Solving the blank screen issue with Ubuntu 10.04

If you are one of those geeks (like me) who have a old spare laptop and want to install older version of Ubuntu to make the laptop useful again (as file server / testing pc.. /etc), one problem you would face especially with the older machines is that of display drivers.

This issue is more prominent in Ubuntu 10.04 (for me at least). Im most cases there will be no display after the boot screen of your machine. Generally Ubuntu supports large number of graphics cards. But some older onboard graphics cards will still give u problems.
Here is a quick-fix to resolve thoes, and get ur system up-n-running
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1. Starting the Installation:

    Sometimes you get a blank screen when you try to install Ubuntu to solve this, 

   

1. At the install screen press ‘F6‘ and insert one of theoptions below, depending on your hardware.
2. On first boot after install, press e to edit the GRUB menu.
3. Using the arrow keys to navigate, delete quiet and splashand again insert one of the options below.
4. Press Ctrl and X to boot.
1. For Intel cards : i915.modeset=1 or i915.modeset=0
2. For nVidia : nomodeset   (I have not tested this option)
3. For Generic: xforcevesa   (I have not tested this option)

2. On the first boot

    After installation you have to make the changes made above persistant. So tweaking in Grub’s config file has to be done by:

1. Edit the /etc/default/grub file. You will need Admin privileges to do so (sudo)
2. Find this line: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash”
3. Replace with: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash <option>”     eg… 
1. (in command prompt) sudo gedit /etc/default/grub
2. change the line : GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”quiet splash i915.modeset=1″
3. save and close the file    
4. (in command prompt)  update-grub

AND UR DONE

Please check this wonderful article for the solution source : http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2010/05/06/ubuntu-10-04-lucid-blank-screen-at-startup-workaround/