Black screen following Parallels Tools installation with Ubuntu Linux 6.06 LTS

F

fletch622

Bit poster
Hi there,

My first post to this forum... hoping someone can help.

Ubuntu Linux 6.06 installed successfully under Parallels 3.0 build 5582, on an iMac C2D 2.16 GHz with 2 GB RAM. (running OS X 10.4.10)

After updating the OS with the "build-essential" package (as indicated in a MacWorld Oct. '07 article) and restarting, it was time to install Parallels Tools, which seemed to go without a hitch.

Until the restart, that is...

Without fail, once Ubuntu Linux restarts following the Parallels Tools installation, it seems to run through a few of the login scripts, but hangs indefinitely at a black screen at the point where X-Windows should begin prompting for my login information.

I've searched both these forums (the only post I found here didn't seem to indicate a solution) and the Ubuntu forums, but to no avail.

Does anyone know what could be causing this hangup in the boot process?

If so, might someone be able to guide me through the process to fix this? (granted, I'm still on par with my UNIX commands... but it's been a while since I edited UNIX config files...)

Thanks very much!
Steve
 
Hello Fletch622,

The issue seems to be caused by improper x-server driver configuration. Parallels makes xorg.conf file backup before Tools installation. Please restore the backup that you will find in the same folder where your current xorg.conf is. Could you also let me see the xorg.conf you have now?

Best regards,
Xenos
 
The issue seems to be caused by improper x-server driver configuration. Parallels makes xorg.conf file backup before Tools installation. Please restore the backup that you will find in the same folder where your current xorg.conf is. Could you also let me see the xorg.conf you have now?
Click to expand...

Hi Xenos,

Thanks for the quick reply - much appreciated. I will post the detail from the two files later tonight (at work at the moment).

In the interim, can you guide me to the path where the xorg.conf file typically resides? I could be mistaken (again, away from my machine at the moment) but this should be located in the virtual machine's top level directory, correct? A safe boot into Linux should allow me to access the files here; I will keep you posted later tonight.

Thanks again!
Steve
 
Hi Xenos,

As a follow up, restoring the backup of the xorg.conf did get me back into the X Windows interface. (actually typing this now from there!) Thanks for that piece of info.

However, now that the original xorg.conf has been restored, how does one verify that Tools had been installed?

The command "ps -A | grep prluserd" only kicks me back to my prompt - no indication of a running process. Furthermore, the basic tests with the mouse pointer (from Mac to VM) and copy-n-paste have no effect.

Also, as promised earlier, here is the text of the "new" xorg.conf file following the Parallels Tools installation.

Thanks again,
Steve

--- begin xorg.conf ---

# X.org configuration file generated by Parallels Tools


Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection


Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection


# Parallels mouse driver
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Parallels Mouse"
Driver "prlmouse"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "yes"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
Option "SendCoreEvents" "yes"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
Option "SendCoreEvents" "yes"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom" # Change to
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4" # Tablet PC ONLY
Option "SendCoreEvents" "yes"
EndSection


# Parallels video driver
Section "Device"
Identifier "Parallels Video"
Driver "prlvideo"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection


Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic Video Card"
Driver "vesa"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection


#Parallels monitor
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Parallels Monitor"
VendorName "Parallels Inc."
EndSection


Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Generic Monitor"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 28-51
VertRefresh 43-60
EndSection


#Parallels screen
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Parallels Screen"
Device "Parallels Video"
Monitor "Parallels Monitor"
Option "NoMTRR"
DefaultDepth 24

SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection


Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Generic Video Card"
Monitor "Generic Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection


# Server layout
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Parallels Screen"
InputDevice "Parallels Mouse" "CorePointer"
# Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
InputDevice "stylus"
InputDevice "cursor"
InputDevice "eraser"
EndSection


Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection
 
Hello Steve,

Please try installing Parallels Tools this way:

1. Start Ubuntu, wait till X-server starts;
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace simultaneously;
3. Press Alt+F6;
4. Log in as root or user (all commands require sudo prefix under user account and no sudo is required under root);
5. Press Ctrl +Alt and click Actions in Parllels Desktop menu bar -> Install Parallels Tools;
6. Go back to Linux and type the following commands:

mkdir /home/cdrom/
mount /dev/sr0/ /home/cdrom/
sh /home/cdrom/parallels-tools_install.sh

7. Type Yes;
8. Run startx when Tools are installed.

Thank you very much for giving the xorg.conf generated by Parallels Tools.
However analyzing it we could not find the reason for getting the black screen after Tools installation.

We would appreciate if you could help us investigating the issue.
If you try installing Tools in a regular manner again and get the black screen, could you press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace simultaneously, then press Alt+F6 and run startx? We'd like to know the result.

Thanks again!

Best regards,
Xenos
 
Hi Xenos,

Still not working this way - will break down the test results for you...


1. Start Ubuntu, wait till X-server starts;
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+Backspace simultaneously;
3. Press Alt+F6
Click to expand...

Ctrl-Alt-Backspace would very briefly bring me to a prompt screen, but any keystroke would bring me back to the X-Windows login screen. Eventually, the prompt would remain after 6 unsuccessful force-quits of the X-Windows screen for a couple of minutes, but would return eventually. This was repeated about 4 times in order to log in.

Alt+F6 had no noticeable effects... what was the reason for this key combination?

4. Log in as root or user (all commands require sudo prefix under user account and no sudo is required under root);
5. Press Ctrl +Alt and click Actions in Parllels Desktop menu bar -> Install Parallels Tools;
Click to expand...

Everything OK in this area. :)

6. Go back to Linux and type the following commands:

mkdir /home/cdrom/
mount /dev/sr0/ /home/cdrom/
sh /home/cdrom/parallels-tools_install.sh
Click to expand...

"/dev/sr0/" apparently didn't exist on my virtual machine. I could only "mount" the CD-ROM through "/media/cdrom0".

7. Type Yes;
8. Run startx when Tools are installed.
Click to expand...

startx would not run, ultimately yielding in a message to remove the (I believe) ".X11-lock" file. Removing this file and re-running startx gives the infamous black screen...

Other ideas?

Thanks,
Steve
 
Hello Steve,

I am sorry to say that this is a bug with no workaround currently. We have replicated it and our developers will fix it in next Parallels Desktop builds. So you can not use Tools for Ubuntu 6.06. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Best regards,
Xenos
 
same problem with Ubuntu 7 under Parallels 4.0

SOLUTION

1. Hit [ESC] immediately after starting Ubuntu image.
-- You have only a few seconds, and the window must have cursor focus.
2. Select kernel "recovery mode".
3. Wait for root prompt.
4. Parallels menu: Virtual Machine > Install Parallels Tools
5. # mount /dev/sr0/
6. # cd /media/cdrom
-- That or /media/cdrom0/ should be default, otherwise supply your own dir arg to mount in step 5.
7. # ./install
-- This will start the Tools Installer in the shell.
8. Select "Next" using [tab] and [space] keys.
-- You might have to then select "Upgrade".
9. Restart.
 
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