no gdm at start up. only tty (not really working either)

[Willem Hobers]

Jan 31 11:17:08 emachine gnome-session[1466]: WARNING: Failed to start app: Unable to start application: Uitvoeren van dochterproces ‘gnome-power-manager’ is mislukt (Bestand of map bestaat niet)
Jan 31 11:17:08 emachine gdm-session-worker[1777]: WARNING: Unable to load file '/etc/gdm/custom.conf': Bestand of map bestaat niet
Jan 31 11:17:08 emachine gdm-session-worker[1777]: GLib-GObject-CRITICAL: g_value_get_boolean: assertion `G_VALUE_HOLDS_BOOLEAN (value)' failed
Jan 31 11:17:08 emachine dbus[573]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.Accounts' (using servicehelper)

Jan 31 11:17:09 gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: last message repeated 4 times
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-WARNING: /build/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.4.2/./gtk/gtkwidget.c:7117: widget not within a GtkWindow
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-WARNING: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -47 and height -47
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-WARNING: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -47 and height -47
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: CRITICAL: get_column_number: assertion `i < gtk_tree_view_get_n_columns (treeview)' failed
Jan 31 11:17:09 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: CRITICAL: get_column_number: assertion `i < gtk_tree_view_get_n_columns (treeview)' failed

After upgrading to 12.04.1 LTS (from the previous LTS) my ubuntu will at times fail to show the login screen. Roundabout 4 out of 10 times of booting the "Ubuntu five dots"-screen disappears, no login screen (GDM) appears but only tty1, with "login: ".

If I then login and do "sudo gdm"

I get the message:

failed to acquire org.gnome.displaymanager
could not acquire name; bailing out.

Whatever I try I can't solve this problem. A reboot (or two or three) may finally result in the normal GDM-login screen and Ubuntu working normally.

Ps I have switched from lightdm to GDM because lightdm gave many more problems than GDM now does.

Jeet suggests I report this as a bug

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1110580/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

Hallo
Try reinstalling unity-greeter, but i think that this is much more an hard disk problem.
If reinstallation not fix, pleasse attach here using the button below 'Add attachment or patch' the file /var/log/syslog
---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Thanks for the suggestion, Fabio.
I did, however, move away from the unity-greeter because that gave more problems than I experience now, and I am quite happy with the greeter I have now.

BTW: I use Gnome3; not unity.

I attach the syslog.

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

the hd seems good,
run in terminal:
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get remove --purge gnome-session gnome-power-manager
sudo apt-get install gnome-session ubuntu-desktop gnome-power-manager
sudo shutdown -rF now

---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
http://wiki.ubuntu.com/BugSquad

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Thanks.

I did as you suggested. Quite a lot happened. I saw all kinds of things being installed.
See attachment.

The first reboot since was good. But that may not be as good an omen as one would like to hope: the problem is (or hopefully was) intermittent.

Is there a way to check whether this uninstall/install procedure did the trick apart from waiting for the problem to reappear?

I'll keep you posted about whether or not the problem reoccurs.

(I would like to understand what I have done/did go wrong to cause the problem, how you found the apparent cause and why your commands may be the solution.)

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

we have just tried to fix these errors reinstalling the packages downloaded during the upgrade:

Failed to start app: Unable to start application: Uitvoeren van dochterproces ‘gnome-power-manager’ is mislukt (Bestand of map bestaat niet)

gdm-simple-greeter[1768]: Gtk-WARNING: /build/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.4.2/./gtk/gtkwidget.c:7117: widget not within a GtkWindow

sometimes happens that some packages download or installation go bad during the upgrade process over the internet, miles of packages needs to be upgraded.....
---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
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[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Just did the second reboot since your solution. I had the expected login-screen. So far so good.

But I had a look at the syslog:

Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-WARNING: Overriding tab label for notebook
Jan 31 21:59:58 gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: last message repeated 4 times
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-WARNING: /build/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.4.2/./gtk/gtkwidget.c:7117: widget not within a GtkWindow

Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-WARNING: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -47 and height -47
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: Gtk-WARNING: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -47 and height -47
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: CRITICAL: get_column_number: assertion `i < gtk_tree_view_get_n_columns (treeview)' failed
Jan 31 21:59:58 emachine gdm-simple-greeter[1789]: CRITICAL: get_column_number: assertion `i < gtk_tree_view_get_n_columns (treeview)' failed

Would this mean the problem still exists?

I attach the newest syslog.

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

I am sorry to say that the problem still persists.

How do we go from here?

[Fabio Marconi (fabiomarconi)]

let's see someone more expert in gnome issues
---
Ubuntu Bug Squad volunteer triager
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[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Just experienced the problem again. The boot after that went well. I attach the syslog, so as to provide you with some fresh evidence.

I am a noob, so I do not know what I am looking for (or at) in this log. I do see some things, however, which seem to be not right:

several messages like
Feb 1 16:40:09 emachine gdm-binary[1099]: WARNING: Unable to load file '/etc/gdm/custom.conf': Bestand of map bestaat niet

I also noticed
Feb 1 16:40:09 emachine kernel: [ 29.167973] init: lightdm main process (1101) killed by TERM signal
(which suprises me because I use GDM, not lightdm...)

Also:
Feb 1 16:40:09 emachine gdm-simple-slave[1110]: WARNING: Unable to load file '/etc/gdm/custom.conf': Bestand of map bestaat niet

And
Feb 1 16:40:10 emachine gdm-binary[1099]: WARNING: GdmDisplay: display lasted 0,687378 seconds
Feb 1 16:40:10 emachine gdm-simple-slave[1165]: WARNING: Unable to load file '/etc/gdm/custom.conf': Bestand of map bestaat niet

Feb 1 16:40:10 emachine gdm-binary[1099]: WARNING: GdmDisplay: display lasted 0,531895 seconds
Feb 1 16:40:10 emachine gdm-simple-slave[1214]: WARNING: Unable to load file '/etc/gdm/custom.conf': Bestand of map bestaat niet

Feb 1 16:40:12 emachine gdm-binary[1099]: WARNING: GdmDisplay: display lasted 0,472872 seconds
Feb 1 16:40:12 emachine gdm-binary[1099]: WARNING: GdmLocalDisplayFactory: maximum number of X display failures reached: check X server log for errors

As this last message points to X server, I add the text of Xorg.1.log:

[ 26.987]
X.Org X Server 1.11.3
Release Date: 2011-12-16
[ 26.987] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[ 26.987] Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.42-26-generic i686 Ubuntu
[ 26.987] Current Operating System: Linux emachine 3.2.0-36-generic #57-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 8 21:41:24 UTC 2013 i686
[ 26.987] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-36-generic root=UUID=52d320b2-0a40-45c6-9e89-07cc28d09d9b ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
[ 26.987] Build Date: 29 August 2012 12:10:05AM
[ 26.987] xorg-server 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.8 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)
[ 26.987] Current version of pixman: 0.24.4
[ 26.987] Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
 to make sure that you have the latest version.
[ 26.987] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
 (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
 (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[ 26.989] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.1.log", Time: Sat Feb 2 11:34:38 2013
[ 26.989] (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
[ 26.989] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 26.989] (==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
[ 26.989] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[ 26.989] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[ 26.989] (**) | |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[ 26.990] (==) No device specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
 Using the first device section listed.
[ 26.990] (**) | |-->Device "Default Device"
[ 26.990] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
 Using a defau...

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Just experienced the problem again.

I was booted into tty. I then did

sudo gdm, but that dit not work:

failed to acquire org.gnome.displaymanager
could not acquire name; bailing out.

I then did

sudo lightdm

and that DID work.

I attach syslog.

I would appreciate your expertiece and help in fixing this.

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

The problem still persists. It occurs approx. 2 out of 10 times at the moment.

I have nog clue as to what to do, or where to look to solve the problem.

Should I give more information? Should I attachmore or other log files?
I'd be happy to do so, but you'll have to advice me which information, which logs you need to analyze the problem.

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Should I give more information? Should I attachmore or other log files?
I'd be happy to do so, but you'll have to advice me which information, which logs you need to analyze the problem.
Thanks

[Tim Lunn (darkxst)]

Can you upload you gdm logs from /var/log/gdm/

Best if you first enable debug mode by editing /etc/gdm/custom.conf (although you may need to re-install gdm, since it looks like that file is missing in your logs above).

[Willem Hobers (whobers)]

Sorry for the delay.

I have had a look: there is a folder /var/log/gdm/ but when I try to open it in syslog I get a permission violation.

If I try to edit the /etc/gdm/custom.conf it shows up as empty.

Can I simply re-install gdm by sudo apt-get install gdm?

Thanks

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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