[SOLVED] ref: thread at Ubuntu Forum

[wanderingarcticfox]

I have a thread going over in the Ubuntu Forum that is similar to the one I had posted here a few days ago about issues after an interuption in my upgrade. It is in the "Installation @ Upgrades" section titled 'Blank screen after login after upgrade to 12.10' and written by wanderingarticfox (slight difference in the spelling from this forum.

If someone has the time an wants to take a look and help I would appreciate it greatly. I have very detailed data about what I have tried thus far. I did not post here because this is Kubuntu Forum but hope that someone here may know what I need to do next.

I have a lot of views over there but not much help as that forum is a lot busier; I do not mean to offend anyone here I use both OS's for different reasons.

I use my K for Digikam and Freecad and U for surfing and email.

Thx for any help

[pauly]

I have a thread going over in the Ubuntu Forum that is similar to the one I had posted here a few days ago about issues after an interuption in my upgrade. It is in the "Installation @ Upgrades" section titled 'Blank screen after login after upgrade to 12.10' and written by wanderingarticfox (slight difference in the spelling from this forum.

If someone has the time an wants to take a look and help I would appreciate it greatly. I have very detailed data about what I have tried thus far. I did not post here because this is Kubuntu Forum but hope that someone here may know what I need to do next.

I have a lot of views over there but not much help as that forum is a lot busier; I do not mean to offend anyone here I use both OS's for different reasons.

I use my K for Digikam and Freecad and U for surfing and email.

Thx for any help

Have you tried logging into recovery mode and using the fix broken packages option?

[pauly]

If that doesnt work use the recovery mode to open root shell and type

sudo apt-get -f install

[pauly]

try this maybe also

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1746315

[pauly]

If grub is hidden and you need to display it during boot to access advanced options and recovery options then do the following.

Hidden Menu Operations Not Expected (Abnormal):

The user may be able to display the menu in one or more of the following ways:
Holding down the SHIFT key early in the boot process until the menu displays.
GRUB 2 searches for a depressed SHIFT key signal during boot. If the key is pressed or GRUB 2 cannot determine the status of the key, the menu is displayed.

[wanderingarcticfox]

I use these options via GRUB menu to access root shell or Linux Console (LC)

advanced options for Ubuntu then select root shell command line (or something like that)

sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean

all return the same
>not using lockin for read only lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock
>unable to write to var/cache/apt/
>The package list or status file could not be parsedor opened

sudo dpkg --configure -a
returns
>dpkg:error:unable to access dpkg status area:Read-only file system

[wanderingarcticfox]

sudo apt-get update
returns
*~a bunch of failed to fetch listings; then
>W:some index files failed to download they have been ignored, or old ones used instead
>not using locking for read only lock file var/lib/dpkg/lock
>unable to write to /var/cache/apt/
>... could not be parsed or opened

Thx for the link Pauly; I am still in hopes of resolving this via the LC. I do not have any DVD-R or RW on hand and have to go clean up a usb jump-drive

[pauly]

sudo apt-get update
returns
*~a bunch of failed to fetch listings; then
>W:some index files failed to download they have been ignored, or old ones used instead
>not using locking for read only lock file var/lib/dpkg/lock
>unable to write to /var/cache/apt/
>... could not be parsed or opened

Thx for the link Pauly; I am still in hopes of resolving this via the LC. I do not have any DVD-R or RW on hand and have to go clean up a usb jump-drive

When things like this happen it's a good idea to have a good system image or backup. You could try copying your home directory. Saving it somewhere, reinstall, then copy and paste it.

[pauly]

you can follow this link maybe.

http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/inde...t-1773801.html

[wanderingarcticfox]

Would it be better to use the Alternate Install ISO? I wonder if it has an option to repair?

>>I was able to log into Ubuntu via Gnome Classic and will try commands in the terminal and report back here:

[Snowhog]

Are you still able to boot into your Desktop? If 'yes', then once there, open a console and type:

sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*
sudo rm /var/cache/archives/*
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

[wanderingarcticfox]

Thx Snowhog; I have that written down and will do as soon as I report the latest.

I am able to log-in via Gnome Classic and open a terminal/console there. I ran the following yesterday with no returns or results. All were run as sudo

sudo apt-get update, apt-get upgrade, apt-get dist-upgrade, dpkg --configue -a, apt-get -f install, apt-get --fix-missing install, apt-get autoremove.

sudo apt-get autoclean did clean a few things but apt-get autoremove still returned nothing.

sudo apt-get update-grub >prompted to install
sudo apt-get install grub > successful

sudo grub ls
>Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time.
****************14 hours later*************************
still sitting at grub>(cursor) exit back to command line prompt

sudo apt-get install unity
>unity already newest version

at command prompt I entered root
>root not currently installed
Sudo apt-get install root-system-bin
>55 packages too install
****I looked at the help menu but was not sure what to do so I exited back to command line prompt*****

sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get autoremove
> removed grub-pc-bin

I will not reopen terminal and run Snowhog's sequence

[wanderingarcticfox]

After trying Snowhog's commands these are the results:

sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*
>cannot remove /var/cache/apt/archives: Is a directory

sudo rm /var/cache/archives/*
>no such file or directory

sudo apt-get update
>successful

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
>no upgrades listed

[Snowhog]

That just means both directories (/var/cache/apt and /var/cache/apt/archives) are in fact, empty. But let's be sure. In a console type:

ls -la /var/cache/apt && ls -la /var/cache/apt/archives

You should see on the order of this:

paul@tanagra:~$ ls -la /var/cache/apt && ls -la /var/cache/apt/archives
total 77036
drwxr-xr-x  4 root root     4096 Nov 25 07:45 .
drwxr-xr-x 15 root root     4096 Jul 17 18:13 ..
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root     4096 Nov 22 06:17 apt-file
drwxr-xr-x  3 root root    32768 Nov 25 06:44 archives
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 39463632 Nov 25 07:45 pkgcache.bin
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 39401144 Nov 25 07:45 srcpkgcache.bin
total 44
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 32768 Nov 25 06:44 .
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root  4096 Nov 25 07:45 ..
-rw-r----- 1 root root     0 Mar  3  2012 lock
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root  4096 Nov 25 06:43 partial
paul@tanagra:~$

You might not have the two .bin files if you don't have apt-file installed.

[wanderingarcticfox]

[solved] found work-around

I found a work-around via Classic Gnome that by-passes the orional issue of the Unity log-in screen ha: that was that 'clicking' on the enter password box at the log-in screen just refreshed the page instead of allowing data entry.
Here is the work-around>
from login screen I selected 'Gnome Classic' this allowed me to>

>User accounts>select ADMIN>unlock>set auto-login to auto
>log out>reset to Unity>restart>system boots into Unity with no log-in screen

Then: sudo update-grub
>could not find /boot/grub/menu.lst file
>would you like /boot/grub/menu.lst generated for you?
>y
>successful

The only thing is that now in the grub list during start or restart Ubuntu does not show a version next to it like the Kubuntu line does 12.10(12.10)

I will print out you last Snowhog to see if it detects and does what is needed , if problems occur I will start a new thread with that issue.