Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
           bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:2e12
           Display: server: X.org 1.20.4 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
           compositor: marco v: 1.20.3 tty: 96x56
           Message: Advanced graphics data unavailable for root.
Audio:     Device-1: Intel 82801JD/DO HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
           bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:3a6e
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-9-amd64

Thanks for considering the problem.

cat /proc/cmdline
BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.19.0-9-amd64 root=UUID=8788cf3b-9658-46e3-8af8-a17450fe5bb3 ro quiet

lspci -k | grep -iA3 'vga\|display\|3d'
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Dell 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
	Kernel modules: i915
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Dell 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
00:03.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 4 Series Chipset HECI Controller (rev 03)
	Subsystem: Dell 4 Series Chipset HECI Controller

I don't have a live image. The machine has been upgraded from ascii, and with ascii graphics
worked well. Thus, in particular, the hardware does support a better performance.

Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell driver: N/A bus ID: 00:02.0 
           chip ID: 8086:2e12 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 driver: vesa unloaded: fbdev,modesetting compositor: marco 
           v: 1.20.3 resolution: 1600x1200~N/A 
           OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 7.0 128 bits) v: 3.3 Mesa 18.3.6 compat-v: 3.1 
           direct render: Yes 

You're using the VESA driver and software rendering, which will give awful performance.

Is that output the same if you load up a beowulf live image? Your hardware should be supported.

EDIT: can we see

cat /proc/cmdline
lspci -k | grep -iA3 'vga\|display\|3d'

Add 'sleep 1' to /etc/init.d/eudev as shown here:
https://bugs.devuan.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=483#10

That should take care of 1 and 2. If 1 is still a problem after that, install acpi-fakekey.
I don't have any ideas for 3, but maybe that will get fixed, too.

Thanks. It takes care of 1. However 2 persists, and 3 as well.
Trying with 5 seconds did not change it.

This gives a black screen.

That should take care of 1 and 2. If 1 is still a problem after that, install acpi-fakekey.
I don't have any ideas for 3, but maybe that will get fixed, too.

If you want to test this before you do it, you can run (as root):
udevadm trigger --action=add
and see if that gives you sound. This won't persist beyond a reboot. Editing the init script will.

Problems on a Dell Optiplex 780 desktoo after the upgrade:

1. After booting there is no response to keyboard (one PS/2, one USB) and mouse (PS/2).
Only after inserting the USB keyboard both keyboards and the mouse work.
This occurs regardless of whether either or both of the keyboards or the mouse are plugged
in during boot. Plugging in another USB device does not work.
There is keyboard response during booting, also in the starter menue.

2. There is no soundcard, i.e. no directory /proc/asound. An onboard
"Intel Corporation 82801JD/DO (ICH10 Family) HD Audio Controller" exists and is detected
by lspci. Purging pulseaudio (after first commenting out in /etc/pulse/client.conf.d/) and also
reinstalling the kernel did not work.

3. The graphic is worse than under ascii. .In particular on the console the VGA16 has only
25 lines, whereas it was some 48 or so under ascii.

In fact, after the first reboot after the upgrade everything went well (I had not checked audio
then, though). The problems appeared only with the folllowing reboots.