in Kubuntu 12.04, plasma-desktop does not start in the KDE session

[Oded Arbel]

Its been like this for a while in the Kubuntu 12.04 alpha and beta, I'm sorry I didn't report this sooner.

When I specify a KDE workspace session under LightDM, when I log in I get krunner, but not plasma-desktop. This happens for all users on my computer, including the guest user and a user I created new specifically for testing.

I've tried apt-get install --reinstall plasma-desktop but to no avail.

When I type plasma-desktop in krunner, then the desktop just starts fine. The same thing if I browse (using Dolphin) to /usr/share/autostart and double click on the plasma-desktop entry. Its just that it does not start up automatically.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: plasma-desktop 4:4.8.2a-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-22.35-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-22-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.0-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Apr 8 09:56:58 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Beta amd64 (20110921.2)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: kde-workspace
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Lesley Longhurst (lesley-longhurst)]

This is also happening for me on 10.4 LTS. (I want to update to the new LTS, but I'm reluctant to do it on a broken system).

There are a number of things that have happened since the last successful reboot that could have been the trigger:
- Added a second monitor
- Ran out of disk space while I was away for 2 weeks
- installed updates

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS
Release: 10.04
Codename: lucid

$ dpkg -l "*plasma*"|grep -v ^un
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Cfg-files/Unpacked/Failed-cfg/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
+++-====================================-===============================================-==================================================
ii kdebase-plasma 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 Transitional package for plasma-widget-folderview.
ii libplasma-applet-system-monitor4 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 Library for the plasma system monitor
ii libplasma-geolocation-interface4 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 Library for the plasma geolocation
ii libplasma3 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 library for the KDE 4 Plasma desktop
ii libplasmaclock4 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 Library for the plasma clock
ii libplasmagenericshell4 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 shared elements for all the plasma shells
ii plasma-dataengines-addons 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1 addons for KDE 4 Plasma - data engines
ii plasma-dataengines-workspace 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 KDE 4 base workspace Plasma data engines
ii plasma-desktop 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 The KDE plasma workspace for desktop and laptop co
ii plasma-scriptengine-javascript 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.1 javascript script engine for Plasma
ii plasma-scriptengine-python 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 Python script engine for Plasma
ii plasma-widget-facebook 1.0-0ubuntu1 Plasma Widget for Facebook Updates
ii plasma-widget-folderview 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1.2 Folder View Plasma widget
ii plasma-widget-googlecalendar 1.2-0ubuntu3 Plasma Widget for Google calendar
ii plasma-widget-kimpanel 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1 addons for KDE 4 Plasma - universal input method w
ii plasma-widget-kimpanel-backend-ibus 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1 addons for KDE 4 Plasma - universal input method w
ii plasma-widget-kubuntu-feedback 0.2-0ubuntu1 Kubuntu feedback plasma widget
ii plasma-widget-lancelot 4:4.4.5-0ubuntu1 ...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Lesley Longhurst (lesley-longhurst)]

Further info:
When I log out and back in, the second monitor displays rubbish.
When I run plasma-desktop manually, I get the following messages:

$ plasma-desktop
QDBusObjectPath: invalid path ""
Connecting to deprecated signal QDBusConnectionInterface::serviceOwnerChanged(QString,QString,QString)
QGraphicsLinearLayout::removeAt: invalid index 0
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/usr/share/applications/kde4/Kontact.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/usr/share/applications/kde4/konsole.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/163877.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/163876.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/163873.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/163872.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/163867.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/163866.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/Derivatives.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/DEX.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.kde/share/apps/RecentDocuments/.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(2802)/kdecore (KLibrary) kde4Factory: The library "/usr/lib/kde4/solid_hal_power.so" does not offer a qt_plugin_instance function.
plasma-desktop(2802) Solid::Control::ManagerBasePrivate::loadBackend: Backend loaded: "HAL-Power"
plasma-desktop(2802)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-4, -2)
plasma-desktop(2802)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-4, -2)
plasma-desktop(2802)/libplasma Plasma::FrameSvg::resizeFrame: Invalid size QSizeF(-4, -2)
QGraphicsLinearLayout::removeAt: invalid index 0
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: No such file or directory
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.config/ibus/bus
Bus::open: Can not get ibus-daemon's address.
IBusInputContext::createInputContext: no connection to ibus-daemon
Invalid D-BUS interface name 'org.kde.plasma-desktop.PlasmaApp' found while parsing introspection
plasma-desktop(2802)/plasma SystemTray::DBusSystemTrayWidget::createMenuImporter: DBu...

[Lesley Longhurst (lesley-longhurst)]

After turning off rotation on the second monitor and clearing some junk from the launcher menu, I still have to start plasma-desktop manually, but the messages are reduced to the following:

$ plasma-desktop
QDBusObjectPath: invalid path ""
Connecting to deprecated signal QDBusConnectionInterface::serviceOwnerChanged(QString,QString,QString)
QGraphicsLinearLayout::removeAt: invalid index 0
plasma-desktop(5122)/kdecore (services) KServiceFactory::findServiceByDesktopPath: "/usr/share/applications/kde4/konsole.desktop" not found
plasma-desktop(5122)/kdecore (KLibrary) kde4Factory: The library "/usr/lib/kde4/solid_hal_power.so" does not offer a qt_plugin_instance function.
plasma-desktop(5122) Solid::Control::ManagerBasePrivate::loadBackend: Backend loaded: "HAL-Power"
QGraphicsLinearLayout::removeAt: invalid index 0
QInotifyFileSystemWatcherEngine::addPaths: inotify_add_watch failed: No such file or directory
QFileSystemWatcher: failed to add paths: /home/grsv01/gr_comp/grlrw0/.config/ibus/bus
Bus::open: Can not get ibus-daemon's address.
IBusInputContext::createInputContext: no connection to ibus-daemon
Invalid D-BUS interface name 'org.kde.plasma-desktop.PlasmaApp' found while parsing introspection
plasma-desktop(5122)/plasma SystemTray::DBusSystemTrayWidget::createMenuImporter: DBusMenu disabled for this application

[Lesley Longhurst (lesley-longhurst)]

I'm not sure what else you might need in the way of system info, but here's this:

$ uname -a
Linux grst01 2.6.32-41-generic #88-Ubuntu SMP Thu Mar 29 13:10:32 UTC 2012 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Hoa Le (leth5591)]

Hi,

I am not sure if this is the same bug. I am using KUBUNTU 12.04 kernel 3.2.0.23-generic. Yesterday Thu. May 23 I updated to the latest .24-generic version, then after logging in I could not see KDE Plasma-workspace and Plasma-workspace (failsafe) sessions. All I got were Default and Failsafe sessions. Making either choice results in a blank desktop although I could still move the cursor but nothing else happens.

After switching to console login and cd /usr/share/autostart/plasma-desktop, I got the following error messages:

1. Session D-bus connection created before QcoreApplication. Application may misbehave.

2. Plasma-desktop (1675):
KUniqueApplication: cannot find D-bus session server. Unable to auto-launch a d-bus daemon without a display for X-11.

3. Plasma-desktop (1674):
KUniqueApplication: pipe closed unexpectedly.

In frustration, I dowloaded the iso for Kubuntu 12.04 x86_64 (same as before) and did a clean install. This is why I am still using kernel 3..2.0-23-generic and have not updated the system, until there's a definite solution to this bug.

[Stéphane Magnenat (stephane.magnenat)]

Here installing kde-workspace-bin did resurect the plasma-workspace option in the menu, which lead to a successful login. I have no idea why the kde-workspace-bin package was uninstalled.

[kgoeser (kevin-kevin-online)]

Same problem here. Several KDE packages had been removed, probably by using the package manager informing about updates in the systray (muon?).

I attach the term.log and history.log of /var/log/apt/.

[Lesley Longhurst (lesley-longhurst)]

I was able to get my plasma-desktop starting up properly again by going into System Settings/Advanced/Autostart. The entry for plasma-desktop was present but not enabled. All I had to do was tick the box.

So in my case at least, the bug is that something unticked that box.

[Rohan Garg (rohangarg)]

Hi
If you're still affected by this bug, could you attach the ~/.xsession-errors file to the bug report?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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