kernel update failure

Asked by bloozguy

 I just applied the latest update to 14.04 LTS which included a kernel image.
When I reboot I get the login, BUT, after the login all I have is my screen background.
There is NO desktop.
The mouse is active but there are no menus.
How do I get back to the "older" kernel?

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bloozguy
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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#1

 CTL ALT F1 works and gets me into text mode but I kind of need a step by step to get me out of this mess.

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#2

Is it as simple as going back to initrd.img.old and vmlinuuz.old ??

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#3

Hold SHIFT at boot and select the older kernel that way

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#4

Hi,
 I can't hold SHIFT at boot, because I have never gotten the menu at boot time.
The screen has always been blank up until I get the login.
Believe it has to do with my NVIDIA card (980)
Plus I would kind of like to reverse engines and not have to worry about the "bad" kernel any more.

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#5

Tried holding SHIFT down all through the boot up .... no luck,
It's going to have to be through CTL ALT F1 somehow.

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#6

Can I do the following :

  mv initrd.img initrd.img.BAD
  mv initrd.img.old initrd.img
  mv vmlinuz vmlinuz.BAD
  mv vmlinuz.old vmlinuz

  or will I be in even deeper doodoo?

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#7

As soon as you press the power button. Hold SHIFT

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#8

"As soon as you press the power button. Hold SHIFT"

Held SHIFT right from a deadstart ..... still no luck

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#9

Is my proposed solution a non-starter?

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#10

No luck.

-----Original Message-----
> From: actionparsnip <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: 02/25/15 13:46
> Subject: Re: [Question #262801]: kernel update failure
>
> Your question #262801 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/262801
>
>    Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> As soon as you press the power button. Hold SHIFT
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/262801/+confirm?answer_id=6
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/262801
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#11

Well, I went back to vmlinuz.old and intrd.img.old and STILL no desktop.
It appears that there was something else, and not the kernel, in the latest update
that was poison.

I am at a loss as to what to do now.

I could reinit my system but the update will come in at some point and I'll be stuck again.

This is not fun. I can't believe I'm the only one this happened to.

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#12

Tried reinstall of ubuntu-desktop
No joy

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bloozguy (bloozguy) said :
#13

Re-installed Ubuntu 14.04.02 and my desktop is back but tty is blank when I CTL-ALT-F1
After much looking around it turns out you need to comment lines out in grub