KDE sessions fail to start after 11.04->11.10->12.04 upgrade

[owenspa]

After fighting my way through the upgrade path from 11.04 through 11.10 to 12.04.1 I can no-longer start a kde session.
The upgrade to 11.10 crashed but left the system in a state allowing me to upgrade to 12.04. However, that failed also until I uninstalled kmail and knotes. Even then, some packages threw messages warning that they may not be installed properly. I made a note of those and reinstalled them after the install completed.

Now the login screen accepts my username and password, starts the procession of icons that announces the progression of the login towards a kde session. After about 10-20 seconds of delay, some "System Notification Helper" messages announce that "An application has crashed on your system (now or in the past)". Although the mouse pointer is active, the session in not responsive.

I have moved my .kde directory out of the way and got the same response.

I have created a new user and get the same response.

I have installed Xfce and that works OK.

Some relevant entries from kdm.log are

klauncher(5034) kdemain: No DBUS session-bus found. Check if you have started the DBUS server.
kdeinit4: Communication error with launcher. Exiting!
kdmgreet(5026)/kdecore (K*TimeZone*): KSystemTimeZones: ktimezoned initialize() D-Bus call failed:  "Not connected to D-Bus server"

from .xsession-errors

Warning from helper: reading brightness failed with error code  5 "No such file or directory"
kded(5187) PowerDevilUPowerBackend::brightness: org.kde.powerdevil.backlighthelper.brightness failed 
QDBusConnection: session D-Bus connection created before QCoreApplication. Application may misbehave.
QDBusConnection: session D-Bus connection created before QCoreApplication. Application may misbehave.
QDBusConnection: session D-Bus connection created before QCoreApplication. Application may misbehave.
QDBusConnection: session D-Bus connection created before QCoreApplication. Application may misbehave.
QDBusConnection: session D-Bus connection created before QCoreApplication. Application may misbehave.
QDBusObjectPath: invalid path ""
KCrash: Attempting to start /usr/bin/plasma-desktop from kdeinit
plasma-desktop(5212): Communication problem with  "plasma-desktop" , it probably crashed.
Error message was:  "org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply" : " "Message did not receive a reply (timeout by message bus)" "

from syslog

Feb 11 12:11:15 desk kernel: [ 2923.499616] krunner[5345]: segfault at 2f140613 ip b7219c7b sp bfaa4790 error 6 in libplasma.so.3.0.0[b7191000+2e3000]

I'm thinking I should re-install KDE, or is there some configuration that needs tweeking?. Will that help? How would I reinstall all of KDE?

[Snowhog]

What does sudo apt-get -f install result in?

[owenspa]

0's all round. The installation is uptodate.

[Snowhog]

And sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop ?

[owenspa]

And sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop ?

I've already tried re-installing that, it's at it's latest version.

[vinnywright]

and then what dose

dpkg -l | grep kde-workspace

have to say?

VINNY

[owenspa]

root@desk:/var/log# dpkg -l | grep kde-workspace
ii  kde-workspace                         4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           KDE Plasma Workspace components
ii  kde-workspace-bin                     4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           core binaries for the KDE Plasma Workspace
ii  kde-workspace-data                    4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           shared data files for the KDE Plasma Workspace
ii  kde-workspace-kgreet-plugins          4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           KDE greet libraries for authentication
ii  kdebase-workspace                     4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           transitional package for kde-workspace
root@desk:/var/log#

[vinnywright]

root@desk:/var/log# dpkg -l | grep kde-workspace
ii  kde-workspace                         4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           KDE Plasma Workspace components
ii  kde-workspace-bin                     4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           core binaries for the KDE Plasma Workspace
ii  kde-workspace-data                    4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           shared data files for the KDE Plasma Workspace
ii  kde-workspace-kgreet-plugins          4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           KDE greet libraries for authentication
ii  kdebase-workspace                     4:4.8.5-0ubuntu0.2                           transitional package for kde-workspace
root@desk:/var/log#

well that all looks correct ,,,,,, it may be time for a clean install ,,,, however you could still try (I am assumeing you are running from xfce) removing kubuntu-desktop and see if it removes most of KDE or just the metapackage then reinstall it,,,,and do a dpkg --reconfigure -a

when the 2 steps in your upgrading crashed they prob left you in a very unstable state.

VINNY

[owenspa]

Not hopeful that that will work. "apt-get --reinstall install kubuntu-desktop" was over in seconds...

[vinnywright]

acualy I just did a simulation run and if you feal adventurous you could try this ,,,,,,,,be worend I do not know what will happen but perhaps xfce will still be operational

sudo apt-get purge kde*

this in the simulation did indead remove all kde related packages you should if it works and the system still functions install the kubuntu-desktop package immediately

VINNY

[owenspa]

Nuh...

root@desk:~# apt-get --purge remove kubuntu-desktop
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  kubuntu-desktop*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 54.3 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? n
Abort.

[owenspa]

OK will try that. I'm running over my net using my laptop (which is successfully running 12.04, upgraded from 10.04).

[vinnywright]

Nuh...

root@desk:~# apt-get --purge remove kubuntu-desktop
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  kubuntu-desktop*
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 54.3 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? n
Abort.

right ,,,,,,,thats just doing the metapackage ,,,,,,,,see my last post.

VINNY

[vinnywright]

OK will try that. I'm running over my net using my laptop (which is successfully running 12.04, upgraded from 10.04).

good luck & whatever happens let us know how it go's I am curious LOL

VINNY

[owenspa]

Aah, I think I'll reappraise my backup situation. Always best to stand back for a bit. My mirrored disk is getting
a little out-of date.