Unity crashed; No option to select any desktop environment

You can switch the session on bottom of the screen to "Ubuntu (Safe Mode)" when you're on the login screen after selecting your user. Then enter your password and login. You'll be presented a gnome environment as in the previous ubuntu versions and compiz will be disabled there you can try to fix the issues with compiz. You can also switch your session to "Ubuntu Classic" which will also start the gnome environment but with compiz enabled. But if compiz has problems you schould use the Save Mode.

I hope this helps.

Hi Matthew,

I just read this part of your question:
"There is also no option at the login screen"

Sorry for the inconvenience, I should have read more carefully.

Is this also the case after you clicked your user account for the password prompt. I was also looking for this option and it appeared after selecting my user in the login screen.

Thank you for the reply. As initially mentioned, there were no options on the bottom bar to select a session. I did find, however, switching from my user name to "other", cancelling and then selecting my user name again, brought the session option back. Go figure...

I did as suggested, selected "safe mode", logged in and enabled the Unity plugin. There were 3 conflicts reported. I didn't really understand what they meant, but did my best to resolve them. Thereafter I logged out. At the login screen I selected the "Ubuntu" option for the session. When I logged in, nothing worked, it was the same as before (just a wallpaper).

I logged out again, selected "Ubuntu classic" as the session option and now have Unity and (I presume) the standard Gnome desktop manager running simultaneously...

Any more/additional suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Running "unity --reset" did the trick...

How does one run "unity --reset"? From where? I'm in the same boat you were in. All I have in the Ubuntu login is a background and a folder. I can access things fine (including Unity) through Ubuntu Classic, but would rather run in straight Ubuntu.

So... step by step please... how do I do this?

Thanks!

If you recall, I logged out again, selected "Ubuntu classic" as the session option and now have Unity and (I presume) the standard Gnome desktop manager running simultaneously...

From here I opened a terminal window and ran "unity --reset".

Waited a bit then everything sorted itself out.

I also have this issue:

No options to login in different modes at login screen.

Unity is devouring my cpu at various times on my desktop. Will link to related bugs if interested. So I just want to switch to 'Classic Mode' for now. No option.

My issue 'resolved' :

1. created a second user and noticed that they had options on bottom toolbar.
2. Either creating new users, or double-clicking the user icon makes these options appear on bottom tool bar.

Bizarro, but glad to be out of unity on my desktop for now.

Try for the not working user this open a terminal by pressing CTRL+ALT+T and type:

gdmsetup

and switch to Ubuntu classic

My issue resolve clarification:

-- On Login Screen, double-clicking the little pawn head icon beside the user name makes the options appear on bottom tool bar.

(This is non-obvious imo.)