Ubuntu
xserver-xorg-video-ati package

Update to Ubuntu 11.10: Unity interface fail due video ati drivers

Asked by stevenhbooth

I tried updating to Ubuntu 11.10 from 11.04 yesterday. I used the update manager as usual. When I restarted I get the desktop as before with the file, edit, view etc on the top left but nothing on the right and no launchpad. I looked through the menus and everything is there as before, but I cannot open any applications as there is no menu unless I open a document. I cannot shut down unless I ctrl,alt,delete to log out where the clock and other stuff is available at the top right.
 I looked in the startup menu and all of the other versions are gone and there are only four 11.10 options which do not seem to make a difference.

I have not had to do much problem solving since I started using Ubuntu, so I am totally lost with command lines and using the terminal, which I can't get anyway!

I tried safe mode and got a command line and do not know what to do next! I typed in unity and it complained about the graphics. I did not make a note of the message at the time.

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stevenhbooth
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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Do you use proprietary video drivers?

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stevenhbooth (stevenhbooth) said : 		#2

Not as far as I know. I never chose to use one anyway, and I seem to remember a message warning me that they would be disabled during the update

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stevenhbooth (stevenhbooth) said : 		#3

I have burned a CD and 11.10 works fine while running from live CD.

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sailfish2005 (scondenzio) said : 		#4

I have the exact issue as above, I can launch all programs manually, however I do not have the Unity GUI. What's up with that, and how do I debug this?

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sailfish2005 (scondenzio) said : 		#5

Why would the video drivers have issues if they were fine with the previous build?

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stevenhbooth (stevenhbooth) said : 		#6

I have tried a safe mode start as before and entered unity at the command prompt. First of all it said the video settings were wrong and it corrected it, then said it could not find unity, so I,m guessing that Unity did not load or update.

Then next question is how do I get it back? Can I do a repair like you get on Windows CDs? I can't even find my backup app.

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sailfish2005 (scondenzio) said : 		#7

Hey,

I solved my issue with initializing GNOME (gear selection after installing gnome) and then updating my ATI drivers. I then started unity with success!!

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stevenhbooth (stevenhbooth) said : 		#8

Thanks for the advice.
I right clicked the desktop to change the background and clicked the button in the top left to get onto the other system settings. Then I loaded and activated the proprietary driver and it works.

My problem is solved!