Unity fails to load fully

[mikewhatever]

Binary package hint: unity

After login, the GUI loads partly, the cursor moves, but there is no visual feedback of any kind. Clicking around or using the keyboard apparently works, as there is disk activity corresponding to the mouse clicks, I can reboot by hitting ctrl+alt+del, enter, and have also managed to take a screenshot. This happens when selecting Ubuntu (Unity?) and Ubuntu Classic (Compiz?) from the login screen, the option with 'no effects' works well.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: unity 3.8.4-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.41-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 270.30 Fri Feb 25 14:34:41 PST 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-8ubuntu1)
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,vpswitch,regex,animation,snap,expo,move,compiztoolbox,place,grid,imgpng,gnomecompat,wall,ezoom,workarounds,staticswitcher,resize,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,scale,session,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 35.478238] EXT4-fs (sda2): re-mounted. Opts: errors=remount-ro,commit=0
 [ 160.544200] compiz[1385]: segfault at c94b7c ip 00b56367 sp bff3afa4 error 7 in libpthread-2.13.so[b4e000+15000]
 [ 406.004297] e100 0000:08:08.0: eth1: NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex
 [ 406.004766] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth1: link becomes ready
 [ 416.560034] eth1: no IPv6 routers present
Date: Sun Apr 10 14:10:08 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 270.30, 2.6.38-8-generic, i686: installed
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation G72M [GeForce Go 7400] [10de:01d8] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device [103c:30a5]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta i386 (20110330)
InstallationMedia_: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta i386 (20110330)
InstallationMedia__: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta i386 (20110330)
JockeyStatus: xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Pavilion dv5000 (RG976EA#ABT)
PccardctlIdent:
 Socket 0:
   no product info available
PccardctlStatus:
 Socket 0:
   no card
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:en
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=41d737a7-b449-4b4e-a6de-d9c1d096e31a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature_: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.41-generic 2.6.38.2
ProcVersionSignature__: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.41-generic 2.6.38.2
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 09/07/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.bios.version: F.24
dmi.board.name: 30A7
dmi.board.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.board.version: 56.48
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnHewlett-Packard:bvrF.24:bd09/07/2007:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPPaviliondv5000(RG976EA#ABT):pvrF.24:rvnHewlett-Packard:rn30A7:rvr56.48:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: HP Pavilion dv5000 (RG976EA#ABT)
dmi.product.version: F.24
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+bzr20110407-0ubuntu2
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.10.1-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.1-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.0-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-4ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu6

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

Tried reinstalling the Nvidia driver with Jokey, didn't help, thought I'd attach the log.

[Marcela Oniga (pensacola-m2000)]

Also reproducible when upgrading from 10.10 -> 11.04. the GUI doesn't load, no main menu displayed, just desktop files and folders.

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

Run 'compiz --replace 2>&1 | tee log.txt', output attached.

[Marcela Oniga (pensacola-m2000)]

I've reinstalled unity, after that I was able to access main menu and it was fully loaded.

[TreasonVoice (coelho-andrew)]

Possibly fixed by removing Nvidia driver through Jockey ( aka additional drivers) and then installing/reinstalling Nouveau through Synaptic, followed by a reboot. After reboot, MIGHT have to select Nouveau/experimental driver in Jockey.

 Worked for me.

[Serra (jose-ramon-casal)]

I've removed nvidia drivers and installed experimental 3D drivers. It worked for me.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

So this bug is specifically an issue with the nvidia binary drivers. I am not sure which package to mark as affected.

[Eric Schaffner (eric-ericschaffner)]

Other OpenGL applications like Google Earth work fine on my system. This could also be a specific interaction between compiz and the nvidia drivers. Compiz hangs in Unity and in the classic desktop. Like everyone else, compiz is fine with nouveau for me. I also have a GeForce Go 7400 in my system like the original poster. Desktop effects work fine in 10.10.

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

Omer, I am not sure either. I was hoping the gathered info should have some clues, and obviously, I am willing to provide more if needed.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

the issue seems similar to bug #728745 and not an unity one but an nvidia driver bug

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

Indeed, very similar symptoms and hardware. Thanks for the info.

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

Just checked, and apparently, I have nux-tools 0.9.46-0ubuntu4 installed, but the problem remains as originally described.

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

OK, the fix was blacklisting the affected cards, got it.

[quequotion (quequotion)]

>>mikewhatever

Could you please give much much more information about your solution.

[mikewhatever (mikewhatever)]

The original bug remains unfixed, in other words, the combination of nvidia-current (270.xxx) driver, Unity/Compiz and GeForce 7400go still doesn't work. Apparently, the decision was made to blacklist the know affected hardware, so that the fallback Gnome2 may start by default instead of Unity. IMHO, the bug has been triaged, but not fixed.
That said, there is an easy workaround, that worked for me. Install nvidia-173 instead of nvidia-current. If your card has been blacklisted, the fallback Gnome2 will load no matter what. To un-blacklist, add UNITY_FORCE_START=1 to /etc/environment.