Unity not starting after boot

Bug #1212987 reported by WoodyEckelzone
68
This bug affects 14 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Unity
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned
unity (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

After boot today. Unity was missing. Empty desktop.
In ccsm is seems the unity plugin was disabled somehow, I re-enabled it.
Unity came back but coudn't set launcher icon size in settings -> appearance -> look.

I tried: (http://askubuntu.com/questions/17381/unity-doesnt-load-no-launcher-no-dash-appears/)
dconf reset -f /org/compiz/
unity --reset-icons &disown

Unity did reset

Still can set icon size in settings -> appearance -> look.
Have to use Unity Tweak Tool for that to set icon size on 32.
Then started Chromium and Unity crashed again.

Restart and still can't set icon size or launcher to autohide.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: unity 7.0.0daily13.06.19~13.04-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-27.40-generic 3.8.13.4
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-27-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8.3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
Date: Fri Aug 16 10:24:51 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-26 (111 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

Revision history for this message
WoodyEckelzone (bcr497) wrote :
Revision history for this message
WoodyEckelzone (bcr497) wrote :

Also workspaces stopped working.
Enabled disabled enable. They don show up

Revision history for this message
WoodyEckelzone (bcr497) wrote :

Happened again. After reseting everything, after a while crash and reboot.
Can set icon size in CCSM unity plugin,

Can NOT set icon size in:
settings -> appearance -> look
Unity tweak toel

Furthermore enabling PUT plugin, ( to enable essential shortcuts to move windows between monitors), unity crashes.

All problems started today, worked fine earlier

Revision history for this message
WoodyEckelzone (bcr497) wrote :

I can also set workspaces in CCSM General options
Unity Tweak tool or Settings-> appearance doesn't work any more for workspace or icon size settings.

Revision history for this message
Teo (teo1978) wrote :

I have the same issue (Unity disappeared after a reboot without a reason) but I can't work around it in any way.
None of the workarounds mentioned in this report work for me.
I still have no Unity launcher nor system bar, and hence my system is completely unusable.

For god's sake how can this be getting so little attention? This is HUGE.

Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
WoodyEckelzone (bcr497) wrote :

FYI I had this problem twice or three times, I had to make the settings with CompizConfig Settings Manager like described.
sudo apt-get install cssm

That solved all in the end.
After that I have not experienced this problem again. (Maybe caused by a powerfailuere back then?!)

Revision history for this message
Jack Senechal (jacksenechal) wrote :

This seems like two bugs:
1) Unity plugin mysteriously disabled, have to re-enable via ccsm
2) Launcher icon size can't be adjusted

I just experienced #1. The only thing I changed on the system between working and broken login sessions was to install gparted (0.16.1-1), which also installed libgtkmm-2.4-1c2a (>= 1:2.24.0)

I also found this in the syslog:

    Feb 7 12:32:05 Arcturus gnome-session[1803]: WARNING: Child process 2057 was already dead.
    Feb 7 12:32:05 Arcturus gnome-session[1803]: WARNING: Application 'compiz.desktop' killed by signal 9
    Feb 7 12:32:05 Arcturus gnome-session[1803]: WARNING: App 'compiz.desktop' respawning too quickly
    Feb 7 12:32:05 Arcturus gnome-session[1803]: CRITICAL: We failed, but the fail whale is dead. Sorry....

Kind of trouble-shooting in the dark here, but that's the best I've got. Beyond that I don't know what could have caused it.

no longer affects: unity
Changed in unity:
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Ross Gayler (r-gayler) wrote :

I have the same problem. (Ubuntu 14.04 32-bit) I installed the most recent batch of updates (including one for compiz) and after the next reboot my system is effectively dead. After login I get wallpaper only. Ctrl-Alt-T doesn't get a terminal. Ctrl-Alt-F1 works OK.

I installed ccsm. The unity plugin was disabled. I enabled it, but I still don't have a GUI after a reboot (even though the unity plugin is still enabled)

Revision history for this message
Michael (discombobul8d) wrote :

I am having the same issue myself after doing a fresh install of 14.04 64-bit. I have tried most (but admittedly not all, as I am new to Ubuntu) of the fixes listed in http://askubuntu.com/questions/17381/unity-doesnt-load-no-launcher-no-dash-appears/ to no avail. As Ross stated above, after login I get wallpaper only, Ctrl-Alt-T doesn't get a terminal, but Ctrl-Alt-F1 works OK. I would only add that sometimes Ctrl-Alt-F1 does not work if it is not done fast enough. (After a bit, the whole thing locks up so bad that the keyboard and mouse no longer work.)

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Henrique Goulart (jhgoulart) wrote :

This same problem suddenly appeared in my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS installation today. After login, there is no launcher, no dash, and the system shortcuts do not work. Unity itself does not work.

I have tried a bunch of different procedures that I found on forums, like those of http://askubuntu.com/questions/17381/unity-doesnt-load-no-launcher-no-dash-appears/286349#286349, but I couldn't make my system work again.

After having run out of possible fixes, I don't know which else to try.,

Revision history for this message
CarpeDiemIsrael (carpediemisrael) wrote :

same problem here but on non-administrative accounts. also, when trying to initate guest session i get this on dmesg:

  315.630744] type=1400 audit(1418974500.180:73): apparmor="DENIED" operation="mount" info="failed mntpnt match" error=-13 profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/proc/" pid=3486 comm="init" fstype="proc" srcname="proc" flags="rw"
[ 315.630773] type=1400 audit(1418974500.180:74): apparmor="DENIED" operation="mount" info="failed mntpnt match" error=-13 profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/sys/" pid=3486 comm="init" fstype="sysfs" srcname="sysfs" flags="rw"
[ 315.668415] type=1400 audit(1418974500.216:75): apparmor="DENIED" operation="open" profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/proc/3567/cmdline" pid=3555 comm="dbus-daemon" requested_mask="r" denied_mask="r" fsuid=120 ouid=0
[ 315.677254] type=1400 audit(1418974500.224:76): apparmor="DENIED" operation="open" profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/proc/3573/cmdline" pid=3555 comm="dbus-daemon" requested_mask="r" denied_mask="r" fsuid=120 ouid=0
[ 315.738306] type=1400 audit(1418974500.288:77): apparmor="DENIED" operation="mount" info="failed mntpnt match" error=-13 profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/run/user/120/gvfs/" pid=3623 comm="gvfsd-fuse" fstype="fuse.gvfsd-fuse" srcname="gvfsd-fuse" flags="rw, nosuid, nodev"
[ 319.666018] type=1400 audit(1418974504.208:78): apparmor="DENIED" operation="open" profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/proc/1/cgroup" pid=3745 comm="gnome-session" requested_mask="r" denied_mask="r" fsuid=120 ouid=0
[ 320.027235] type=1400 audit(1418974504.572:79): apparmor="DENIED" operation="open" profile="/usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session" name="/proc/1/cgroup" pid=3741 comm="gnome-settings-" requested_mask="r" denied_mask="r" fsuid=120 ouid=0

Revision history for this message
returningshadow (reidwicks) wrote :

I'm getting this issue on 14.04. However, enabling Unity via ccsm doesn't work. Thank goodness my backup program is a .sh file I can run from a terminal, or I'd have lost days of work.

Seriously disappointed that such a horrific bug can make it into the OS, and seriously pissed off that I'm having to reinstall my OS the evening before getting off a plane.

Revision history for this message
Jason Huggins (sonjz) wrote :

Same issue... Here's my details...

I have an old Acer Aspire 7520 that I decided to load Ubuntu Desktop 14.04LTS from LiveUSB key.

It installed nicely, except when I pass the login screen, I received a garbled screen because of my Nvidia graphics card that doesn't play nicely with the default Nouveau drivers.

Knowing this is a graphics driver issue, I restart in recovery mode (which comes up normally with launcher and desktop in 1024x768) and fix the drivers outlined here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/Nvidia

Afterwards, I log back in (either in recovery mode or normally) and I receive the empty desktop now, without launcher and an empty desktop. I'm unable to get CTRL-ALT-F1/F2/T to work.

I attempted a range of fixes from installing gnome to resetting Unity and haven't found an solution to bring back the launcher.
At this momement my install is botched. and unusable.
Contemplating trying Mint as it doesn't use the gnome Unity

Revision history for this message
Christine Jones (christinej-jones) wrote :

Same issue here -- have had this happen to me 4 times in the last 6 months. First two times I thought it was me and reformatted computer - and reinstalled from scratch. (Thank God I run backups!)

Last month I had my son (Unix guy in the next state over) help me via phone -- and were able to restore from simply running the commands to update, then install, reinstall desktop -- then install unity -- worked fine I kept the steps just in case...

then it happened again - I logged into my pc and was working fine on Tuesday -- didn't log in on Wednesday till the evening - at which time the computer had gone to sleep - when I tried to login my unity and menu's were gone... I checked all the recommended steps via the ask.ubuntu site to no avail... I'm still not getting my unity or menu

I am able to bring up a gui with my directory structure, so I went into usr/share/applications and found that I could launch applications from that - therefore I'm able to access a browser and get to this site.

Wondering when this issue is gonna get fixed -- and why does this site say it' only affects 9 users??? That's crap - I cannot be only 1 of 9.... other people must not be logging in the issue...

Can I get some help here?

Revision history for this message
Davide Parmeggiani (bullfrog-real) wrote :

So, not sure why this was marked as duplicated the a bug that has absolutely nothing to do with this...
There's no sign of any at-spi2 daemon error in xsession-errors file.

This is happening to me on a regular basis every time I update the NVIDIA proprietary drivers (after a new kernel is pushed so not sure if it's the push or the driver install that messes up something). Pretty much like in #13.

I'd be ok if there was a solution to just restore the menu/wm to a working state. In the past I did the dconf reset solution (and setsid unity) and all was ok.
This time, apparently, it isn't enough.

I'd be very surprise if only 10 users are affected.
Anyone able to dig in and see what is being broken by the process?

Revision history for this message
Carlos Eduardo Moreira dos Santos (cemsbr) wrote :

It happened to me after updating my 16.04 fresh install. "dconf reset" didn't help. I still see only the background.

Revision history for this message
Carlos Eduardo Moreira dos Santos (cemsbr) wrote :

No at-spi2 messages found, so it is not related to bug #1228567.

Revision history for this message
Carlos Eduardo Moreira dos Santos (cemsbr) wrote :

I solved the problem by right click, open terminal and running:
- rm -rf ~/.config/compiz-1
- gnome-session-quit --force

After logging in again, unity was back.

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