Console problem in Ubuntu Linux

[FatalException]

I'm running into some trouble with the console in Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. I just installed Ubuntu on my Sony Vaio S460P Notebook computer, This is the "Breezy Badger" version, so we are all on the same page. Anyway, the problem I'm having is that when I switch to virtual console mode (CTRL + ALT + F1), and start doing some work, the cursor quickly goes off the bottom of the screen. I have Ubuntu Linux on my desktop as well and don't run into this problem.

Let me describe it a bit better. Usually, when working at a text console, the prompt starts out at the top of the screen with a line that says "Login:" followed by a blinking cursor. As you enter your user name and password, the cursor moves down the screen a few lines. You perform an "ls" command and a few other commands, and soon the cursor is at the bottom of the screen. The problem is that the cursor ends up going OFF the bottom of the screen entirely by about 3 lines. I can enter commands, but can't see what I'm typing! I can tell that the commands are working, because I hit return enough times after each command I enter to bring what I typed back up to the visible part of the screen. It's really frustrating though, and I don't know how to fix it.

As a side note, I've booted Ubuntu into recovery mode a few times and the cursor no longer goes off the bottom of the screen when I'm working in recovery mode. The console font in recovery mode also looks different from when the system is running in standard mode and I'm using a virtual console. I have a feeling this problem is related to my screen's unusual resolution. When using Gnome (the graphical part of the OS, like Windows), the resolution is set correctly and the mouse never goes off the edges of the screen. It's just in virtual console mode that the cursor goes off the bottom when I type commands. The screen's resolution is 1280x800. Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

[Epyon9283]

I would guess that the framebuffer is at fault here. The correct resolution may not be set correctly.
I don't use ubuntu but I would guess this is the same for it. In your grub.conf file (probably in /boot), in the section that boots ubuntu there should be a line that starts with kernel.

On that line, there should be something like this:
"video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr,1280x1024-32@60"

I would make sure the resolution there is correct.

[FatalException]

I looked all over for that configuration file and can't find it. The closest thing I found was the "menu" configuration file. That had nothing in it that looked like the resolution settings you listed. Anyone else have any idea what's going on with this? Not having a console (except in graphical mode in an X-simulated console) makes doing a lot of things with Linux very very difficult.

[Epyon9283]

The file is either called menu.lst or grub.conf.

can you post the file that you found here?

[FatalException]

Here is the menu.lst file. Any ideas?

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.           
default		6

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 U0/$aW78Qf3P2b2zoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specifiv kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/sda4 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## nonaltoption boot targets option
## This option controls options to pass to only the
## primary kernel menu item.
## You can have ONLY one nonaltoptions line
# nonaltoptions=quiet splash

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-10-386 
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.12-10-386 root=/dev/sda4 ro quiet splash
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.12-10-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-10-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.12-10-386 root=/dev/sda4 ro single
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.12-10-386
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-9-386 
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.12-9-386 root=/dev/sda4 ro quiet splash
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.12-9-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-9-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.12-9-386 root=/dev/sda4 ro single
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.12-9-386
boot

title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/memtest86+.bin  
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title		Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition
root		(hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader	+1

[VHockey86]

try passing "nofb" as a parameter when launching. I cant remember what the shortcut is exactly, probably F1, to add parameters to a boot option (at the GRUB screen listing the boot options). If the problem is fixed then that at least narrows the issue down to a framebuffer issue.

[FatalException]

I tried the "nofb" option. It did not solve the problem.

[VHockey86]

Just for clarification, you entered that without the quotation marks right?

[Epyon9283]

Did it seem like the console was running at a lower resolution?

Also if you use the nofb option you have to remove quiet and splash

[VHockey86]

Alternatively try passing something like "vga=791" which runs framebuffer at 1024x768
It might be "(vga=791)", i dont really know the syntax.

Probably the fastest help you'd get would be something like a Ubuntu IRC channel on freenode