https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/533479-Installing-Leap-15-error is a fresh example of how nomodeset trouble starts: "I was trying to install openSUSE on my new laptop, but installator stuck at "Starting hardware detection", I waited about 2 hours and nothing was done. I think that in could be because I have got NVIDIA graphic card, that was problem when I was trying to install other linux distros. I was trying to change installation resolution, but on my installation menu there wasn't any option for it. F3 didn't work too. Help!"