gnome-terminal won't start

[shemgp]

On Ubuntu 18.04 gnome-terminal doesn't start after leaving the computer on for a while (or maybe after sleep). strace inside xterm reveals this:

stat("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en_PH/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale/en.ISO8859-1/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en.ISO8859-1/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale/en_US.ISO8859-1/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en_US.ISO8859-1/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale/en_US/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
stat("/usr/share/locale-langpack/en_US/LC_MESSAGES/messages.mo", 0x7fffe6d50960) = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)
pipe2([5, 6], O_CLOEXEC) = 0
clone(child_stack=NULL, flags=CLONE_CHILD_CLEARTID|CLONE_CHILD_SETTID|SIGCHLD, child_tidptr=0x7fd74a996a10) = 10042
close(6) = 0
read(5, "", 50000) = 0
close(5) = 0
wait4(10042, # Error creating terminal: Timeout was reached
[{WIFEXITED(s) && WEXITSTATUS(s) == 0}], 0, NULL) = 10042
--- SIGCHLD {si_signo=SIGCHLD, si_code=CLD_EXITED, si_pid=10042, si_uid=1000, si_status=0, si_utime=4, si_stime=0} ---
rt_sigaction(SIGINT, {sa_handler=SIG_DFL, sa_mask=[], sa_flags=SA_RESTORER, sa_restorer=0x7fd74a5c0890}, {sa_handler=0x7fd74814a880, sa_mask=[], sa_flags=SA_RESTORER|SA_RESTART|SA_NOCLDSTOP, sa_restorer=0x7fd74a5c0890}, 8) = 0
munmap(0x7fd74a7f4000, 135168) = 0
sigaltstack(NULL, {ss_sp=0x15d3b80, ss_flags=0, ss_size=8192}) = 0
sigaltstack({ss_sp=NULL, ss_flags=SS_DISABLE, ss_size=0}, NULL) = 0
futex(0x7fd748ffb82c, FUTEX_WAKE_PRIVATE, 2147483647) = 0
exit_group(0) = ?
+++ exited with 0 +++

Thanks for your help.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gnome-terminal 3.28.1-1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-20.21-generic 4.15.17
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Sun May 20 21:00:23 2018
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-09-28 (964 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
SourcePackage: gnome-terminal
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[shemgp (shemgp)]

Logging out and logging in fixes the problem.

[shemgp (shemgp)]

I mean, when I logout and login I can start gnome-terminal again, but this error happened to me at least twice already and I don't think logging out and logging in is a solution as it would close my session when I'm doing something. Again: Thanks for your help.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Sonny (aadityabhatia)]

Possible duplicate: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-terminal/+bug/1740106

[Kenneth Bandes (kbandes)]

Some additional detail, in case it might be useful:
I can launch gnome-terminal using dbus-launch, but not directly. I can launch other terminals (Xfce Terminal) without a problem. I include some details about my system, including locale info, since some people seem to think that is implicated in some of these problems.

$ gnome-terminal
# Error constructing proxy for org.gnome.Terminal:/org/gnome/Terminal/Factory0: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.Terminal: Timeout was reached

$ dbus-launch gnome-terminal
(succeeds)

$ uname -a
Linux paulus 4.15.0-32-generic #35-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 10 17:58:07 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS
Release: 18.04
Codename: bionic

$ localectl
   System Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8
       VC Keymap: n/a
      X11 Layout: us
       X11 Model: pc105

[utkatubuntu (just-utkarsh)]

Even I was able to spawn it via dbus-launch only, uninstalling google remote desktop fixed it for me.

[MickTaiwan (faivrem)]

After installing google remote desktop gnome-terminal didn't work anymore, sound devices were not found anymore

[dan the person (dantheperson)]

I see this on 18.04 with google remote desktop too.

Run this command and gnome-terminal should start working without requiring a logout/in

dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd --all
gnome-terminal &

I installed xterm to enable me to open a terminal to run that command