[SOLVED] Version 8 installation no display

[cdsJerry]

I'm getting ready to upgrade to version 8 starting with my backup server first. I'm installing from the ISO. I get the expected window where I'm selecting the top Install Proxmox option. The software starts to load and a few lines of text show on the screen. But then I get a message on the screen that says "Cannot display this video mode" and nothing more seems to happen. As I understand it there should have been a license screen or something to accept before moving forward with the installation but there's nothing displayed but the error.

This machine was running Proxmox 7.4-16 prior to my attempts to install version 8 this morning. Any suggestions?

 

[aaron]

There is a new "nomodeset" option under the "Advanced" section in the boot menu. It will start the new TUI installer without trying to set a higher resolution mode.

Does that work?

 

[cdsJerry]

There is a new "nomodeset" option under the "Advanced" section in the boot menu. It will start the new TUI installer without trying to set a higher resolution mode.

Does that work?

That worked! The EULA is up on screen now so I'll go continue the installation. I have to admit, I've never heard of nomodeset before.

 

[aaron]

I've never heard of nomodeset before.

The option for the installer has been added with the latest major releases a few weeks ago. Since we now have a TUI installer as well.

 

[prahn]

I just downloaded the actual ISO of the Proxmox 8.1 installer and I also get the message "Cannot display this video mode" on my monitor.
I tried 3 different monitor sizes: 15", 19" and 22", they are all not able to show the installer. The monitor is connected via a simple VGA cable, I installed version 7.3 some weeks ago here with no problem.
I tried all possible options: GUI installer, TUI installer and under Advanced I only find "GUI debug mode" and "TUI debug mode", but both are not working. How do I set the "nomodeset" option?

How may I install version 8?
Do I really have to install version 7 and do an upgrade right away??

Regards,
Ingo

 

[prahn]

Hm, I just tried the same USB key on another machine, here it works without any problem?! Strange.
I now found the ISO 8.0 Installer and tried this one, here I found the "nomodeset" option. This worked.
So please integrate this option also in future installers! Thank you.

 

[Andre_x]

In 8.1 there is no "nomodeset". How can I solve this problem?

 

[ericprox]

This is still an issue, the 8.1 installed should be considered severely broken and cannot be used on hardware with VGA-ports.

 

[cheiss]

In 8.1 there is no "nomodeset". How can I solve this problem?

This has been changed. If needed, the nomodeset parameter can very easily be added manually to the kernel command line in the boot loader, see also our guide for that: Adding the nomodeset Kernel Parameter.

This is still an issue, the 8.1 installed should be considered severely broken and cannot be used on hardware with VGA-ports.

This is an issue of old, broken firmware/hardware, nothing we can do about.

 

[Andre_x]

This has been changed. If needed, the nomodeset parameter can very easily be added manually to the kernel command line in the boot loader, see also our guide for that: Adding the nomodeset Kernel Parameter.

Thanks, I'll try!

This has been changed. If needed, the nomodeset parameter can very easily be added manually to the kernel command line in the boot loader, see also our guide for that: Adding the nomodeset Kernel Parameter.


This is an issue of broken firmware/hardware, nothing we can do about.

Is it? It could be if it was just me or 1 other person, but it seems that multiple people have this problem on different hardware.

 

[cheiss]

Is it? It could be if it was just me or 1 other person, but it seems that multiple people have this problem on different hardware.

Well, there are several reports. But one big part of that is just due to very old hardware, which simply got broken in newer kernel releases since nobody cares about them anymore - most often to due economical reasons.

The other part really boils down to sloppy vendors which may only check compatibility with proprietary software from partner vendors and do not care about standard compliance and free software. And on consumer hardware, the firmware in general often does not get tested very well. Again, something that should be resolved with the vendor itself.

We provide several workarounds, e.g. adding nomodeset, or using the stock Debian installer and then installing Proxmox VE on top of that.

 

[Andre_x]

Well, there are several reports. But one big part of that is just due to very old hardware, which simply got broken in newer kernel releases since nobody cares about them anymore - most often to due economical reasons.

The other part really boils down to sloppy vendors which may only check compatibility with proprietary software from partner vendors and do not care about standard compliance and free software. And on consumer hardware, the firmware in general often does not get tested very well. Again, something that should be resolved with the vendor itself.

We provide several workarounds, e.g. adding nomodeset, or using the stock Debian installer and then installing Proxmox VE on top of that.

Got it, thanks. Curiosity: why this doesn't happen with Ubuntu/Debian installation?

 

[cheiss]

Curiosity: why this doesn't happen with Ubuntu/Debian installation?

There are lots of variables there; e.g. different kernel versions, kernel patches, config/build options, etc.
E.g. The current Debian installer ships with the 6.1 kernel, the Proxmox VE 8.1 installer with 6.5.11, based on the Ubuntu kernel.

In some cases 7.x/6.x installer worked fine on these systems, as they shipped with even older kernels (5.15 for the 7.4 release IIRC). And then, over time, these old systems (often 10+ years) simply get broken to the abandonment upstream.

It's unfortunate, but fixing these bugs is also basically impossible without access to that particular hardware in each case.

 

[dlasher]

Just keep in mind if you care about iGPU passthrough (like intel) - nomodeset breaks Intel GVT-G


The *right* answer is for proxmox to allow you to pick a console resolution at the start of the install, then write that during the install, then boot afterwards using that resolution. As screen resolutions increase, this will become more of an issue. Today, not an option yet.