usplash does not switch to kdm

[Jens]

Binary package hint: usplash

I'm tracking edgy eft Kubuntu in a vmware image.
With packages from today (usplash version 0.4-31 and kernel release 2.6.17-10-generic),
I rebooted the vmware image.
The splash screen shows, the bars fills till the end, and then does not switch to kdm.
After removing the "splash" option from grub, the system boots normally (and quite fast).

I assume the graphic mode switching from usplash to kdm does not work, at least not in my vmware.

[Jens (jensh)]

syslog seems to have finished normally, to the point after starting cron jobs.

[Jens (jensh)]

running vmware-config-tools.pl for the VMWare tools installation did not help either.

[Jens (jensh)]

well the kdm log does not really seem to be unusual, after comparing it with the newest kdm log.

[Rich Johnson (nixternal)]

After the USplash loads and doesn't switch, wait a few seconds and then press "Alt+F7" and see if that starts KDM for you.

I have had a "similar" problem in the past with Kubuntu & VMWare with the USplash, and the high-resolution versions locking up as soon as Grub starting loading the system.

Any extra info would be great, you can always

cat /var/log/*.log | grep kdm

see if there are any specific kdm errors.

[Jens (jensh)]

yes thanks, pressing Alt-F7 helped.

The *.log files contains following kdm line for the boot time:

daemon.log:Oct 2 13:31:42 XY kdm_greet[3806]: Can't open default user face

[Rich Johnson (nixternal)]

that error message isn't an issue. There is a fix released and recent updates have fixed the issue for me. Try grabbing the latest updates and see if that fixes your issue. Thanks again!

[Jens (jensh)]

I have the same problem on a physical machine at home.
Usplash loads until the bar is filled, and then the booting stops. If I press Alt-F7 Xorg begins to load, it does not load in the background while I wait for usplash to finish.
So this is not a problem with Vmware!
On the vmware image I had "upstart" running, on the physical machine I first still had the old "init" system.

[Jens (jensh)]

I just reactivated usplash in my vmware image, and usplash switched to kdm/kde.
So it seems to be fixed, thanks.
I'll try it on my physical machine later.

[ehamberg (hamberg)]

I still have that problem on my laptop with all updates installed.

2.6.17-10-generic #2 SMP Wed Oct 11 23:35:12 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux

i915 card, 1280x800 resolution, if that matters...

[carsten (cniehaus-kde)]

I think this might be related:

Oct 16 09:07:05 helium kdm: :0[3932]: Hung in XOpenDisplay(:0), aborting
Oct 16 09:07:05 helium kdm: :0[3932]: Cannot connect to :0, giving up
Oct 16 09:07:05 helium kdm[3893]: Display :0 cannot be opened
Oct 16 09:10:10 helium kdm_greet[4374]: Can't open default user face
Oct 16 09:10:20 helium kdm_greet[4374]: Internal error: memory corruption detected

My problem is (I think) the same: I am booting my laptop and just see a very strange graphic (it looks like a testscreen on television...). In the end I see a black screen. Pressing any key I get to tty1. Pressing Ctrl-Alt-F7 starts KDM.

[carsten (cniehaus-kde)]

Funny, I also had bug 62922 and fixed it (see my comment there). That also fixed this bug... In other words: KDM now starts without problems...

[carsten (cniehaus-kde)]

No, it doesn't work, it only works on reboot, but not on a new start... But usplash at least works now.

[ehamberg (hamberg)]

This is still not working here. With the newest packages, I just get a black screen with a blinking underscore in the top left corner. When switching between VT 1 and VT 7 it looks like it switches resolution as the underscore is closer to the screen's centre.

To start KDM i have to login at VT 2, which works, and issue the command /etc/init.d/kdm restart

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro V3205
Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller
1280x800

[lrite (klk745)]

Exactly the same problem as ehamberg on an MSI barebone with an Intel 8xx chipset.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

I am getting the same log output as carsten, However, usplash works fine. After this, the X server initialises (I get the spinning 'busy' mouse cursor), but I then get dumped back to the CLI. None of the solutions advertised here work. I have to log into the console and manually start kdm.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

A workaround is to add the line

  invoke-rc.d kdm restart

to /etc/rc.local

Also, it's important to make sure that KDM is set as the default display manager:

  $ sudo dpkg-reconfigure kdm

The resulting startup behaviour is that X tries to load from usplash, somehow fails and returns to a console, then immediately tries again, bringing up kdm. The appearance is not any different from how gdm (with no additional configuration) starts on my machine.

[Yuriy Kozlov (yuriy-kozlov)]

Several comments with the problem after the fix was committed and released; reopening.

[Sergio Callegari (callegar)]

I have the same problem here:

after the splash screen I get a blank screen.

If I press any key, I get into the console on VT1, with a login prompt... funny: whatever username I type here, the system says "login incorrect" without prompting for the password... then it gives the login prompt again and this times lets me in on the console...

Alternatively, if while on the blank screen I switch to VT7, I get the kdm greeting...

The weird thing is that my machine (a dell D820 with intel 945 graphics) has never had this problem. Problem appeared a few days ago, so I believe that some package update has broken something.

[Sergio Callegari (callegar)]

As a temporary workaround, until the bug gets fixed, I may suggest that disabling usplash (by removing "splash" from the kernel line in the grub menu) saves the day and allows the system to boot into the kdm greeting screen.

[Sridhar Dhanapalan (sridhar)]

This problem still exists in Gutsty.

[Saivann Carignan (oxmosys)]

Can you someone else confirm if this bug happens with a fresh ubuntu gutsy installation?

[Saivann Carignan (oxmosys)]

Can someone confirm if this bug happens with Hardy? I can't reproduce it with my hardware here.

[Saivann Carignan (oxmosys)]

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!