linux system that does not use the console except in TEXT mode.

[geoffrey mendelson]

I have a computer with a bad graphics processor on the motherboard. It  
boots fine in text mode, and I can install Windows XP on it. As long  
as it stays in VGA or text mode, and does not access the graphics  
processor, it runs fine. It's a nice little machine, relatively fast  
and small. Perfect to put in a corner and use as a file server, video  
conversion processor, etc. It can not be fixed.

When I tried to install UBUNTU 10.04, which I did because I have 2  
other UBUNTU systems and don't want to hassle with something else,  
including the alternate (text installer), or server (text only)  
versions, it installs fine, but crashes on reboot. If I boot into  
single user mode it crashes, if I boot into just a kernel, e.g. "init=/ 
bin/bash" it's fine.

So it is not a linux problem per se, but a problem with UBUNTU  
accessing the graphics processor.

Is there another distro that does not do this? One that I could  
install for example on a computer with a serial console?

I don't want to spend a lot of time going through the startup maze to  
find the one command that kills the system. It causes an instant  
reboot, so there is no log, and no way to see it happen, by the time  
it has happened, the computer is rebooting. :-(

Thanks in advance,

Geoff.
-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM
To help restaurants, as part of the "stimulus package", everyone must  
order dessert. As part of the socialized health plan, you are  
forbidden to eat it. :-)