Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

winsux · 2015-02-14 15:40:13

I tried compiling GTK+3.0 from source by downloading all dependencies and compiling al those dependencies. Once the dependencies seemed to work I ran ./configure which told me XInput2 was missing. After some googling I read that you had to reconfigure some things (don't remember exactly) in X and you had to make sure your machine ran in text mode. So in order to do that I had to edit this line in /etc/default/grub:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

into:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text"

then sudo update-grub and sudo reboot to reboot in text mode. The machine boots fine and shows up in text mode. Later on I tried to revert the settings to boot in GUI mode again. So I changed the line mentioned above back to its original value and did sudo update-grub and sudo reboot. This is when the problem started: GRUB boots correctly and the splash screen (xfce's) shows up, but after a couple of seconds it reverts back to a black screen with a blinking cursor. The only way to get out of this to login into the machine was to press CTRL+ALT+F1 to go to the virtual console. Once I logged in I can start the GUI with startx or startxfce4 (typing X just takes me back to the blank screen with the blinking cursor). I also noticed that my audio output devices aren't properly recognized (pulse audio does not show any output devices).
I tried deleting xsessions and the xfce config files (both are located in ~/.config/) but I didn't notice any difference once I rebooted the machine. I think that my configurations files are just messed up and I don't know how I can fix this. I asked some people on #xubuntu and they said I should give the xfce forum a try. I've already used the search option here to look if this question has already been asked before, but that didn't give me any results. I already considered reinstalling the machine, but I hope that option is not necessary. I think it is stupid to reinstall the machine just to fix this.

ToZ · 2015-02-14 18:09:11

winsux wrote:

The only way to get out of this to login into the machine was to press CTRL+ALT+F1 to go to the virtual console. Once I logged in I can start the GUI with startx or startxfce4...

Then in all likelihood, it's not an Xfce issue.

GRUB boots correctly and the splash screen (xfce's) shows up,

This doesn't entirely make sense. Do you have auto-login configured (doesn't sound like you do)? Generally, grub boots to the display manager (DM) first (or the console if you don't have a DM installed) and the DM fires up the Xfce desktop environment. Grub and/or the DM can also have splash screens, as can Xfce. Exactly which splash screen are you seeing? (The Xfce ones can be viewed at Settings Manager >> Session and Startup >> Splash).

but after a couple of seconds it reverts back to a black screen with a blinking cursor.

It sounds like your problem occurs before Xfce starts so it's something more systemic. Deleting/editing Xfce configuration files won't help here.

You don't directly mention which distro you are using (possibly Xubuntu?) or the specific components (in case you've changed any of them), but it sounds like either an issue with the DM (including the greeter) or X directly. You should look in that direction. There are logs created by both of those packages, which probably contain helpful diagnostic information.

winsux · 2015-02-14 19:13:19

ToZ wrote:

Then in all likelihood, it's not an Xfce issue. Do you have auto-login configured (doesn't sound like you do)? Exactly which splash screen are you seeing?

Thanks for clarifying this up, because I thought it just couldn't be Xfce that's causing me problems. And no, I need to enter my username and password in order to login. No automatic configurations (i.e. Xubuntu's default login configurations). The splash screen that shows up is the screen where a circle `loadbar' is animating clockwise, after that the login screen should pop up.

ToZ wrote:

It sounds like your problem occurs before Xfce starts so it's something more systemic. Deleting/editing Xfce configuration files won't help here.

I already considered X to be the bottleneck, but I didn't know how to confirm this. Whoops I didn't notice I forgot to mention the distro: Xubuntu 14.04. I haven't modified any configuration files or specific components. (only /etc/default/grub to go use "text" and "quiet splash"). Would you mind and tell me the file locations of those packages? I could look them up, but I don't want to miss any of them.

ToZ · 2015-02-14 19:38:24

winsux wrote:

The splash screen that shows up is the screen where a circle `loadbar' is animating clockwise, after that the login screen should pop up.

I believe that is the Xubuntu plymouth splash screen. It's not an Xfce splash screen.

Would you mind and tell me the file locations of those packages? I could look them up, but I don't want to miss any of them.

In Xubuntu 14.04, the lightdm log files are located at /var/log/lightdm (you will need root privileges to access them). The X log files are located at /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

You might have more luck asking for assistance over at ubuntuforums.org, as this forum is focused on Xfce.

sixsixfive · 2015-02-14 20:27:43

best way is to modify your grub kernelparameters (add single to boot in rescue mode) login as root>remove lightdm> reboot>login>startx >>~/log >open this file with nano and see if you find some errors

winsux · 2015-02-16 22:06:30

ToZ wrote:

You might have more luck asking for assistance over at ubuntuforums.org, as this forum is focused on Xfce.

Should I leave the topic as it is and only revive this topic if ubuntuforums.org can't help me further? Because it is certain that xfce is not the one that's causing me the main problems.

ToZ wrote:

In Xubuntu 14.04, the lightdm log files are located at /var/log/lightdm (you will need root privileges to access them). The X log files are located at /var/log/Xorg.0.log.

Most messages don't say me much, but these snippets stand out:
/var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log:

(...)
[+2.21s] DEBUG: Session pid=1230: Greeter closed communication channel
[+2.11s] DEBUG: Session pid=1230: Exited with return value 0
[+2.11s] DEBUG: Seat: Session stopped
[+2.11s] DEBUG: Seat: Stopping; failed to start a greeter
[+2.11s] DEBUG: Seat: Stopping
[+2.11s] DEBUG: Seat: Stopping display server
[+2.11s] DEBUG: Sending signal 15 to process 1207
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Process 1207 exited with return value 0
[+2.24s] DEBUG: DisplayServer x-0: X server stopped
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Releasing VT 7
[+2.24s] DEBUG: DisplayServer x-0: Removing X server authority /var/run/lightdm/root/:0
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Seat: Display server stopped
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Seat: Stopped
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Required seat has stopped
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Stopping display manager
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Display manager stopped
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Stopping daemon
[+2.24s] DEBUG: Stopping daemon
[+2.25s] DEBUG: Exiting with return value 1

The Xorg logs in /var/log/Xo* didn't seem to report any warnings or errors.

sixsixfive wrote:

best way is to modify your grub kernelparameters (add single to boot in rescue mode) login as root>remove lightdm> reboot>login>startx >>~/log >open this file with nano and see if you find some errors

Okay, I removed lightdm and rebooted the machine. It boots fine in text mode and I am able to login and use startx. What file do you mean with ~/log? I see that ~/.xsession-errors is fairly big. Should I post that file?

sixsixfive · 2015-02-17 00:00:20

startx >>~/log

will redirect(>>) the output of startx into a file "log" into your homedir(~/) so you can post this file here

>Should I post that file?

that would be helpful

winsux · 2015-02-17 13:08:58

sixsixfive wrote:

will redirect(>>) the output of startx into a file "log" into your homedir(~/) so you can post this file here

Whoops, my bad. I misread that line. This is the only error in the log file:

The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning:          Type "ONE_LEVEL" has 1 levels, but <RALT> has 2 symbols
>                   Ignoring extra symbols
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server

The log file is located at http://pastebin.com/xYEuk97h
The .xsession-errors file is located at http://pastebin.com/pCgG7Ng8
Note: both links will expire in a week.

sixsixfive · 2015-02-18 20:46:06

hm doesnt really say anything, but since GLX is the last extension that is loaded you should try to reinstall you graphic driver

winsux · 2015-02-23 16:16:32

Does not look like reinstalling makes a difference either. I also tried uninstalling/reinstalling lightdm, but that didn't do the trick either: the plymouth splash will show up an then just show a blank screen without the blinking cursor I experienced before. Seems like a reinstall is the only way out. I don't think there's much else I can try to fix this problem. Do you have any suggestions what would be the best steps I should take?

Xfce Forum

Sub domains

#1 2015-02-14 15:40:13

Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#2 2015-02-14 18:09:11

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#3 2015-02-14 19:13:19

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#4 2015-02-14 19:38:24

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#5 2015-02-14 20:27:43

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#6 2015-02-16 22:06:30

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#7 2015-02-17 00:00:20

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#8 2015-02-17 13:08:58

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#9 2015-02-18 20:46:06

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

#10 2015-02-23 16:16:32

Re: Going back to 'boot in gui mode'

Board footer