Ubuntu
update-manager package

Boot fails after aborted install

Asked by Sam Pollard

Ubuntu 10.10. Installed about a month. I have had problems with installing apps using the Ubuntu software centre. Normally a re-boot followed by sudo apt-get -f install (and the other command that this one requests) will solve the problem, and successfully complete the install.

This time (skype) the system will not re-boot, it offers various (grub?) options but none of them allow the system to get beyond a command prompt, where even ls doesn't produce any information. The memory test seems to work, and is currently running.

Help please

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Can you boot to text mode and run:

startx

Does that help?

If you boot to root recovery mode you can run:

update-grub; reboot

May help

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Sam Pollard (sam-pollard) said : 		#2

Thanks for the suggestions - unfortunately not succesful

startx results in a "fatal server error
could not create lock file in /tmp/ .X0-lock

and update-grub just returns to a prompt.

Cheers

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

if you run:

file /tmp

does it say the folder doesn't exist?

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Sam Pollard (sam-pollard) said : 		#4

The result of file /tmp is

/tmp: sticky directory

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#5

Ok and the output of:

ls -l /tmp/.X0-lock; echo; cat /tmp/.X0-lock

Thanks

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Sam Pollard (sam-pollard) said : 		#6

ls: cannot access /tmp/.XO-lock: No such file or directory

cat: /tmp/XO-lock: No such file or directory

I wasn't sure if it was XO (alpha) or X0 (numeric) so I tried both - same result

Thanks

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#7

It's:
/tmp/.X0.lock
not
/tmp/.XO/lock

(ZERO, not 'O')

ok let's copy mine to see if it helps:

run:

sudo -i

then run:

touch /tmp/.X0-lock; echo " 1064" > /tmp/.X0.lock; chmod 444

Then try and startx

May help

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Sam Pollard (sam-pollard) said : 		#8

touch: cannot touch '/tmp/.X0-lock': Read-only file system
chmod: missing operand after '444'
Try 'chmod --help' for more information.

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#9

Makes sense, ok have you booted to liveCD and fsck'd the partition. The partition is mounting readonly as there is an issue with it. This would explain why you cannot make the file.

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Sam Pollard (sam-pollard) said : 		#10

I tried booting Ubuntu from the original CD, but only as a trial without installing, and only after your first 2 suggestions.

I assume I have limited options, but all of these involve a re-install? I am sorry to say that I don't think Ubuntu 10.10 is stable enough for the non-unix literate user to cope with. Would you disagree? There is no data stored on the computer - all on external hard-disk, so I am not desperate, but you didn't give me any solutions. The computer still heads to grub, and all options seem to be directed to recovery mode.

My favoured option will probably be a new system install - Windows 7 or a more stable linux platform.

Thank you for your suggestions, both on this occasion, and one previous.

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