X Server is already running on Display 0:

[AndrewL]

Whenever I try to log into the computer from GDM, I get a bug saying that there is already an X Server running on Display 0:. It gives me an option to start a new one on the next display. If I say yes, it has me log on again, and then just tells me there's already an X server running on that display. If I say no, it has me log on again and tells me the same error. I'm told that I could work around this bug if I could remove the X server lock in temp, however, the tty shells appear to be broken too. I try to log into them and then they just have me enter my credentials again.

I have never had this kind of negative experience before with Ubuntu. I'd like some kind of fix.

For reference, my video card is an nVidia 9500. This bug occured with both the 173 drivers and the 180 drivers, so it would seem drivers are unrelated.

UPDATE - I've decided to go back to 8.04 LTS, as this bug has remained unfixed for so long.

[Arnaud Soyez (weboide)]

It appears to be a xorg or gdm problem. I'm setting the package as xorg, please change it if that's xorg-related.

I removed the unnecessary complaints from the bug description. Thank you for your comprehension.

[Jeremy Salwen (jeremy.salwen)]

I have the exact same error. I can get a shell up by booting into recovery mode.

When I try to go to a virtual terminal not in recovery mode, logging in does nothing. I enter my username and password, and it shows me the login prompt again.

I tried removing gdm and xserver-xorg, and rebooting, but I get the terminal problem even without gdm starting up. Right now I can get a shell open in recovery mode, but I have no way of getting it to do anything else otherwise. I really would appreciate some help.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

I've posted a new version of the -nvidia driver to our xorg-edgers PPA,
would you mind testing it either on Jaunty or Karmic and see if it
resolves this bug?

Get nvidia-graphics-drivers-180 - 185.18.14 here:

  https://edge.launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.