launch of graphical session fails and returns to log in screen

[the-penguin]

After upgrading to beta version of ubuntu 12 I cannot log into my account. After typing the passsword or giving the finger print the screens returns to a tty text interface which shows the boot messages for about 3 seconds and then returns to the log in screen. Oddly enough, the two other acounts I have on the laptop login perfectly normal, on both Unity and Gnome3, though it should be noted that they do not have finger print login enabled. I can log into my account via tty text interface, it's just the graphical interface that won't launch.

I'm running:
Description: Ubuntu precise (development branch)
Release: 12.04
on an Lenovo ThinkPad x60 Tablet

Possible involved packages:
gdm:
  Installed: 3.0.4-0ubuntu15
  Candidate: 3.0.4-0ubuntu15
gnome-session:
  Installed: 3.2.1-0ubuntu6
  Candidate: 3.2.1-0ubuntu6
gnome-shell:
  Installed: 3.2.2.1-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 3.2.2.1-0ubuntu1
lightdm:
  Installed: 1.1.7-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1.1.7-0ubuntu1

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: gdm 3.0.4-0ubuntu15
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-12.51-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-12-generic i686
ApportVersion: 1.94.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Mar 10 16:22:59 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
SourcePackage: gdm
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-03-10 (0 days ago)
mtime.conffile..etc.gdm.Init.Default: 2011-08-28T15:18:36.475801

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report, can you try to log in, then go to a vt (ctrl-alt-f1), copy ~/.xsession-errors and add it to the bug?

the issue seems similar to bug #951404

could you add your /var/log/syslog, Xorg.0.log, Xorg.0.log.old to the bug as well?

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Do you get the issue with gdm as well? Do you have any special .profile or similar in your session?

[the-penguin (jasonsw)]

No, there is no problem with gdm, I login now by invoking <sudo gdm start> from a vt which starts gdm on tty8. I can login through that without a problem. Though, nautilus crashes at least once per session, also I use Gnome 3 and used to have UGR installed.

[the-penguin (jasonsw)]

.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

the syslog indicates compiz is segfaulting, do you get any apport report for it? does selecting another session works?

[the-penguin (jasonsw)]

Yes, I get a compiz chrash everytime I use the Gnome 3 interface, and I do get an apport notification for that. No selecting another session doesn't work, not even user defined or terminal session.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

could you report the compiz segfault and give the number here?

[XabiX (xabix666)]

I got it working by doing:
rm ~/.Xauthority
and
reboot

[Sidarth Dasari (sirsid)]

Does the restart occur once you press enter. Try pressing enter without typing a password, does it still happen? There is a similar bug here ( https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lightdm/+bug/874218) which occurs with some artifacting before a restart occurs.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for lightdm (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]