plymouth doesn't start properly on Dell Studio XPS with Radeon Mobility HD

[LarsIvarIgesund]

Binary package hint: plymouth

The visible symptoms are that I never get a graphical splash when booting, or shutting down.

In addition to this, these log messages appear:

/var/log/syslog.1:Apr 24 09:29:05 larsivi-i7 kernel: [ 5.052081] Out of memory: kill process 493 (plymouthd) score 38 or a child
/var/log/syslog.1:Apr 24 09:29:05 larsivi-i7 kernel: [ 5.052083] Killed process 493 (plymouthd)
/var/log/syslog.1:Apr 24 09:29:08 larsivi-i7 init: plymouth-splash main process (1014) terminated with status 1

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: plymouth 0.8.2-2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-21.32-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-21-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Architecture: i386
Date: Sun Apr 25 12:43:01 2010
DefaultPlymouth: Error: command ['readlink', '/etc/alternatives/default.plymouth'] failed with exit code 1:
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Studio XPS 1645
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=7a3370b1-dcc3-4222-9340-b3212720ee59 ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=nn_NO:nn:no_NO:no:nb_NO:nb:en
 LANG=nn_NO.UTF-8
 SHELL=/usr/bin/zsh
ProcFB: 0 VGA16 VGA
SourcePackage: plymouth
TextPlymouth: Error: command ['readlink', '/etc/alternatives/text.plymouth'] failed with exit code 1:
dmi.bios.date: 02/10/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A07
dmi.board.name: 0Y517R
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A07
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: A07
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA07:bd02/10/2010:svnDellInc.:pnStudioXPS1645:pvrA07:rvnDellInc.:rn0Y517R:rvrA07:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA07:
dmi.product.name: Studio XPS 1645
dmi.product.version: A07
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this issue and help to improve Ubuntu.

Your report shows:

DefaultPlymouth: Error: command ['readlink', '/etc/alternatives/default.plymouth'] failed with exit code 1:
TextPlymouth: Error: command ['readlink', '/etc/alternatives/text.plymouth'] failed with exit code 1:

What does 'ls -l /etc/alternatives/default.plymouth /etc/alternatives/text.plymouth' show?

[LarsIvarIgesund (larsivar)]

Neither of those exist.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

The plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text package is installed by default (recommended by the ubuntu-standard package). The Ubuntu desktop installs plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo by default, the different per-flavor desktop packages also each have their own recommended theme that's installed by default, and plymouth itself expects a theme to be installed by default. If you don't have the alternatives, that means you have no plymouth themes installed. Why not? Do you have automatic installation of recommends disabled on your system?

[LarsIvarIgesund (larsivar)]

How would I know if recommended install is disabled or not? I certainly didn't do it myself.

This computer was initially installed as 09.10 Kubuntu, and then upgraded to Lucid around the release of Beta 1. So presumably this then is an upgrade issue (or was an upgrade issue).

I have now installed the kubuntu theme package, and will see if it works on the next reboot (in a few minutes).

[LarsIvarIgesund (larsivar)]

I have now tested a bit more.

I know get a Kubuntu logo at shutdown, albeit a very ugly one (4 colors or so, I've seen this reported elsewhere).

At startup, there appears to be no difference, also after installing the text theme packages.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

Ok, in that case the lack of splash at startup in bug #540801. Marking as a duplicate.