cannot launch firefox or get a terminal from X-windows in upgrade to 12.04LTS

Have you got full updates?
Which desktop session do you use?
If you make a fresh Ubuntu user and log in as it, is it the same?

Thanks

Thank you andrew. Well, I logged in as a different user and the functionality is back again; the GUI came up auto without the console needing to use startx . I don't know what you mean by which desktop session. The new version (12.04) was downloaded and installed upon notice that 11.10 was obsolete. There are three more issues. When I tried to configure an old printer (on 11.10) I ended up with about 60 icons on my desktop for the python scripts and object (?) {name.o} files, when my "different" user name was the log in (the original root-like name). Also, with both login names a message that one python script file was causing an internal problem. I would like to remove the icons from the desktop without destroying the files that are needed for the printer drivers. Also, I would like to be able to get functionality back for the original user I had planned to be. Thankfully we are getting somewhere.

Login by the original user once more enabled startx to show the GUI (but without icons). Using ctrl Alt-T brought up the terminal. There was a menu option within the terminal which instantiated Firefox window with default setting to a launchpad site. Editing this URL enabled access to this site. I need to find methods to get around in this GUI, so far it's been potluck.

There's more. The problem is better stated, I can't get the Launcher (which has dash, status menus, etc.) to appear. It's just supposed to be there when the X-window comes up. I got it to come up when I logged in the first time as a second user (see above) but after that, only the blank X window. Now I have logged in as a guest, and the Launcher appeared. I don't know why the Launcher is getting hidden or how to unhide it. As I mentioned the terminal can be summoned so I am not totally incapacitated.

Using the terminal, type: unity --replace
If that fails to help, try: unity --reset

Hope this helps

That helped but even after apparent resolution of the entire problem by "upgrading" to Ubuntu 12.04 - LTS the same intermittant behavior is occurring. Sometimes the computer just freezes like today, when a subsequent bootup was successful with the GUI and launcher launching. Here are some saved outputs:

to initiate Launcher (tool / applications bar left side of gui screen)
first from console login screen use startx
Log in
If the X-window does not have the launcher, use the terminal:
ctrl-alt T
Then from the command line access this file. To get the launcher,
One of these two commands should work:
unity --replace
unity --reset

This works with the present OS (Ubuntu 12.04 extended)
As of May 26, 2013

System waits ~ 30 s after accepting "startx". Eventually the message:
e/applications/libreoffice-calc.desktop' is using a deprecated format for its actions that will be dropped soon.
WARN 2013-05-30 09:53:35 unity.libindicator <unknown>:0 Desktop file '/usr/share/applications/libreoffice-impress.desktop' is using a deprecated format for its actions that will be dropped soon.
WARN 2013-05-30 09:53:35 unity.libindicator <unknown>:0 Desktop file '/usr/share/applications/libreoffice-writer.desktop' is using a deprecated format for its actions that will be dropped soon.
ERROR 2013-05-30 09:53:35 unity.glib-gobject <unknown>:0 g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
Setting Update "main_menu_key"
Setting Update "run_key"
WARN 2013-05-30 09:54:20 unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface `org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object at path /org/ayatana/bamf/application283295483

WARN 2013-05-30 09:54:20 unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface `org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object at path /org/ayatana/bamf/application283295483

ERROR 2013-05-30 09:54:22 unity.glib-gobject <unknown>:0 g_object_set_qdata: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

A second terminal output:
(compiz:1843): GConf-CRITICAL **: gconf_client_add_dir: assertion `gconf_valid_key (dirname, NULL)' failed
Initializing unityshell options...done
Initializing staticswitcher options...done
ERROR 2013-06-04 10:42:27 unity.glib-gobject <unknown>:0 g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
Setting Update "main_menu_key"
Setting Update "run_key"
WARN 2013-06-04 10:42:28 unity.libindicator <unknown>:0 Desktop file '/usr/share/applications/libreoffice-calc.desktop' is using a deprecated format for its actions that will be dropped soon.
WARN 2013-06-04 10:42:28 unity.libindicator <unknown>:0 Desktop file '/usr/share/applications/libreoffice-impress.desktop' is using a deprecated format for its actions that will be dropped soon.
WARN 2013-06-04 10:42:28 unity.libindicator <unknown>:0 Desktop file '/usr/share/applications/libreoffice-writer.desktop' is using a deprecated format for its actions that will be dropped soon.
WARN 2013-06-04 10:43:05 unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface `org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object at path /org/ayatana/bamf/application283295483

WARN 2013-06-04 10:43:05 unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface `org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object at path /org/ayatana/bamf/application283295483

WARN 2013-06-04 10:43:05 unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface `org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object at path /org/ayatana/bamf/application283295483

WARN 2013-06-04 10:43:05 unity <unknown>:0 Unable to fetch children: No such interface `org.ayatana.bamf.view' on object at path /org/ayatana/bamf/application283295483

ERROR 2013-06-04 10:43:07 unity.glib-gobject <unknown>:0 g_object_set_qdata: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

My comment saved as text:
Behavior history: launcher failed to instantiate. On boot, the first screen
was a black screen with small font console logon. The system then took much time
to display the GUI (without a launcher). To access a terminal I used ctrl-alt-T.
Then, used unity --reset or unity --replace to get the launcher launched. The
terminal displayed the messages (above). There was also a message that one appli
cation's source could not be determined. After some (weeks) I was able to instal
l an update, after which the GUI came up with the launcher very quickly upon boo
ting. This appeared to fix the problem. I booted maybe 3 or 4 times in this fash
ion. Today the problem reappeared and we are back to the same behavior. This tim
e I was able to copy the terminal messages. The behavior is unpredictable and th
is makes it difficult to explain this to tech support. --June 4, 2013.

The update was to Ubuntu 12.04-LTS. There was also a message: application systray.py closed unexpectedly.
It resides at /usr/share/hplip/systray.py.

==============================================================================

Attempt to save the message froze the computer. The last part of the message
was copied onto this text file, after a successful bootup in which the GUI and
an entry edit box for the password came up, enabled a logon with the launcher coming up immediately. -- later on June 4, 2013.

I did sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop unity. The reinstall option was invalid. The installation went fine. Notably, there was an option to replace HP printer driver files (which had created messages previously). I opted for the replacement. At present the password prompt comes up quickly within the GUI and the launcher shows up upon login. I'm hoping it's all fixed.

Thanks Hamish McIntyre-Bhatty, that solved my question.