Ubuntu freezes during startup (hit esc solves this)

When booting up the splash-screen freezes
Hitting once the esc key while boot resolves this temporarily.

This workaround fixed the issue:
(stolen from bug #620606)

Modify as root: /etc/default/grub

<clip>
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
</clip>

to

<clip>
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""
</clip>

save file and run as root: update-grub

This removes the splash screen from system boot and makes the boot process visible on screen as text.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: linux-image-2.6.32-24-generic 2.6.32-24.42
Regression: Yes
Reproducible: Yes
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-24.42-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-24-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: it 1718 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfc020000 irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Conexant CX20561 (Hermosa)'
   Components : 'HDA:14f15051,17aa2100,00100000 HDA:14f12c06,17aa2122,00100000'
   Controls : 14
   Simple ctrls : 7
Card29.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:29 'ThinkPadEC'/'ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw 7VHT16WW-1.06'
   Mixer name : 'ThinkPad EC 7VHT16WW-1.06'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 1
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card29.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Console',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
Date: Wed Sep 8 16:56:02 2010
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=b2d06494-2806-4e77-a989-0fb9fc856724
MachineType: LENOVO 20828WG
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=cbe2049c-f943-4fc0-8d4c-9517c1e71245 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=de_DE:de:en_GB:en
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-firmware 1.34.1
SourcePackage: linux
WpaSupplicantLog:

dmi.bios.date: 07/30/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 7VET87WW (3.17 )
dmi.board.name: 20828WG
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr7VET87WW(3.17):bd07/30/2010:svnLENOVO:pn20828WG:pvrThinkPadT500:rvnLENOVO:rn20828WG:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 20828WG
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T500
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO