/dev-root rovt.handoff=7

now reads:

linux /vmlunz-3.0.0-12-generic-pae root=/dev/mapper/dev-root ro console=ttyl vt.handoff=7

This does not work. Is there anyway to have console=ttyl inserted on a line by itself? I am at my wits ends, Thanks for all your help, Speed

Try adding console=tty1 to your boot options on the kernel line.

Edit /etc/grub/defaults and add that to the options line

sudo -e /etc/grub/defaults

Edit the following line (splash is optional)

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash console=tty1"

The problem you seem to be having is with your graphics driver and framebuffer

There is a bug report here (I think you have a similar problem, just with a different intel card is all).

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/914311

I merely posted an alternate work around.

With that I have told you more then I know about this bug.

1. Tap escape during boot to get to the grub menu and select an older version with recovery mode

2. Add nomodeset and xforcevesa to your grub config in /etc/default/grub (see the below on how to do that) Related: nvidia-96 drivers causing garbled text, display on Geforce4 Ti 4660

3. Uncomment in grub config the line that enables GRUB_TERMINAL=console (i.e. don't use graphics in the grub menu)

4. sudo update-grub

5. Reboot