[stretch]

Preface (Skip to solution for fix)

I've had an Aspire Revo 3610 running XBMC beautifully for months now, and recently purchased a new 3700 for a second TV. I was able to install XBMC on it by writing the ISO to a thumbdrive using UNetbootin. I also worked around the inability to load modules from a CD-ROM by copying the ISO file to the root of the thumbdrive filesystem, mounting it during installation with `mount -t iso9660 -o loop`, and then specifying /dev/loop0 as the CD-ROM device.

Aside from that peculiar hack (it seems like there should be a more elegant solution), the installation went well. Upon rebooting, however, I noticed that the GRUB bootsplash looked odd, as if it were being rendered in 16 colors. No biggie. But then the boot finished, and left me at a barren CLI login prompt. Not good.

Solution

After much digging (I'm very much an XBMC noob), I finally figured out that X was not starting simply because nothing told it to; the output of `cat /proc/cmdline` had no mention of an xbmc= argument. Nor did /boot/grub/grub.cfg. Taking a clue from an unrelated bug report, I extended the relevant line in /etc/default/grub to read

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash xbmc=autostart,nodiskmount,setvolume loglevel=0"

Then, I ran

Code:

sudo update-grub

and rebooted. XBMC now happily boots directly to the graphical interface!

My question is this: what failed during the installation to prevent the GRUB configuration being modified appropriately? Was it something specific to the USB thumbdrive method of installation? And should I file a bug?

Thanks!

[Stanton73]

Oh My God - I think I love this post because it appears to be EXACTLY what I have been searching for.


can someone please explain in the most basic of terms how one 'extends the relevant line in /etc/default/grub to read....'

I don't know how to edit files.


Also - Why would this happen for some Revo users and NOT many others? I don't understand the difference?

Cheers!

[Anastrophe]

I'm guessing it has something to do with

I was able to install XBMC on it by writing the ISO to a thumbdrive using UNetbootin.

as opposed to using the built in bootmaker on the LiveCD or booting from an attached optical drive

[Stanton73]

It was never a problem back with Camelot though (regression?) - and using Unetbootin is a usual process with LIVE on a Revo - which is a popular choice for running XBMC from what I am aware.

[VampireBill]

I have a 3700 too and had nothing but trouble from the start but managed to get it fixed now though, I have ubuntu 10.10 installed and XBMC as one of the start-up programs. One thing it does do during boot up is asks me to log in using the command line at start up but if I leave it for a few seconds it just automatically logs me in.

Don't even bother with Ubuntu 10.04

[roatsche]

VampireBill:

I'm partway thru an install on a 3700. No matter which ISO I try to run (from a CD), part of the problem seems to be a missing NVIDIA driver. Can you explain how you got your 3700 to run x? Or a simpler way? If you can, please be explicit; I don't know linux. Thanks.

roatsche

[Stanton73]

Still waiting on anyone to direct me on how to extend the' relevant line' in /etc/default/grub ... as per the solution in the first post.


Please! I'm so close to a fix!!

[stretch]

Stanton73: Here's the fix in detail.

Login to the command line (with username and password of xbmc) and type the following to edit the file /etc/default/grub:

Code:

sudo nano -w /etc/default/grub

You may be prompted to provide the password xbmc again.

In the text editor, move down to the line that begins with "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=". Modify the part in quotes so that the whole line looks like this:

Code:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash xbmc=autostart,nodiskmount,setvolume loglevel=0"

Press ctrl+x to exit, answering yes when asked to save changes.

Next, run the following command to update the GRUB configuration:

Code:

sudo update-grub

Finally, reboot with the command

Code:

sudo reboot

XBMC should boot straight into graphical mode now. Be sure to post again if it's still not working.

[stretch]

I'm partway thru an install on a 3700. No matter which ISO I try to run (from a CD), part of the problem seems to be a missing NVIDIA driver. Can you explain how you got your 3700 to run x? Or a simpler way? If you can, please be explicit; I don't know linux. Thanks.

I used the Dharma RC2 ISO (written to a thumbdrive), which includes the 195.something version of the NVIDIA drivers which I think are needed on the 3700.

[schneidz]

i dont think the 9.10-camalot version has this file: /boot/grub/grub.cfg

[stretch]

Sorry, just realized I had specified the wrong GRUB file in my above post. The correct file is /etc/default/grub. I've edited the post to show the correct file now. Sorry for the confusion.

[schneidz]

^ maybe that file only exists in the newer version:

Code:

xbmc@XBMCLive:~$ uname -a -m -p
Linux XBMCLive 2.6.31-16-generic #53-Ubuntu SMP Tue Dec 8 04:01:29 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux
xbmc@XBMCLive:~$ ll /etc/default/grub
ls: cannot access /etc/default/grub: No such file or directory
xbmc@XBMCLive:~$ ll /etc/default/
total 19
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5206 2009-10-13 08:50 acpi-support
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  638 2009-12-26 20:33 alsa
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   47 2009-09-07 18:58 bootlogd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1679 2009-12-26 20:31 console-setup
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   68 2009-12-26 20:34 cpufrequtils
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  486 2009-10-14 16:11 cryptdisks
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   92 2009-09-07 18:58 devpts
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   86 2009-09-07 18:58 halt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root   69 2009-10-20 10:19 kernel-helper-rc
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  456 2009-10-22 21:56 ntpdate
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  261 2009-10-14 04:13 rcS
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  381 2009-10-22 19:50 ssh
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  289 2009-09-07 18:58 tmpfs
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  320 2010-01-04 04:51 unclutter
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1118 2009-07-31 13:55 useradd

_____

maybe because i set it up using unetbootin ?

[Mike8913]

is it odd that etc/default/grub does not exist on my RC2 install. I'm trying to fix a suspend issue and apparently that is the same file I need to edit.