bootup stalls in Maverick empty desktop after boot

Try booting into recovery mode

Try this...

How to restore gnome panels and toolbars disappered on Ubuntu

A) When you see the clean desktop without toolbar:
- press alt-f2 a little window will come in fron of you
- ins this window field type:

gnome-terminal

Then press enter a terminal window will come in front of you:

type (a single row a time then press enter) :

gconftool –-recursive-unset /apps/panel;
rm -rf $HOME/.gconf/apps/panel;
pkill gnome-panel

B) if you cannot get access to terminal using method A then:
- press ctrl + alt + F2 you will get a pseudo terminal black screen in front of you
- Make login with your user and password (when you type the password you will not see any screen chars, so type in then press enter)
- then when you get access, type (a single row a time then press enter) :

gconftool –-recursive-unset /apps/panel;
rm -rf $HOME/.gconf/apps/panel;
pkill gnome-panel

Then press ctrl + alt + F7 to return to your desktop

Hope this helps

Jonathan,
Booted up in recovery mode
Repaired broken packages and found I had updated the kernel but still have the same problem

Marco,
A did not work but B did but when I went onto the desktop still no tool bars

One thing though I get an error message that my CPU has NX capabilities which are disabled. It seems my CPU supports 64 bits. Should I try a 64 bit installation?

Thank you both for your help
John

Please try to reinstall the ubuntu-desktop package...

- press ctrl + alt + F2 you will get a pseudo terminal black screen in front of you
- Make login with your user and password (when you type the password you will not see any screen chars, so type in then press enter)
- then when you get access, type (a single row a time then press enter) :

sudo apt-get update;
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get --reinstall install ubuntu-desktop

type the password when requested you will not see any screen chars, so type in then press enter

then to reboot type:

sudo reboot

Hope this helps

Thank you for your help
Reinstalled the desktop but when I rebooted I still have my problem.
A blank screen without any button or toolbars
Should I revert to Lucid?
Can I install Lucid over Maverick or do I have to go and start by reinstalling Windows?

Please tell what mean with blank screen, do you see the desktop background...?
Pressing ctrl+alt+F2 can you see a window coming in front of you...?

No please we can try to solve this...

Please tell what mean with blank screen, do you see the desktop background...?
Pressing alt+F2 can you see a window coming in front of you...?

No please we can try to solve this...

we can try this:
http://linuxfud.wordpress.com/2007/02/14/how-to-reset-ubuntugnome-settings-to-defaults-without-re-installing/

On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 20:26 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> Please tell what mean with blank screen, do you see the desktop background...?
Yes
> Pressing ctrl+alt+F2 can you see a window coming in front of
Yes, I get a terminal and to go back to the desktop I ctrl+alt+F2
>
> No please we can try to solve this...
>
Thank you for your help

Hi Marco
As the article suggested ran the command:
rm -rf .gnome .gnome2 .gconf .gconfd .metacity

Was told
cannot remove .gconf is a directory
cannot remove .gonfd no such file or directory
cannot remove .metacity no such file or directory

When I rebooted and logged on I just have the background desktop colours

Any suggestions?

On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 20:30 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Needs information => Answered
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) proposed the following answer:
> we can try this:
> http://linuxfud.wordpress.com/2007/02/14/how-to-reset-ubuntugnome-settings-to-defaults-without-re-installing/
>

The kernel is older as its the one released on release day, if you get the daily ISO it will have the latest stuff

Thank gou for your reply
How do I get the daily iso?
On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 22:24 +0000, actionparsnip wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> actionparsnip posted a new comment:
> The kernel is older as its the one released on release day, if you get
> the daily ISO it will have the latest stuff
>

Please try this:

Press alt+F2 if you can see a window coming in front of you... please input

gnome-panel

then press enter..

Please tell if you can see the toolbars

To On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 22:45 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> Please try this:
>
> Press alt+F2 if you can see a window coming in front of you... please
> input
>
> gnome-panel
>
> then press enter..
>
> Please tell if you can see the toolbars
>

To get a terminal I have to input ctrl+alt+F2
when I input gnome-panel I get the following message:
(gnome-panel:1677): Gtk-WARNING**: cannot open display:

When I leave the terminal
On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 22:45 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> Please try this:
>
> Press alt+F2 if you can see a window coming in front of you... please
> input
>
> gnome-panel
>
> then press enter..
>
> Please tell if you can see the toolbars
>

When I leave the terminal I still just see the background of the
desktop.
On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 23:00 +0000, John Wilson wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Needs information => Open
>
> You gave more information on the question:
> To On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 22:45 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> > Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
> >
> > Status: Open => Needs information
> >
> > marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> > Please try this:
> >
> > Press alt+F2 if you can see a window coming in front of you... please
> > input
> >
> > gnome-panel
> >
> > then press enter..
> >
> > Please tell if you can see the toolbars
> >
>

Please press alt+F2 (not ctrl+alt+f2) if you can see a window coming in front of you... please input

gnome-panel

then press enter..

Hi Marco
alt+F2 does nothing
Went and changed my wireless keyboard and mouse to wired ones and still
alt+F2 did nothing.
No window, no terminal

What next?
On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 23:20 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> Please press alt+F2 (not ctrl+alt+f2) if you can see a window coming in
> front of you... please input
>
> gnome-panel
>
> then press enter..
>

Ok please press ctrl+alt+f2 and please give us (take note of it) the result of this terminal command:

lspci | grep -i vga

then type:

sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-desktop
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
sudo reboot

The output to lspci | grep -i vga is:
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV380 0x3e50
[Radeon X6O0]

Removing the ubuntu desktop and reinstalling it and reconfiguring
xserver-xorg did not change anything.
After logging in I am left with the background to the desktop.

Regards
John
On Mon, 2010-12-13 at 23:43 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) requested for more information:
> Ok please press ctrl+alt+f2 and please give us (take note of it) the
> result of this terminal command:
>
> lspci | grep -i vga
>
> then type:
>
> sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-desktop
> sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
> sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
> sudo reboot
>

Try:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1406244
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1598086

Thank you for your help, please be patient.
At present I can boot up in recovery mode.
The first thread seems to be a dead end as I don't have a ~/.cache
directory.
The second thread seems to have identified the problem as finding a
driver for my Radeon X600 video card.
The amount of material I have had to digest is staggering but it would
appear I can download a PPA from UbuntuX or there is a more bleeding
edge PPA from Xorg.
Am I correct and which would be safer and easier to do?

On Tue, 2010-12-14 at 00:38 +0000, marcobra (Marco Braida) wrote:
> Your question #137661 on gnome-desktop in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-desktop/+question/137661
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> marcobra (Marco Braida) proposed the following answer:
> Try:
> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1406244
> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1598086
>

--
Dr. John Wilson & Dr. Diane Martin Inc.
3770 San Mateo Drive,
Port Alberni,
B.C., V9Y 5H4.

Working through the document: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RadeonDriver
It would appear my RV380 Radeon X600, M24 should run on the r300g driver
First I purged the proprietary fglrx driver by following the link on the page
Then I opended the link to the xorg-edgers fresh Xcrack web page where it says:
"r300g is now the only shipped driver and is in libgl1-mesa-dri"
Installed libgl1-mesa-glx-dbg, libgl1-mesa-dri-dbg, libgl1-mesa-glx-dbg, libgl1-mesa-dri & libgl1-mesa-dev
Still having to run in recovery mode, low definition

http://www.uluga.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=8348868

Thank you for all your help
I followed Demonisers advice and changed the video card
All is working as it should
Thank you once again