Booting Up ReactOS

[Beyecixramd]

Well... this is hard for me to explain because I really can't test anything or see the console to check what was bad...

anyway, I'll try to explain it...

well, when i try to start ReactOS in the CD Drive (not the live cd, the blue screen installation process, i seen it on a virtual machine) it just shows a black screen, and it is supposed to be showing the process "behind" the black screen...

well, this issue is the same as in linux OS (tried with Fedora 10, linux mint 6, ubuntu 8.10, the screen "shuts down", but i still can hear, for example, the login sound from ubuntu, this is easy to fix in ubuntu/linux mint choosing "safe mode", but there's not a "safe mode" in reactOS, or at least, i didnt see it...

hardware?

GPU: nVidia 8800 GTS 512 mb
Motherboard: nVidia 680 i SLI
CPU: Intel Dual Core 2'66 Ghz

[gyROS]

Until about 8 month ago I was using an 800MHz machine which was almost Linux-resistant. The ReactOS-LiveCD did not work as well. The reasons were some untypical IDE and keyboard controllers.

To your machine: I cannot see any logical reason why the system should fail. The setup should not use anything but VGA. That should be supported by almost every video card.
By the way: Does the LiveCD work? If so, things are getting even more mysterious.

Do you have anything like a second screen, a second graphics card etc.? Do you use VGA or DVI display connection? Does the screen support odd resolutions like 720x400px (used by text mode)
To be honest, I've no idea what might go wrong. Just a few things you might check.

[Beyecixramd]

yeah, VGA is supported....

LiveCD? i didnt tested it, and it's not the right time, i'll do it later....

but i think it won't work....

using DVI, yes, i have a second screen: a VGA one, it's in the living room: the TV xD, i also test it later.... no second graphics card, no video exit in my motherboard, the screen doesn't supports 720x400, but it supports 720x450

i got a question, does ReactOS use the same X server as linux?

just because ubuntu 8.04 worked without booting into safe mode, same with linux mint 5, that way i could try to get an old version of ReactOS, to see if things are working or not...

[gyROS]

i got a question, does ReactOS use the same X server as linux?

I can hardly imagine it does. Most likely it uses an own reimplementation of the accompanying windows component.
My personal theory is that in certain video modes with certain drivers the graphics card does only output to VGA port. I think, Ubuntu would abort booting with an error rather than booting with a black screen, if the card and/or video mode is not recognized. On my machine however the live CD works fine with the DVI screen. (using std. VESA resolutions)

[Z98]

Uh, what? Why would we have a X server?

[Lone_Rifle]

To preempt any questions, this is not a *nix derivative.

[Haos]

I suggest getting a recent debug build from our page and setting up debug output (if its on real hardware, you need another PC and null modem cable to connect them, if its VM - just set up output from virtual com port to pipe, all is in wiki). Then we can get any idea what is going wrong.

[vicmarcal]

Lets see if i understand well the original post.

Is he using a Virtual Machine?

not the live cd, the blue screen installation process, i seen it on a virtual machine

If so,his Host Hardware is unneeded, i need btw to know which Virtualizer is he using(Vmware,Qemu,Vbox..?).
Most of the Black problems in a Virtualizer comes from 2 points:

-Amount of Ram we set in the Virtual Machine.(Please test it with more than 64 MB to avoid any issues with RAM, generally with 48 MB we should run)
-Operating System selected as Guest. Please,check you have selected "Windows XP"(or any other NT operating system) in the Virtual Machine. Generally people choose "Other Operating system" or "Linux"(we arent "Other operating system", neither "Linux" ).

Of course tell us which revision are you testing.. Thanks

[gyROS]

(not the live cd, the blue screen installation process, i seen it on a virtual machine)

It appears to me, that he tested it in a VM at first, but is now trying it on real hardware, which makes things a little more difficult.

[Beyecixramd]

wow....

in the fedora forum im still waiting for people to help me fix the installation process xD
--
well...yes, i know this is NOT LINUX, this is a windows clone, but since it uses a lot of the source from winE, i just asked if there was a X server, i dont know everything about computers, but i know windows NT took parts from unix, maybe they took the X server too
--
virtualizer: virtualbox, on linux mint

reactOS version: the latest one xD

amount of RAM in real machine (not VM) 2GB , amount of RAM in the virtual one: 1024 mb
( one more thing: im not talking about a BSOD on the installation process: i mean, in my real machine, things just wont work, the reactOS installer shows an empty screen where the installation process should begin, just like windows XP, not vista)
--
yes, i tried reactOS first in a virtual machine, then on real hardware, and i really would like to be able to run reactOS since i hate windows, but i must use it to play games... well, you know (yes, i know this is in alpha stage, but even in alpha stage is much better than a stable release of windows)
--
well, i think that's all

thank you so much!
PS: sorry for my english? :3

[Z98]

About the only thing MS took from BSD was the network stack, and that's been gone for a while now. And anything in Wine that depends on a X server or *nix specific behavior or components we can't use.

[vicmarcal]

Beyecixramd:

So to clear me a little more, please answer this questions:

FIRST about your Virtual Machine:
1)Is ReactOS working in your Virtual Machine?

SECOND about your Real Hardware(the one in which you are trying to install ReactOS,not the one with Linux mint) :
1)Does it have more than 1,5 gigas Ram?IF so,please unplug Ram.We need just 64Mb ram to work.We have find a Bug with RH with more than 1 giga ram
2)Remember we arent compatible with SATA.
3)Tell us CPU/HDD/RAM/NETwork card and such of this PC.

Thanks

[gyROS]

So to clear me a little more, please answer this questions:

He already did:

GPU: nVidia 8800 GTS 512 mb
Motherboard: nVidia 680 i SLI
CPU: Intel Dual Core 2'66 Ghz

well, when i try to start ReactOS in the CD Drive (not the live cd, the blue screen installation process, i seen it on a virtual machine)

amount of RAM in real machine (not VM) 2GB

The only unanswered question is whether he is using SATA or IDE/ATA drives. (BTW: Also if you have IDE drives it might occur that it does not run) But in general:

2)Remember we arent compatible with SATA.

[MadWolf]

hi
if you can unplug your nVidia 8800 GTS and use the builte in graphics card

well, this issue is the same as in linux OS (tried with Fedora 10, linux mint 6, ubuntu 8.10, the screen "shuts down", but i still can hear, for example, the login sound from ubuntu, this is easy to fix in ubuntu/linux mint choosing "safe mode", but there's not a "safe mode" in reactOS, or at least, i didnt see it...

that sounds like to me the linux is using a resolution that you're monitor does not support
that has happen to me once withe linux

i think it is the Motherboard that is the problem and more than likely the hd is a SATA drive

[vicmarcal]

He already did:

Well,i wasnt sure if that was the Linux PC hardware description(where the Virtualizer is installed) or the Real Hardware description where he is trying to install ReactOS. And nowadays im not still sure.