Troubleshooting Ubuntu 25.04 Black Screen On Asus FA507NVR With Nvidia And AMD Graphics

August 22, 2025 by StackCamp Team 88 views

Troubleshooting Ubuntu 25.04 Boot Issues on Asus FA507NVR (Nvidia + AMD)

Experiencing a black screen when trying to boot into Ubuntu 25.04 on your Asus FA507NVR laptop, especially with a combination of Nvidia and AMD graphics, can be incredibly frustrating. But don’t worry, guys! We're here to dive deep into the potential causes and walk you through a series of troubleshooting steps to get your system up and running. This comprehensive guide will cover everything from basic checks to advanced configurations, ensuring that you have all the necessary tools to diagnose and resolve this issue.

Understanding the Problem

First off, let’s break down why this might be happening. When you're dealing with a system that has both Nvidia and AMD graphics, the boot process can get a little complex. The system needs to correctly initialize the graphics drivers, and sometimes, there can be conflicts or misconfigurations that lead to a black screen. This issue is compounded in newer Ubuntu releases like 25.04, where changes in the kernel and display management systems can introduce new challenges.

One common culprit is the graphics drivers. Often, the open-source drivers might not play nicely with the hardware right out of the box, especially on laptops with hybrid graphics setups. Alternatively, proprietary drivers might have compatibility issues with the kernel version in Ubuntu 25.04. Another potential issue lies in the GRUB bootloader configuration. Incorrect parameters passed to the kernel during boot can prevent the system from initializing the display, resulting in that dreaded black screen. Finally, there could be underlying hardware issues or firmware bugs that are surfacing under the new OS.

Initial Checks and Basic Troubleshooting

Before we get too technical, let's start with some basic checks to ensure everything is as it should be. First, verify your hardware connections. Though this is a laptop, ensure that there are no external displays interfering with the boot process. Disconnect any external monitors or peripherals that might be causing confusion during the initial boot sequence.

Next, check your BIOS settings. Make sure that the display output is set to the correct graphics card. In some cases, the BIOS might be set to use the integrated graphics (AMD in this case) by default, which could conflict with the Nvidia drivers that Ubuntu might be trying to load. Look for options like “Primary Display” or “Graphics Device” in your BIOS settings and ensure it's set appropriately, often to “Auto” or the Nvidia card if you intend to use it as the primary GPU.

Now, let's talk about the boot sequence. When you power on your laptop, pay close attention to the initial screen. Can you access the BIOS setup by pressing keys like Del, F2, F10, or F12 (the key varies depending on your manufacturer)? If you can’t even get into the BIOS, there might be a more fundamental hardware issue. If you can access the BIOS, that’s a good sign, and we can rule out some of the more severe problems.

Another crucial step is to try booting into recovery mode. This mode loads a minimal set of drivers and services, which can help us diagnose if the issue is with the graphics drivers or something else. To enter recovery mode, reboot your system and, as the GRUB menu appears, select “Advanced options for Ubuntu,” then choose a recovery mode kernel. If you can boot into recovery mode, this suggests that the base system is functioning correctly, and the problem likely lies with the graphics configuration or the display manager.

Diving into GRUB Configuration

The GRUB bootloader is the first software that runs when your computer starts, and it’s responsible for loading the operating system. Incorrect GRUB configurations are a frequent cause of boot issues, especially when dealing with complex hardware setups. Modifying GRUB parameters can often resolve black screen problems by ensuring the kernel is started with the correct settings.

Accessing and Editing GRUB

To access the GRUB menu, reboot your system. If the GRUB menu doesn't appear automatically, you might need to hold down the Shift key during boot (on older systems) or press the Esc key (on UEFI systems). Once the GRUB menu is visible, you can use the arrow keys to navigate and select different boot options.

To edit the GRUB parameters for a specific boot entry, highlight the desired entry (usually the default Ubuntu option) and press e. This will open the GRUB editor, allowing you to modify the boot commands. Be careful here, guys! Incorrect changes can prevent your system from booting altogether, so it’s a good idea to note down the original settings before making any modifications.

Common GRUB Parameters to Try

Here are some common GRUB parameters that can help resolve black screen issues, particularly those related to graphics drivers:

nomodeset: This parameter instructs the kernel to disable kernel mode setting (KMS) and rely on the BIOS for initial display setup. This can be useful if the kernel is failing to initialize the graphics card correctly. To add this parameter, find the line starting with linux and add nomodeset at the end of the line, before the words quiet splash. So, the modified line might look something like this:
```
linux /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-76-generic root=UUID=your-uuid ro quiet splash nomodeset
```
nvidia-drm.modeset=1: If you suspect the Nvidia drivers are the issue, this parameter forces the Nvidia DRM (Direct Rendering Manager) module to handle mode setting. This can help if the system is not correctly initializing the Nvidia GPU. Add this to the same line as nomodeset:
```
linux /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-76-generic root=UUID=your-uuid ro quiet splash nomodeset nvidia-drm.modeset=1
```
radeon.modeset=0 or amdgpu.modeset=0: If you suspect the AMD drivers are causing issues, you can try disabling mode setting for the AMD GPU. Use radeon.modeset=0 for older AMD GPUs and amdgpu.modeset=0 for newer ones. Again, add this to the linux line:
```
linux /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-76-generic root=UUID=your-uuid ro quiet splash nomodeset amdgpu.modeset=0
```
acpi_osi=: Sometimes, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) can cause issues with hardware initialization. Adding acpi_osi= tells the kernel to ignore ACPI Operating System Interface (OSI) strings, which can resolve conflicts. You can also try acpi_osi=!:
```
linux /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-76-generic root=UUID=your-uuid ro quiet splash acpi_osi=
```
acpi_backlight=vendor: This parameter can help if you're having issues with screen brightness control. It forces the kernel to use the vendor-specific ACPI backlight interface:
```
linux /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-76-generic root=UUID=your-uuid ro quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor
```

After adding the desired parameters, press Ctrl + x or F10 to boot with the modified settings. If the system boots successfully, you’ve likely found a working configuration. However, these changes are temporary and will only apply to the current boot session.

Making GRUB Changes Permanent

To make the GRUB changes permanent, you need to edit the /etc/default/grub file. Open a terminal (if you can boot into the system) or use the terminal in recovery mode. Use a text editor like nano with root privileges:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Find the line that starts with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT and add your desired parameters within the quotes. For example, if you want to make nomodeset permanent, the line might look like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=