[SOLVED] Black screen in VNC at startup

[EdwinM]

Hi,

I'm trying to install snakeoil on a asrock z97e-itx board with a i3 cpu (this one: ftp://europe.asrock.com/Manual/Z97E-ITXac.pdf ).
It boots up from the 0.9.1 iso, but in the end I end up with a black screen in VNC. If I hit F8, it shows a desktop for a second, minimizing vnc shows a normal empty ubuntu desktop with a start button. So it seems everything is running as supposed only vnc screwing things up. The webinterface is also up, I can configure things etc.
How do I install snakeoil to my connected ssd, I tried from the desktop with the minimized vnc interface the install snakeoil command from the menu but that didn't work either.
Or even better how do I get vnc to show me a desktop?

Regards,
Edwin.

[agent_kith]

Hi,
I'm trying to install snakeoil on a asrock z97e-itx board with a i3 cpu (this one: ftp://europe.asrock.com/Manual/Z97E-ITXac.pdf ).
It boots up from the 0.9.1 iso, but in the end I end up with a black screen in VNC. If I hit F8, it shows a desktop for a second, minimizing vnc shows a normal empty ubuntu desktop with a start button. So it seems everything is running as supposed only vnc screwing things up. The webinterface is also up, I can configure things etc.
How do I install snakeoil to my connected ssd, I tried from the desktop with the minimized vnc interface the install snakeoil command from the menu but that didn't work either.
Or even better how do I get vnc to show me a desktop?

Regards,
Edwin.

Interesting. Seems the automated startup isn't working for some reason, or is taking a long time. How long did you wait - it shouldn't take more than 3 minutes. Is the mouse cursor type "sand clock" or pointer?

If nothing loads up in 3 minutes, go to the Ubuntu desktop, right click with your mouse and a menu should pop up. Select the item "Terminal". You should see a shell pop up. Then type in these:

Code:

sudo ubiquity

Any error messages?

[EdwinM]

If nothing loads up in 3 minutes, go to the Ubuntu desktop, right click with your mouse and a menu should pop up. Select the item "Terminal". You should see a shell pop up. Then type in these:

Code:

sudo ubiquity

Any error messages?

I see a pointer before vnc starts on a monitor attached to the dvi-out (or hdmi, doesn't make a difference), after that it's black. I can also F8 to minimize vnc, via the pop-up menu, and that gives me a normal desktop. So VNC seems to be running but not mirroring a desktop or something similar?
Did the install via the terminal and that seems to have done the trick.  I'm at a login screen at the attached monitor. 
Next thing get some audio out of the attached schitt-dac.

Regards,
Edwin.

[agent_kith]

black. I can also F8 to minimize vnc, via the pop-up menu, and that gives me a normal desktop. So VNC seems to be running but not mirroring a desktop or something similar?
Did the install via the terminal and that seems to have done the trick.  I'm at a login screen at the attached monitor. 
Next thing get some audio out of the attached schitt-dac.

Great to hear, let me know how you go.

[EdwinM]

black. I can also F8 to minimize vnc, via the pop-up menu, and that gives me a normal desktop. So VNC seems to be running but not mirroring a desktop or something similar?
Did the install via the terminal and that seems to have done the trick.  I'm at a login screen at the attached monitor. 
Next thing get some audio out of the attached schitt-dac.

Great to hear, let me know how you go.
 

I also installed roon-bridge (via the command-line, after installing curl) that worked, and I'm listening to some music right now. The schitt dac shows up 3 times in alsa but that's kind of expected behaviour for this dac, don't know why but picking the first one (hw 0,0) did convince the thing to output some audio to my computer speakers.
Will put the pc back in the living room audio set next week somewhere to listen seriously to the quality.
Before this I was using the same pc with Win10 and J-River but got hooked to roon and never looked at J-River again.

Regards,
Edwin.

[agent_kith]

I also installed roon-bridge (via the command-line, after installing curl) that worked, and I'm listening to some music right now. The schitt dac shows up 3 times in alsa but that's kind of expected behaviour for this dac, don't know why but picking the first one (hw 0,0) did convince the thing to output some audio to my computer speakers.

Some audio devices have multiple outputs, e.g.

1. without volume control,
   
2. bypass volume control or maybe even filters
   
3. fix sample rate (usually 48 kHz or 96 kHz).
   

You'd need to try all the outputs and make sure you don't use one with characteristic #3.

BTW, when you friends ask you what you are using right now, you'd say something like: "I'm using Snakeoil with Schitt".  
 

Will put the pc back in the living room audio set next week somewhere to listen seriously to the quality.
Before this I was using the same pc with Win10 and J-River but got hooked to roon and never looked at J-River again.

I've tried Roon briefly a while back (In early Jan). Recon they did something to the sound - to me Roon 'polished' the sound. Havn't had the time to go further. If you're interested can follow up here: Link