GDM wont start on Ubuntu GNOME using Gnome3 ppa

[Stinger]

I tried to upgrade to pre Gnome 3.8 by using the Gnome3 ppa, the update itself went well but when i restarted the only thing I got was the blue blinds background with a mouse courser, nothing else, no login promt.

I tried hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del which brought up the log out dialog box and asked if I wanted to log out from GDM-session ? Strange...

I tried pushing the power button once instead which brought up the shutdown dialog box telling me again I was logged in as GDM ?

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

seems to be present on the Ubuntu Gnome mailing list here by Fran Dieguez:

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-gnome/2013-March/000101.html

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

I don't know if this is relevant, but just in case:

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-gnome/2013-March/000101.html

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

Sorry, for the wrong link above, here is the right one:

https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=695081

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

Stinger, there isn't enough information here for us to figure out what's wrong. Could you please try running apport-collect 1162466? In the future, please use ubuntu-bug to report bugs. This is supported for the GNOME3 PPA packages in Raring since last week.

I don't think the GNOME bug you linked has anything to do with what you're seeing since gnome-initial-setup has not been packaged for Ubuntu.

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

Re #4
Will try if possible ?
It's kinda catch 22 I have here as I can't login.
I guess I boot into recovery and choose shell mode But then I wouldn't have GDM running would I ?
Would that be enough information to go on ?
Thanks in advance

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

More specifically, we need your gdm logs but I think apport-collect will attach them for you.

Otherwise, you can find the logs in ~/.cache/gdm/session.log and /var/log/gdm/ (:0.log and :0-greeter.log; you'll need to be root to find those files).

[brian baker (brian-m-baker)]

I just had this too with a fresh install of ubuntu-gnome, after install and update and dist-upgrade everything was fine. I then added the gnome3 and gnome3-staging and ricotz-testing ppa's and no login prompt or anything just a blue background and a x cursor. tried lightdm and gdm both the same story.
then i thought hmmm graphics issue again with G-S so installed the nvidia-current and all was working again. :-)

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

OK here you go
The log files zipped
If you are having trouble with some of the Danish phrases in the ~/.cache/gdm/session.log ill assist in translation :)

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

Sorry had home directory mixed with Mint-MATE

Here another one from an clean install in english.
Use this instead.

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

Additional info:
When I have the blue blinds background with a mouse courser ( plymouth ), I tried Ctrl-Alt-F1 which brought up the command line.
Typed 'apport-collect 1162466' and was told to install python-apport, I did with 'sudo apt-get install python-apport'.
Tried 'apport-collect 1162466' again and was told that 'the launchpadlib python module is not installed'.
After a bit googling on my other pc, I did 'apt-get install python-launchpadlib'.
Tried 'apport-collect 1162466' again and got through to launchpad, after a while I was promted to accept the transfer of logfiles "in my browser", geesh, from the command line !

Therefore I attach my /var/log/apport.log and my /var/crash/_usr_bin_gnome-shell.114.crash
Hope it is of value when troubleshooting :)

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

Re.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2129554&page=2&p=12585881#post12585881

I tried what you suggested, installing ubuntu-gnome-desktop, but it gave me "ubuntu-gnome-desktop is already the newest version" so that's not the problem.
Tried booting in rescue mode with failsafe X but still got the blue blinds with only the mouse cursor, so it's not related to the ati driver either.

But I think I nailed the sucker due to this post:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2131890&p=12586232#post12586232

gnome-shell version gives me 3.6.3.1 (should have been 3.8.0 something)
gdm version gives me 3.8.0

I installed apt-show-version and ran 'sudo apt-show-version gnome-shell' ,
it said gnome-shell was upgradeable from 3.6.3.1 to 3.8.0.1
I tried 'sudo apt-get upgrade gnome-shell' and got "0 upgraded and 29 packages held back"

So due to some odd dependency gnome-shell and 28 other packages are not upgraded when upgrading Ubuntu-GNOME to 3.8 using the Gnome3 ppa, leaving gnome-shell at version 3.6.3.1 and gdm at version 3.8.0 (earlier at 3.7.90) and the two packages, and maybe more, are conflicting, causing gnome-shell to crash in my case.

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

You need to use dist-upgrade. Please close this bug if your issue is resolved. Thanks!

[Stinger (e-mindahl)]

Worked like a charm,

Why didn't I think of that ? Well it wasn't easy to guess from the commandline.
thanks :)