Error "ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode" directly after installation

[Bernd Schlapsi]

I installed Ubuntu 12.04 Desktop on my Dell XPS 1330 (Nvidia 8400M GS). The Live CD session works great and installation was no problem. But after the first reboot I get the error message: "ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode".

On the terminal I tried to install manually:
nvidia-173 nvidia-173-updates
or
nvidia-current nvidia-current-updates

But non of the two packages resolves my problem. So i tried to install the nvidia driver with "jockey-text".
$ jockey-text -c
$ jockey-text -u
$ jockey-text -a
$ jockey-text -C
Additional Drivers
Downloading and installing driver...

Sorry, installation of this driver failed.

Please have a look at the log file for details: /var/log/jockey.log
$

For me it's not important to install the proprietary Nvidia driver. I just would like to use the system. If possible with the nouveau or with the nvidia driver

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: jockey-common 0.9.6-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-7.13-generic-pae 3.2.0-rc7
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-7-generic-pae i686
ApportVersion: 1.90-0ubuntu1
Architecture: i386
Date: Thu Jan 5 17:40:03 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha i386 (20120102)
MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS M1330
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-7-generic-pae root=UUID=0f231cf4-6534-4206-ba52-15bb6c561663 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: jockey
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/26/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A15
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA15:bd12/26/2008:svnDellInc.:pnXPSM1330:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn:rvr:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr:
dmi.product.name: XPS M1330
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Bernd Schlapsi (bernd-sch)]

Are there any news on this bug?
Is there something I can do to solve this issue? I couldn't use my test notebook with Ubuntu 12.04 at the moment.

[Bernd Schlapsi (bernd-sch)]

I reinstalled my system and using the open source driver. So the system works at the moment.

[Adolfo Jayme Barrientos (fitojb)]

This also affects me, but I believe the bug is not in nvidia, becase it happens in my Atom netbook.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

fitoschido, Atom systems are using the poulsbo driver, which can end up with this same error but for an entirely different, unrelated reason.

Looking at the jockey log, this does appear to be a jockey-specific issue, probably something with the nvidia kernel module failing to build, but nvidia in xorg.conf causing the system to not try anything but nouveau. The xorg.conf should be more or less unnecessary these days so deleting just that *might* be a sufficient work around. But clean reinstall is not a bad idea either.

[Gary Mellor (garyjmellor-deactivatedaccount)]

Also affecting me. The following points may be of interest:

1. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce G210M with 512MB DDR Dedicated Memory.
2. Machine: Lenovo G550 NTDF3UK (Laptop)
3. Previously I upgraded (on the standard driver) from 11.10 to 12.04 and this issue did not occur.
4. I erased and reinstalled my entire OS (for fun) and then the issue started. I have tried with the default driver and also with the proprietary driver in 'Additional Drivers' and both exhibit the same issue.
5. If I keep rebooting my machine it eventually recovers and logs me into the desktop. Sometime it logs me in first time, other times it takes around2-3 reboots and then it is fine again until the next time.
6. I've attached my output from SysInfo in case anything in there is of interest (GM_SysInfo).

Does anyone know a timeline for this fix because this is really spoiling what is an excellent Ubuntu release and it is incredibly tedious to keep rebooting to get to a desktop (I don't know of a 'smarter' way to start the desktop (running startx from within low graphics mode does not invoke the launcher or the panel).

[Gary Mellor (garyjmellor-deactivatedaccount)]

As a quick workaround, you could exit the low graphics mode notification by selecting 'OK' and then selecting one of the options followed by 'OK' (or just by pressing ESC). Then, login via the command line then enter:

sudo /etc/init.d/lightdm restart

This will then restart the desktop environment. Not ideal, but it will suffice for me until a fix is made available. Interestingly, I completely reinstalled 11.10 and then did the upgrade to 12.04 again and I saw the low graphics mode problem straight away whereas before this was not a problem.

[dino99 (9d9)]

Jockey has been superseded by software-properties, which now handles
third-party driver configuration.