natty alpha gdm / unity does not start

[Susan Cragin]

Binary package hint: gdm

I just got the alpha Natty Studio and installed it (12/1).
There is no desktop manager. No toolbar. No buttons. No application launcher or drawer.
There is nothing but a background screen.
I believe that this means gdm has been removed but that unity does not start properly.
I cannot ever ALT-F1 or F2.
I can right mouse click and create a launcher.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: gdm 2.30.5-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.37-7.18-generic 2.6.37-rc3
Uname: Linux 2.6.37-7-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Dec 1 13:38:20 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Studio 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Alpha i386 (20101201)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gdm

[UndiFineD (k.dejong)]

made a folder on the desktop to start nautilus and get to the logfiles:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7607669/20101201-2352a.png
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7607669/20101201-2354b.png

[Nicolas Dechesne (ndec)]

I am also seing this, even though I am able to switch to other console and log in text mode.

- I could create a launcher and start 'unity'.
- I could log in using gdm, but then unity launcher does not come up
- from a different console: service gdm status returns 'started/running'. restarting gdm does not fix the problem.

I am running 11.04 development packages, upgraded today, on a lenovo R400 (Intel graphics).

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

thank you for your bug report, could you reply to those questions:
- do you use autologin?
- what session is selected in gdm?
- could you start your session, switch to a vt and copye .xsession-errors then add it to the bug?

[Nicolas Dechesne (ndec)]

@sebastien:

- I am not using autologin.
- the session is Ubuntu Desktop

after reboot, it's working fine, and the launcher comes when I log in again. In fact it's the 2nd time it's doing this to me: I upgrade to a bunch of packages (I usually do this once a day). at the next reboot after the upgrade the unity launcher does not come, and I need to start it manually. To start it, I run 'unity' in a VT. after this, if I reboot I can log on properly.

[Nicolas Dechesne (ndec)]

and here is my .xsession-errors log.

note that I have rebooted several times, so now I can log and I have the launcher.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

let's close the bug since that works now, it was not likely a gdm issue anyway but rather compiz or unity being in a transition