Ubuntu
update-manager package

Ubuntu 12.04 Stopped Working At End Of Upgrade After Restart

Asked by Sam Torrance

Update Manager made me aware of Ubuntu 12.04, so I clicked right away to get the update started and left the computer for the day while I was out.

When I came back it was ready for me to restart my computer to finish the update.

However, after I restarted my computer it wasn't loading up properly and I was given a blank screen with the mouse pointer only.

If I moved the mouse about a bit, it eventually gave me the desktop background with my desktop folders available only.

Nothing else was accessible and when I opened the folders I couldn't close them.

I have never experienced any problems with Ubuntu in the past (I've only been using it since Ubuntu 10.10.).

I wouldn't mind starting again by putting my Ubuntu disk in to install it from scratch, except that I would lose all of my files which I haven't backed up.

If you can help at all then I'd really appreciate it.

I really like Ubuntu, it saved my computer from certain death when my Windows got a Spyware virus.

I understand now that Ubuntu is far better than Windows so I hope I can get it working again. Thanks.

Oh, I'd just like to add that I'm currently using the computer by putting the Ubuntu disk in on startup and choosing "Try Linux", just so I can use the internet and access my files until my friend can come down through the week to put all of my files on his external hardrive while we re-boot linux on my computer. I was just posting to see if anyone else experienced the same problem after the upgrade.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Why do you not have a backup!!??

What video chip do you use?

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Sam Torrance (storrance55) said : 		#2

I don't have a backup.... well... I'm not totally sure why I didn't have one, but I should have! I'm gonna get an external hard drive at some point to store everything on as a backup.

I don't know what video chip I use.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

Does the system have a make and model

Get a backup!

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infinite-recursion (infinite-recursion) said : 		#4

I'm encountering the same symptoms right after the update. In my case, some leftover package (in my case compiz, a remote session manager, but that will hardly be the problem on your side) was making the gnome shell crash on startup, leaving only the basic window manager running. Luckily, it's possible to work up from there.

Use the context menu to create a folder. Open it. You now have a file manager window that will allow you to navigate anywhere on your hard disk. (Menu: View -> Sidebar -> Places, then click 'file system').

The most interesting place to check is /var/log/syslog, which will probably tell you why gnome failed. This should give you a starting point to search the forums and find further help.

If you go to /usr/bin and double click on 'gnome-terminal', you will then have a command line open that will allow you to launch additional commands.

Your system is probably not all that broken, so whatever you do, don't do anything rash and wipe your system - at the very least, you can backup the data using the terminal.

@actionparsnip: While he should of course have backed up before upgrading, telling him so afterwards is hardly going to help him, is it now? I remember this as a friendly community...

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infinite-recursion (infinite-recursion) said : 		#5

OK, I had one thing confused - Compiz http://www.compiz.org/ is the OpenGL compositing manager and actually part of the standard install - so we probably do have the same problem. See here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1966002
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/194996

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