Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with...[SOLVED]

[FordPrefect]

Original subject: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

How do I restore desktop, after upgrading no errors, but also no desktop, how do I restore or fix desktop?

Tried various things that I know like "sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" does absolutely nothing.

I hate to reinstall from scratch, that would be a defeat and I am not use to being defeated, not by any OS including Linux. Come on people let's have some help, stuff that works, I am a BSD person, and I should have never switched to Kubuntu. If I don't get this fixed in few hours maybe I will install Microcrap Windows version 7, NOT!

Are there commands that will redo the upgrade and repair what ever is broke, like can I do:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get check
sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get clean

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

> Well, it looks like I have to fix this on my own...so much for the Kubuntu guru's on this forum, it appears this is a dead or inactive forum, lot of lurkers but no help.

[ukchucktown]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

If you got the black screen of death after an upgrade and no errors it may be enough to rename the .kde directory in your home folder to something else. You will lose any customizations you made but they are safe in the old directory. You can always restore them from the command-line or set them again from the desktop. If you want you can run the following from command-line to ensure your system is up-to-date and rename the file. Better to perform these steps when KDM (KDE Display Manager) is not running. Use ctrl-alt-f1 to open a virtual terminal.

sudo stop kdm
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude full-upgrade
mv ~/.kde ~/.kde.jaunty
restart X or reboot

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

All right, found instructions on re-upgrading from CDROM, http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/upgrading#See%20Also, this allows you to re-upgrade if you have no GUI desktop, as in my case but only text mode, or shell commands, preferred by me to correct issue on upgrades or failed installations.

This involves downloading kubuntu-9.10-alternate-i386.iso and burning it to CDROM and then follow the instructions in the above link. I am assuming most people have more then one PC, and a network connection at their disposal, as I do, luckily I canceld the update on my notebook PC, and thus I am still up and able to search the Internet for solutions, since this forum is pretty much useless, or the people that could help just choose to be silent, that is the reason Microsoft is still around and being used.

[ukchucktown]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

I just offered you help and you post an insult to the rest of us who happen to volunteer our time. Go enjoy Microsoft, I could care less. I'm done with you

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

Ups, I am bad, didn't see this post by ukchucktown it is actually working but just in case I have a backup plan, and verity of Kubuntu 9.1 flavors on DVD.

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

I just offered you help and you post an insult to the rest of us who happen to volunteer our time. Go enjoy Microsoft, I could care less. I'm done with you

Sorry but didn't see your post, I posted the way I felt at the time, pissed off >, but better pissed off then being pissed on, since in almost 24 hours and no response, no suggestion, something anything...yet there are many people that are in my shoes meaning, their PC's are useless. you got a problem with that, then I am done with you, I din't come here to get insulted or to insult, I came to get help, and I would have figured on my own, the preferred method, trust me just because of people like you that expect to get their behinds kissed to get help, most people including myself on FreeBSD would otherwise have been able to resolve this in few minutes, volunteer or not, has nothing to do with it, just wanted a response, knowing that someone is out here paying attention make all the difference.

These few steps must have taken hours to come up with:

sudo stop kdm
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude full-upgrade
mv ~/.kde ~/.kde.jaunty
restart X or reboot

BTW they didn't work so back to the backup plan, do it your self method is always the preferred method.

[ukchucktown]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

I won't chase off an adopter. I understand you are pissed off but try not to take it out on the rest of us. I only noticed your post tonight when I got off work. We are going to need some more information before we can really assist. Let's concentrate on your problem. If you are cordial I'm sure others will help out. Most times people avoid posts because the original poster was venting but not doing a very good job of explaining their problem. I assume the update and upgrade completed without problems. Maybe you could give us a few details about your hardware and video card.

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

Well, have not got a chance to try the alternative re-upgrade, per the instructions from my previous post.

when I do a startx I get Fatal server error:
no screens found

check dmesg didn't see the graphics card, hmmm? did lspci | grep -i nvidia found VGA compatible controller NVidia Corporation G73 [GeForce 7600 GT] (rev a2)

[dibl]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

> Well, it looks like I have to fix this on my own...so much for the Kubuntu guru's on this forum, it appears this is a dead or inactive forum, lot of lurkers but no help.

You have the classic "no video driver" problem, same symptoms as have always appeared on a new *buntu installation. It is #2 on my FAQs -- there must be a thousand threads going back to 6.06 / 2006 on this forum alone, not to mention Ubuntu Forums. No gurus required.

Sheeesh.

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

I got the system fixed, this is what I did, I installed envy "sudo apt-get install envyng-core" then started envy in text mode "sudo envyng -t" and removed nvidia drivers, moved my original .kde.orig back into .kde then rebooted the system and got the desktop back.

So nothing to do with classic "no video driver" problem, not the same symptoms as always appeared during upgrades or new installs, this never happened before to me, and everything works now as before.

Exactly, no gurus required. the preferred do it yourself method, works the best. Sheeesh, don't tell anyone.

[Snowhog]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with text login

Sheeesh, don't tell anyone.

We won't.

Please return to your first post and click the Modify button and add SOLVED to the subject.

[FordPrefect]

Re: Upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 and no desktop, just black screen with...[SOLVED]

ukchucktown,

BTW thanks for the suggestions.

I did install Microsoft Windows XP Pro via Virtual Box 3.08, just for kicks, few days before the upgraded from 9.04 to 9.1, never use it much, since Unix, Linux works much better and with fewer issues, and if there are issues, I didn't pay for the OS so no financial burden on me.