The only time I've had a similar experience (not Ubuntu specific) is
when the settings aren't right in the BIOS for the video default
(onboard, pci, agp, etc.). For booting, it usually shows on all
outputs, but will switch when the OS kicks in.

If you are able get a copy of 8.04 which is a long term release and should last
for 3 years while 7.10 is only 6 months older it is not an LTS release and the
support will run out sooner. This may not seem important to you now, it will be
when you can't get updates. Also with 8.04 you get a newer kernel, newer drivers
and this means better detection and fewer installation woes.

Monitor problems are complicated to sort out. It is likely due to poor detection
and the wrong driver. You have a couple of choices. You can run at a lower
resolution by adding aboot parameter, you can try an alternate CD or you can get
the most recent release as previously suggested.

Typically Linux lags behind proprietary OSes since the developers must reverse
engineer most new drivers and don't get a lot of help from the industry. In
contrast M$ works on close relationship with OEMs to their mutual benefit, which
partially keeps Linux in its place as an also ran OS. This is changing in two
ways. Linux adoption is increasing and the attitudes of OEMs is changing as many
now offer Linux as a pre-installed OS. Making drivers for Linux is not hard, but
attitudes need to change and more trust between the industry and open source
developers. OEMs fear that you might give away their trade secrets because you
do not work for a Fortune 500 company who they can sue if you do.

As long as you are making comparisons between the two situations I just want to
keep things in perspective. Microsoft has a cozy relationship and favored status
and we don't. However, help is on the way as more and more OEMs see the need for
an alternative to M$. Linux developers have offered to write drivers for free to
any interested company with no strings attached and in complete confidence that
their secrets are safe. None of this helps you of course, but a new disk with
the latest version may have more drivers and be just the thing. No promises of
course, but it is worth a try. You can get a new disk mailed to you for free
from here: https://shipit.ubuntu.com/

How many companies will give you their product for free with support for three
years and pay to send it to you, including S & H? They must like what they have
to offer.

I tried this again with the 8.04 LTS Desktop edition and it is still
happening. It will trun off the monitor either running from the CD or
installing onto a separate hard drive. The monitor is a 21" Viewsonic MB110

I really wish I could switch to Ubuntu, but at this point I don't see how
I'm going to accomplish that.

A quick Google search reveals the MB110 is a CRT but its interface is
USB: <www.viewsonic.com/.../qa.cfm

Lots of driver issues (even for Windows systems) are reported in the
same Google search with the solution being to download updated drivers.

It doesn't make sense to me that video (for your MB110) is sent over
USB. Are there any other video connection alternatives (e.g. D-15 VGA
connection, DVI, HDMI, etc.). What computer are you using with it?

Having a Nvidia video sure helps ,also. I did the switch and got my box to
run 8.04 .

I have an Intel 82845G graphics controller on the MB.

Hmmm. If you go here:

<downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx

and select "Linux" as the OS, the new page refers to two drivers:

1: <http://www.intellinuxgraphics.org/>

which has several recent (October 24, 2008) files for xorg and kernel
2.6.27 along with a lot of docs and what appears to also be the source
code of the driver(s), and

2: Intel(R) Graphics Driver - Linux* [IntelGraphics_060704.tar.gz]
(1697KB) at a URL too long to post here, and it's for XFree86. Ubuntu
uses xorg nowadays.

I'm not sure what to do with this. I downloaded the 2D driver
for ordinary users and extracted the files. Since I'm running XP, I don't
see a way to install this driver; i.e. there's no .exe or .msi file. The
download page also had instructions for getting the Intel driver for X.org
using this
$ git://anongit.freedesktop.org/git/xorg/driver/xf86-video-intelwhich I
don't think will work in XP. The problem is that I can't load Ubuntu because
the of the video problem and these update instructions are for use with
Linux. I can't load Ubuntu w/o the updated driver and I can't load the new
driver w/o Ubuntu.

Two things:

1. if you want/need a driver for WinXP also, the first URL I posted
has a drop-down from which some 8 to 10 different ODs can be spec'd
for a driver. One is for Linux, most of the rest are for various Windows
releases.

2. it's not really the Catch-22 as you wrote above. You should have
been given the install options of GUI or text-mode. Even without a
proper video driver, a 640x480 VGA window should have appeared as the
generic default. I get that with some distros which aren't accompanied
with eleventy-seven bazillion video drivers (some of which are still
proprietary).

Once the text mode install has completed, then a proper driver can
be found and installed; Ive had to do that many times over the years.

Are you saying you see absolutely nothing on your monitor when you
boot the Ubuntu install disk? Did you even see you're your computer's
bootup screen with a choice to enter its BIOS setup? If you see the
computer's basic BIOS bootup screen, then text-mode Ubuntu install
will work.

Text-mode install is kind of a misnomer. It's an ASCII-graphics mode
with color and selections are (typically) made using the keyboard's
arrow keys and the ENTER key to confirm a selection, TAB to move
faster, etc. I suppose I've been lucky that Ubuntu seems to work
with every computer (and graphic card and mode) I've tried.

2. it's not really the Catch-22 as you wrote above. You should have
been given the install options of GUI or text-mode. Even without a
proper video driver, a 640x480 VGA window should have appeared as the
generic default. I get that with some distros which aren't accompanied
with eleventy-seven bazillion video drivers (some of which are still
proprietary).

Once the text mode install has completed, then a proper driver can
be found and installed; Ive had to do that many times over the years.

Are you saying you see absolutely nothing on your monitor when you
boot the Ubuntu install disk? Did you even see you're your computer's
bootup screen with a choice to enter its BIOS setup? If you see the
computer's basic BIOS bootup screen, then text-mode Ubuntu install
will work.

Text-mode install is kind of a misnomer. It's an ASCII-graphics mode
with color and selections are (typically) made using the keyboard's
arrow keys and the ENTER key to confirm a selection, TAB to move
faster, etc. I suppose I've been lucky that Ubuntu seems to work
with every computer (and graphic card and mode) I've tried.


I get the following options when I boot with the 8.04.1 CD in the drive.

a.. Try w/o any changes to your PC
b.. Install
c.. Check CD for errors
d.. Test Memory
e.. Boot from 1st hard drive
Along the bottom of the screen are various options listed as F1, F2, etc.
F4 is Modes. I select Try w/o any changes and hit F4 and choose Safe
Graphics Mode and it works!!! I am able to use Ubuntu.

I forgot about the "Safe Mode" and am pleased you tried it and it
worked.