Q4OS Forum

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Boots up with USB install media to initial Q4OS install screen.
Immediately after selecting install - video output goes to blank screen.
This happened on both the last testing release and now with 6.1.

Is there a solution, or must I remove video card and install with integrated graphics and then install the Nvidia drivers?
This is possible for me as I am using AMD 4750G with integrated graphics - but I was not really planning to take the PC apart.

Other Linux distributions such as Tuxedo install without issue, but I would like to move to a straight Debian based distro, and I much prefer yours allowing me to make my own software choices.

6.1 works well in my Virtual Machine testing on the same hardware that I am trying to install to.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

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Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Welcome to the forum

Immediately after selecting install - video output goes to blank screen.

Does this mean when you click on the "Install Q4OS" icon on the desktop?

You could also try to run Calamares installer from terminal:
$ calamares-install-debian
and post back the output.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

I get only to the very first screen when booting from the USB where the first choice is to select the live session. The other 2 choices on this first screen are not installs. I hit enter and a screen starting the install appears for approximately 1 to 2 seconds and then the screen goes black and never reappears for me to continue the install.

There is currently a different Linux distro installed on this PC - no Windows OS.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Regards,

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

At first, it would be worth trying boot Q4OS from another USB stick and follow the official instructions to create bootable USB https://www.q4os.org/dqa018.html

Are you able to boot Debian 13 Trixie Plasma live media ? Download "debian-live-13.x.x-amd64-kde.iso" from https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/cu … so-hybrid/

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

I will try your suggestions and report back.

Thank you.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

I tried 2 additional Q4OS installs with 2 additional media with the same black screen after 2 seconds and no way to proceed with either.
I did have success with the Debian 13 live KDE installer and could proceed through the install process - I went all the way to the overwrite portion before I cancelled the installation.

I guess for the present time if I want to complete a Q4OS install I will have to remove the GPU and install the OS.

One question though - once I install the OS without a Nvidia GPU - will I be able to install the Nvidia drivers before I reinsert the GPU as the Aorus B550 motherboard is either onboard graphics or separate GPU and not both at the same time.
From my VM testing it did not seem possible with your included driver installer (thank you for this)  to install the drivers without the GPU already installed. Would I have at least a minimal video signal once the GPU installed after installing the OS to complete the driver install?

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Please post a brief specification of your hardware.

You will be able to install drivers according to Debian instructions for Trixie https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsD … 2Trixie.22

I guess for the present time if I want to complete a Q4OS install I will have to remove the GPU and install the OS.

However, we would recommend you first to try Q4OS "install-cd" instead of "live". It's the 3rd option on downloads page https://www.q4os.org/downloads1.html

Last edited by q4osteam (2025-09-15 09:52)

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

My setup:

AMD Ryzen 4750G on Aorus B550 ITX motherboard with 32GB 3200 Corsair LPX RAM, 2TB Gen4 Sabrent NVMe drive,
Nvidia A2000 GPU

I will try the 3rd download.

Thank you.

Regards,

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Was able to complete the 3rd option download and install. Upon first boot have no video output. Will have to remove GPU and see about installing drivers.

Regards,

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Installed drivers & apps in Trinity desktop - worked as expected. Since I had the GPU removed I installed using the Plasma Live version, Works well.
Your application installer looks for a Nvidia GPU on both the Trinity & Plasma desktop versions - so there is no way to directly install video drivers except through the terminal, that I will work on later.

My suggestion for your Nvidia installer is to add a checkbox to allow the user to install drivers without the installer seeing a Nvidia GPU.

Regards,

Last edited by Mark13 (2025-09-15 21:28)

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Thanks for the feedback

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

You are most welcome.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Would you try to boot the new release Q4OS 6.2 Plasma live ?

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

I will try 6.2 out later today. Thanks/

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

I will try 6.2 out later today. Thanks/

+1

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Just downloaded and tried the latest 6.2 live installer with my Nvidia GPU installed - same result - boots from USB but then NO graphics output to proceed.
Do let me know if you do come up with a possible solution.

Thank you.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Thanks for the testing

Do let me know if you do come up with a possible solution.

Sure, we consider this bug as a Q4OS one and we also keep it active. The key is to find out what is the difference between Debian live media and Q4OS. We suspect that we are not providing some initramfs module within the live media.

Unfortunately we are not able to reproduce the issue. Would you please post a brief specification of the computer in question, so we can try to get similar hardware and reproduce the issue ? As soon as we are able to reproduce this bug, it will be easy to investigate and fix it.

An optional way would be to compile set of testing live media and ask you to test them one by one if you would be willing help us this way.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

System used:
AMD Ryzen 4750G Pro with 32GB DDR4 3200 RAM (Has onboard graphics that are not accessible when GPU is installed.)
Nvidia A2000 6GB GPU
Sabrent Rocket 4 NVMe 2TB drive
Corsair SF750 PSU

I would certainly be willing to try and install a variety of live media installs to help.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Thanks, we'll definitely let you know.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

As a first attempt, please boot the default Q4OS 6.2 Plasma https://www.q4os.org/redirect08.html . On the initial boot screen, select the third option "Q4OS 6 Plasma live (fail-save mode)", let the system boot for a while, and then post a screenshot of what you see on the screen, if some messages are present.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

On screen output:

EFI Stub: Loaded inited from Linux_EFI_INITRD_MEDIA_GUID device path
EFI Stub: Measured initrd data into PCR 9

Hope this is of some value.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Typo in first line - Loaded initrd - is correct.

q4osteam

Q4OS Team

Registered: 2015-12-06

Posts: 6,109

Website

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Well, we have compiled the first experimental live media. It's very close to the vanilla Debian 13 Plasma live, but with a few slight modifications. Download "q4os-x64-experimental-rb001.iso" here https://sourceforge.net/projects/q4os/files/testing/ , give it a boot and post the result please.

md5sum:
2bb2d0a135b4334797638852033f9179  q4os-x64-experimental-rb001.iso

Note: this media is intended for testing purposes only, please don't use it to install Q4OS or Debian on your machine.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Just tried out the experimental iso.
Began the initial boot process with the standard rolling text for a few seconds on screen, but then the screen went black with no further video output.

Mark13

Member

Registered: 2025-09-13

Posts: 23

Re: 6.1 Q4OS Install with Nvidia GPU - No Video Output To Complete Instal

Also just tried the fail-safe mode. Display the same 2 lines as posted earlier.