One of the last updates killed my Dell Optiplex 755 running onboard Intel graphic card 83q35.
Machine is only able to start from a Live-USB only in safe graphic mode. At first I could also start it from from GRUB through recovery mode to use x-server. Then I played with some Googled solutions through a command line in recovery mode and now x-server goes into some reboot-loop before I can see the login screen. If I'm fast enough, I'm able to Ctrl+Alt+F2 to reboot it from a command line.
I installed Xubuntu and exactly the same thing happens.
Any ideas what can I do before installing another graphic card or sending that machine to the graveyard?
You provided no Ubuntu MATE release details; which is the starting point I'd consider (and with flavors like Ubuntu-MATE & Xubuntu, if a LTS release is used where kernel stack choices exist - the install media matters too). That is where I'd start.
Further I'd contrast the Xubuntu details, unless that was the same release and same kernel stack option (if using a LTS release).
I currently have 2x dell optiplex 755's (down from 7, most being recycled due to cap-issues) I'm still using in Quality Assurance testing, so do know they're capable of running all current releases of Ubuntu-MATE, however in regards graphics hardware I also know kernel stack matters.
I have experienced issues with 755's though (esp. regards graphics) too (mostly I'm using additional graphics cards though; as mine are mostly used with multiple monitors)
The obvious thing I'd try in that case; is if using the HWE kernel stack, and considering the age of the hardware - switching to the GA kernel stack is likely your fix (or at least workaround). I've had to do that numerous times because I'm mostly using older hardware.
Thank You for Your answers! It already runs GA. Or tries to It used to be 24.04 LTS but as I tried to repair it I upgraded to 24.10 so now I can't even start in a safe mode from recovery.
I'm gonna look for a new card. Live-USB Mate and Xubuntu start only from a Safe graphics. Sadly, i think it is gonna be the end for that machine. Writing it from a Dell D630 from 2008 on 22.04 hoping it is not gonna die as well.
I have hardware that misbehaves when using the 6.8 kernel, but for me the answer is only to use 22.04 using the GA kernel (ie. 5.15) as that still has plenty of support left.
I tried latest Debian. Didn't even open recovery
Mate 22.04.5 doesn't start from USB in normal mode.
Do not want to look for 18.04 at the moment but found some old stick with Tails from 2018 and it works.
Then another Tails 6.1 starts only from a troubleshooting mode.