GUI does not work after update

[steveb]

After logging into PC today and running the software updater, various system updates were downloaded. I was promped to restart, which I did. At reboot, the system would get as far as displaying the login screen. After I entered my password, the system appears to hang, with no disk activity. I have a dual monitor system, but only the left monitor is active, in that it displays a purple Ubuntu splash screen, without the login box. I have tried restarting a number of times, but the result is always the same. I can log in by using the advanced options and drop into the root console.

I am using Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS.
uname -a reports 3.11.0-20-generic #34-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 1 20:40:25 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Hardware is a Dell Precision T3400

[steveb (steve-borrer)]

I am able to boot from a 14.04 live USB drive, both monitors working, so I do not think there is a graphics hardware problem.

[Pär Lindfors (paran)]

Do you have any files in /etc/modprobe.d/ that does not have a .conf extension? If you have, then this could be a duplicate of bug 1376966.

Log in to the root console, and run the following to check:
ls /etc/modprobe.d/|grep -v '\.conf$'

[Sebastian Podjasek (sebastian-podjasek)]

After dropping to root in recovery mode please try to downgrade ubuntu-drivers-common to release version:

  apt-get install ubuntu-drivers-common=1:0.2.91.4

This might be related to my bug #1374871...

[steveb (steve-borrer)]

Just checked, they are all .conf files

-Steve
On 3 Oct 2014 01:40, "Pär Lindfors" <email address hidden> wrote:

> Do you have any files in /etc/modprobe.d/ that does not have a .conf
> extension? If you have, then this could be a duplicate of bug 1376966.
>
> Log in to the root console, and run the following to check:
> ls /etc/modprobe.d/|grep -v '\.conf$'
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1373968
>
> Title:
> GUI does not work after update
>
> Status in “ubuntu-drivers-common” package in Ubuntu:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> After logging into PC today and running the software updater, various
> system updates were downloaded. I was promped to restart, which I did.
> At reboot, the system would get as far as displaying the login screen.
> After I entered my password, the system appears to hang, with no disk
> activity. I have a dual monitor system, but only the left monitor is
> active, in that it displays a purple Ubuntu splash screen, without the
> login box. I have tried restarting a number of times, but the result
> is always the same. I can log in by using the advanced options and
> drop into the root console.
>
> I am using Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS.
> uname -a reports 3.11.0-20-generic #34-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 1 20:40:25 UTC
> 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
>
> Hardware is a Dell Precision T3400
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-drivers-common/+bug/1373968/+subscriptions
>

[steveb (steve-borrer)]

Just tried the package downgrade (apt-get install ubuntu-drivers-common=1:0.2.91.4) and a couple of reboots but the problem is still there.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Pär Lindfors (paran)]

Why is this bug against ubuntu-drivers-common then? Since downgrading it didn't help, and your description mentions installing various updates, the problems could be caused by any of them right?

You can find out what packages was upgraded when by looking in dpkg log files: /var/log/dpkg.log*. Then you could downgrade the packages. If your system then works again, you would then install one upgrade at a time, to find out what package breaks your system again. This might not be the easiest way to troubleshoot your issues, but it is probably what I would do.

[Alejandro Dubrovsky (alito-organicrobot)]

I had the same issue. Turned out to be that the kernel that was actually running was not the same as the one that was being installed and, supposedly, the nvidia driver was compiling against.

Do a 'uname -a' and check to see if you are running what you think you are running (in my case 3.11.0 vs 3.13.0). Also, an 'lsmod | grep nvidia' showed nothing on mine.

Installing linux-generic and a reboot solved the issue for me (ie 'sudo apt-get install linux-generic')

[steveb (steve-borrer)]

I decided to upgrade to 14.10 in the end and that made the problem go away.
On 2 Nov 2014 05:30, "Alejandro Dubrovsky" <email address hidden> wrote:

> I had the same issue. Turned out to be that the kernel that was actually
> running was not the same as the one that was being installed and,
> supposedly, the nvidia driver was compiling against.
>
> Do a 'uname -a' and check to see if you are running what you think you
> are running (in my case 3.11.0 vs 3.13.0). Also, an 'lsmod | grep
> nvidia' showed nothing on mine.
>
> Installing linux-generic and a reboot solved the issue for me (ie 'sudo
> apt-get install linux-generic')
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1373968
>
> Title:
> GUI does not work after update
>
> Status in “ubuntu-drivers-common” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> After logging into PC today and running the software updater, various
> system updates were downloaded. I was promped to restart, which I did.
> At reboot, the system would get as far as displaying the login screen.
> After I entered my password, the system appears to hang, with no disk
> activity. I have a dual monitor system, but only the left monitor is
> active, in that it displays a purple Ubuntu splash screen, without the
> login box. I have tried restarting a number of times, but the result
> is always the same. I can log in by using the advanced options and
> drop into the root console.
>
> I am using Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS.
> uname -a reports 3.11.0-20-generic #34-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 1 20:40:25 UTC
> 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
>
> Hardware is a Dell Precision T3400
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-drivers-common/+bug/1373968/+subscriptions
>