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itniflFlag for Norway

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Want to install Linux on a Acer Aspire 4315, but only the simplest graphics are working

The screen of the Acer Aspire 4315 was barely showing a picture. If I looked really closely I could see the biggest letters shining barely in the dark screen when turning off all other lights in the room. I tried taking the computer apart and refit the cable that connects the screen and the motherboard. I found the cable was glued together with very thick glue at the end of the cable to the connector. The laptop was at a repair in Bangkok, Thailand in 2008 because of screen issues and they told us that they had problems with the screen of that laptop model and fixed it for free. By the looks of the glue it would seem someone was doing manual repairs a little to eagerly. I managed to disconnect the connector from the motherboard anyway, and then decided to remove the whole screen and throw it in the trash to then install a Linux server on the laptop to use for home nerding. I could still use the external VGA port. But when proceeding with the install of Ubuntu from USB it fails and says it can not initialize graphics. I tried booting from the operating system on the hard drive, but the screen just looses signal. Looks as if the VGA port is only able to display the simplest resolutions, as for instance those used when displaying the BIOS screen. The BIOS screen and the POST screen display perfect pictures through the external VGA port. The laptops VGA port wasn't like that before, so I guess I must have broken something.

So I would like to know; are there any Linux distros out there that have installers in text mode using no graphics? I think that would work for me.
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tankergoblin

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It is a repeating tendency that experts ask question about information already stated. Next time I will just post a question stating that I would like to ask a question. So then you can legitimately ask me for information.

Have you try to extend your laptop display to a monitor?
Yes,  as the question clearly states. That was after I threw the screen that was built in with the laptop away. It did not display anything, not POST, BIOS or anything. I could vaguely see something, but it was as if the screen was dimmed so much that nothing really was possible to see.

I think your laptop cannot support certain resolution but i think you can adjust it.
Strange thing that this would be, because I was sure I used this external monitor before. However, I tried yet another monitor on the VGA port and it worked.

So no problem then.