Q4OS Forum

ernieguevara

Member

Registered: 2025-07-20

Posts: 7

Can only boot in failsafe mode

Hello all,

I downloaded the live version of Q4OS Aquarius 64 bit with the Trinity desktop as I wanted to install it on my Acer Aspire 5315 laptop.

I set up the ISO on an SD card and used my Sandisk card reader to boot up my laptop using the SD card. I chose the first option to run Q4OS 64 bit live. The screen went blank, then stopped at a blinking cursor. I waited several minutes and nothing happened. I rebooted the laptop and this time chose the failsafe mode. It progressed and booted fine to the Trinity desktop.

I would really like to install Q4OS 64 bit on my laptop, but if I can only boot the operating system in failsafe mode, I guess it means there must be a problem.

Could someone suggest what I can do? I would greatly appreciate it.

Here is the output after running the command inxi -Fxxx on my laptop in the terminal.  Thanks

System:
  Host: debian Kernel: 6.1.0-32-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 12.2.0 Desktop: Trinity v: R14.1.1 tk: Qt v: 3.5.0 info: kicker wm: Twin
    v: 3.0 vt: 7 dm: 1: TDM 2: XDM Distro: Q4OS 5.8.1-n1 base: Debian
    GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Other-vm? System: Acer product: Aspire 5315 v: V1.45
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Acer model: Acadia v: V1.45 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Acer
    v: 1.45 date: 11/10/2008
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: N/A condition: N/A volts: N/A model: SANYO GC86508SAT0
    type: Li-ion serial: N/A status: not charging
CPU:
  Info: single core model: Intel Celeron 530 bits: 64 arch: Core2 Merom rev: 1
    cache: L1: 64 KiB L2: 1024 KiB
  Speed (MHz): 1729 min/max: N/A core: 1: 1729 bogomips: 3458
  Flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 ssse3
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrated Graphics
    vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-4 ports:
    active: LVDS-1 empty: SVIDEO-1,VGA-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:2a02
    class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1280x800 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 338x211mm (13.31x8.31")
    s-diag: 398mm (15.69")
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 model: AU Optronics 0x8174 res: 1280x800 hz: 60 dpi: 98
    size: 331x207mm (13.03x8.15") diag: 390mm (15.4") modes: 1280x800
  API: OpenGL v: 2.1 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel 965GM (CL)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801H HD Audio vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:284b
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-32-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom NetLink BCM5906M Fast Ethernet PCI Express
    vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: tg3 v: kernel pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s
    lanes: 1 port: N/A bus-ID: 05:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:1713 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp5s0 state: down mac: 00:1b:38:62:a0:9f
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR242x / AR542x Wireless Network Adapter
    vendor: AMBIT Microsystem AR5BXB63 802.11bg NIC driver: ath5k v: kernel
    pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 06:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:001c
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: wlp6s0 state: up mac: 00:1d:d9:25:a3:10
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 76.44 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
  ID-1: /dev/sdd type: USB vendor: Generic model: USB MS Reader
    size: 1.91 GiB type: N/A serial: 058F312D81B rev: 1.03 scheme: MBR
  ID-2: /dev/sde vendor: Seagate model: ST980811AS size: 74.53 GiB
    speed: 1.5 Gb/s type: N/A serial: 5LY4HNM6 rev: D scheme: MBR
Partition:
  Message: No partition data found.
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 54.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 131 Uptime: 6m wakeups: 1 Memory: 1.91 GiB
  used: 525.4 MiB (26.8%) Init: systemd v: 252 target: graphical (5)
  default: graphical Compilers: N/A Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 1257 Shell: Bash
  v: 5.2.15 running-: konsole inxi: 3.3.26

crosscourt

Banned

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 2,706

Re: Can only boot in failsafe mode

Id start by pressing F2 at startup and turning off secure boot and fast boot in the bios. Then press F12 and select your boot device for the Q4OS live session and see if it works(not failsafe mode).  With the Intel 960GL graphics there could be some issues, but your being able to get it to work with failsafe mode, which uses VESA drivers, may indicate Intel graphics driver issues. Your info above indicates though that the Intel i915 driver is there so not sure whats happening.

Last edited by crosscourt (2025-08-08 01:50)

ernieguevara

Member

Registered: 2025-07-20

Posts: 7

Re: Can only boot in failsafe mode

Hello crosscourt. I followed your instructions and I was able to boot up Q4OS in the live mode. I went ahead and installed it on my laptop. It's running fine so far. Thank you for your assistance.

crosscourt

Banned

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 2,706

Re: Can only boot in failsafe mode

Glad it worked out!