When opening Ubuntu 16.04.1, the launcher icons have dissapeared and i only have a scrren with untitled file on, can do nothing not even close down

Can you open a terminal window by simultaneously pressing ctrl-alt-t?

Hi Manfred, have tried it but nothing. It still remains the same screen and not even a flicker

Can you switch to a virtual terminal by pressing ctrl-alt-F2 ?

Yes and it asks for login and then password. When I set it up I had auto login and didn't put a password in. If i went into the security etc I saw there were, in the password block, 5 dots. I did try to lad some apps via the terminal which asks for the password. I tried all that I thought they could be be no joy. I did assume that the system had automatically entered a password.

Do you know your username and password?
Can you log in in that virtual console?

If you do not know your password any more, you can set a new one with the instructions in http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/resetpassword

Hi Manfred, have just done that. I do find that when I type exit to close the screen that it asks form my password again. I cannot close the terminal to get out. what is the next thing you would like me to try?

When you are logged in to that virtual console, try restarting the GUI environment with the command

compiz --replace

Then try switching back to the graphical environment with ctrl-alt-F7
What do you see then?

Going back into the graphical console with ctrl-alt-F2 you can issue commands, e.g

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

to install updates or

sudo shutdown now

to shutdown the computer

Hi Manfred, have tried all that still now joy. When I type in compiz--replace it says no command found

It should have been
compiz [space] --replace

Hi Manfred I tried that and got the following:-

Compiz: core info loading plugin: core
Compiz starting plugin core
compiz fatal couldn't open display
compiz stopping plugin core
compiz info unloading plugin core

There were the respective colon in the right places.

Hope this gives you a better idea of what is wrong

There is now at least to log in to the system in command line mode. Let's see whether we can bring the system back into normal operations.

1. What is the current status of your system?
If you try starting normally, do you get a request to enter your password for logging in?
How does the desktop now look like?

2. If you log in into the virtual console, what output do you get for the command
sudo dpkg --audit
(no need to re-type all output, just give the gist of it - are there warning or error messages)?

similar for
sudo apt-get update
and
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
?

Morn Manfred the answers to your questions are:-

!) the system was set for auto loggin. Yep I know naughty naughty but more lazy lazy. It's a home system which only I use.

2)The desktop is a blank screen in the ubuntu bluey pinky colour with a file named "untitled file" in the top left hand corner. opening it gives me the list of options to open i.e libra, music, file etc.

3)dpkg gave "error needs action" plus a list of dpkg options

4) sudo apt-get update gave various xenial options

5) sudo apt-get dist-upgrade loaded several packages.

Did the shutdown now and restarted the laptop just to check. Still the same problem.

Whilst we are on the shutdown thing, when I was in the terminal I could type exit and it would take me out to the desktop screen. I cannot do this now, is it because I'm in the virtual terminal?

There is a slight difference between a terminal window of the graphics desktop and a virtual console.
Typing "exit" or ctrl-d in the terminal window will just close the window and return yourself to the desktop.
Doing the same in a virtual console will return you to a "login:" prompt.

Did you correctly type

dpkg --audit

(dpkg space minus minus audit)?

what is the output?

Thought that was the case with the terminal.

Nope forgot the space. Have tried it again and it just asks for my password then does nothing except put me back to the point where I can enter a command.

Ok, that is fine. No output on that command is a good sign, no inconsistencies in the package management system.

Now the command

sudo apt-get update

Do the messages seem to be informational ("Hit: http://servername/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease" and similar) or do you get error messages (server not found).

Do you have active network?
What is the result of

ping -c 1 8.8.8.8

do you get 0% loss or 100% loss?

Wiil do the sudo apt-get update again and check exactly what it says.

I don't have a network just use wi-fi through telkom

Sorry I'm a bit slow but I'm doing every thing thro 1 laptop. Have loaded 16.04 on another partition so am working on one and then closing to work n the other. nNot clever enough to have them both working together so I con flop flop between the 2.

When I do the command it gives me a list of web addresses i.e. http:/za archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial inrelease

Did the ping test. got sent 56 received 64, 0% loss.

Hope this helps

For the command
sudo apt-get update
is there any line with "W:" or "E:" (warning and error) shown?

No just the various web addresses

Ok, and what output do you get for

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

?

Said checking tree etc. the bottom line was upgrades etc and they were all at 0. nothing that came up with an error etc

Ok. This shows that there are no broken or pending updates.

I do not have any idea what the reason for the misbehavior of your system might be. I can only do some shots in the dark:
Try reinstalling some key packages for the GUI environment:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins-default

and then reboot the system.

Ok will. Seems I.m giving you a hard time. Well if it's any comfort my mother always said I was a difficult child lol.

Hi Manfred have tried that but it couldn't find the compiz-plugins-default. the rest it seems was ok

I don't mean the the icons are back coz they aren't

"it couldn't find the compiz-plugins-default" is strange.

does the command

dpkg -l | grep compiz

list a package compiz-plugins-default?

Not sure if I'm typing it correctly but don't see a list only got some dpkg- help etc.

I see the command you typed as

dpkg -l | grep compriz
is that correct?

am going to try again

I do not see any compriz-plugins-defaults.

I do have 16.04 also loaded on the same laptop but on a separate partition. Is it not possible to access the files on the other partition without loosing any info or data such as my bookmarks in google, music and pics etc, then delete the 16.04.1.
If this is going to be an easier way yo resolve my problem how must I do it?

not compriz but compiz (without r)

from inside the working installation, what is the output of
sudo fdisk -l

when is did the correct command I got the compiz list. there was one that read

ii compiz- plugins-default: amd64
default plugins

When I did the fdisk I go a whole load of partitions. the last part was:-

Disk /dev/sda: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x000e1e1b

Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sda1 * 2048 502013352 502011305 239.4G 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 502013950 976771071 474757122 226.4G 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 973633536 976771071 3137536 1.5G 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 502013952 973633535 471619584 224.9G 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order.

So where to from here teacher lol

H Manfred do I gather that you have given up on me. Still would like an answer to my question #29

Sorry for the delay.
Yes, there should be the possibility to copy all your files from one installation to the other one.

Boot the working system.
If you open the file explorer program, you should see on the left hand side an extra entry (maybe named 239 GB).
Click on it with the mouse, and you should see its contents.
Try browsing around and check whether you find your files (music, pics etc.)