Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver

[joshas]

Ubuntu 17.10, error on boot:
gnome-session-b: CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1

[Stefan (stebp-vn)]

Same thing has happened to me. It was preceded by my session crashing and this being logged.

"gnome-terminal-[2466]: Error reading events from display: Broken pipe
 update-notifier[2408]: Error reading events from display: Broken pipe
 indicator-cpufr[1937]: Error reading events from display: Broken pipe
 telepathy-indic[2052]: Error reading events from display: Broken pipe
 systemd[1513]: gnome-terminal-server.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
 systemd[1513]: gnome-terminal-server.service: Unit entered failed state.
 systemd[1513]: gnome-terminal-server.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
 org.gnome.Shell.desktop[1638]: (EE)
 org.gnome.Shell.desktop[1638]: Fatal server error:
 org.gnome.Shell.desktop[1638]: (EE) failed to read Wayland events: Connection reset by peer
"

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Melanie Bacou (mbacou)]

Same happened to me few days ago and I could no longer log into Wayland (only X11). This happened after installing TLP on a Thinkpad X201:

 4:28:36 AM pulseaudio: [pulseaudio] bluez5-util.c: GetManagedObjects() failed: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.TimedOut: Failed to activate service 'org.bluez': timed out
 4:28:31 AM systemd: Failed to start Postfix Mail Transport Agent (instance -).
 4:28:10 AM gnome-session-b: Unrecoverable failure in required component org.gnome.Shell.desktop
 4:28:10 AM gnome-shell: X Wayland crashed; aborting
 4:28:09 AM gnome-session-b: CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1
 4:28:09 AM NetworkManager: ((src/devices/nm-device.c:1452)): assertion '<dropped>' failed
 4:28:08 AM avahi-daemon: chroot.c: open() failed: No such file or directory

Removing TLP fixed the issue though.

[Melanie Bacou (mbacou)]

Correction:
  # rm -R .config/gnome-sessions
somehow seemed to help! I now have wayland and TLP working:

 4:48:58 AM pulseaudio: [pulseaudio] bluez5-util.c: GetManagedObjects() failed: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.TimedOut: Failed to activate service 'org.bluez': timed out
 4:48:47 AM gnome-session-b: CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1
 4:48:32 AM NetworkManager: ((src/devices/nm-device.c:1452)): assertion '<dropped>' failed
 4:48:31 AM avahi-daemon: chroot.c: open() failed: No such file or directory

[Philip Roche (philroche)]

I had the same issue. For me the issue was caused by a recent install of EasyScreenCast gnome extension. I deleted the extension from /home/$USER/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/ and was then able to log in.

[Gabriel O (gadelat+launchpad)]

I too had EasyScreenCast installed and removal of its folder allowed me to boot again

[Lenny Bruyninckx (lennybruyninckx)]

I get this message as well

CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1

[Reverend Fuzzy (pastor-t)]

I also got this...

CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1