wesley@pc-1:~$

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 11:15 AM

My first post. I used to have great times with Ubuntu prior to 9.10,dual booting with Windows XP, Vista,and 7. How after installing Ubuntu 9.10, there are more than 200 updates. Several times Ubuntu cannot complete the update. I installed half of the updates, still no good. After the update I can boot into Win. 7 but not into Ubuntu. I get the following post:

wesley@pc-1~$

wesley is my login name; pc-1 is the name of my pc.
What must I do to fix this? or, log in, or whatever.

P.S.
I can delete Ubuntu and re-install it, and I've done that several times, but the updates come up again and that is what messing me up again.
Thanks for any help.

MTK358 · 03-19-2010, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drteo66

wesley@pc-1~$

Actually, that's a command prompt. This is what Linux is when not running the X Window System (link). You can enter commands here just like in a terminal window in the GUI.

See what happens if you type startx and hit Enter. It should enter the GUI.

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 01:39 PM

Thanks for the reply. I just type what you suggested and press enter. It posts something on the screen but the last line is the same: wesley@pc-1~$

MrCode · 03-19-2010, 01:45 PM

Quote:

It posts something on the screen but the last line is the same: wesley@pc-1~$

What's "something"? It would help if you posted more info about your exact problem.

I take it startx doesn't work, then? What error message do you get, if any?

You could try gdm instead. That should take you to a graphical login screen. If it doesn't just post any error messages you get here (preferably in [code][/code] tags).

lukav · 03-19-2010, 01:49 PM

Try the following commands

Code:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Type your password when prompted.

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 02:05 PM

I am using a second pc here, so i will have to type what is on the screen of the other pc:
X Protocol V.11, revising 0
Current Operating System: Linux 2.6.24 ...
Build date 26 Oct 2009
...
Waiting for X server to shut down error setting MTRR ...
wesley@pc-1:~$

Luka:
I try all the sudo commands you suggested but only the second one works, partially. The second one asks for password. I entered that. Then I get this:
failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/s/samba ...
try run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing

I tried to follow the the directions above, but to no avail.

McCode:
I also tried type: sudo gdm; i get this error:
Error while loading shared libraries: /usr/lib/libgio-2.0so.0: file too short

lukav · 03-19-2010, 02:18 PM

did you try running the following?

Code:

sudo apt-get update --fix-missing

If that succeeds, then run

Code:

sudo apt-get upgrade

If this errors out, post the error messages

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 02:22 PM

Lukav
I tried your suggestions above. It posts back: unable to fetch archieves. Maybe run apt-get update or try with --fixmissing.

I just did that and I got the same thing back!

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 02:33 PM

I reboot and Ubuntu asks for: login name, password, then I get:
To access official Ubuntu documentation, visit: http://help.ubuntu.com/
219 packages can be updated
75 updates are security updates.

wesley@pc-1~$

MrCode · 03-19-2010, 02:37 PM

Quote:

It posts back: unable to fetch archieves. Maybe run apt-get update or try with --fixmissing.

I just did that and I got the same thing back!

Is your network up and running? Can you connect to the internet? Try pinging a website (e.g. ping -c 3 www.google.com) to see if you're connected. It might just be that it's trying to get the archives off the net but you're not connected.

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 02:59 PM

Yes, I have 4 pc - two desktops next to each other and both are hardwired to a router(one is Ubuntu, or trying to), a third one is another desktop wirelessly connected, and a netbook with Win 7 on it. All have connections. I am using the second PC with Vista on it.

The Ubuntu unit is a dual boot with Win. 7 Ultimate. I can boot into Win 7 and it is working, except when I select Ubuntu that I'm having problem log in.

MTK358 · 03-19-2010, 03:03 PM

to verify if you're connected, run ping www.google.com, wait a few seconds, and press Ctrl+C.

In this example "$" represents the prompt:

Code:

$ ping www.google.com
PING www.l.google.com (72.14.204.147) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from iad04s01-in-f147.1e100.net (72.14.204.147): icmp_seq=1 ttl=54 time=47.3 ms
64 bytes from iad04s01-in-f147.1e100.net (72.14.204.147): icmp_seq=2 ttl=54 time=44.7 ms
64 bytes from iad04s01-in-f147.1e100.net (72.14.204.147): icmp_seq=3 ttl=54 time=46.0 ms
64 bytes from iad04s01-in-f147.1e100.net (72.14.204.147): icmp_seq=4 ttl=54 time=43.5 ms
^C
--- www.l.google.com ping statistics ---
4 packets transmitted, 4 received, 0% packet loss, time 3000ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 43.502/45.432/47.337/1.448 ms

If the part I highlighted in bold will say 100% packet loss, you aren't connected to the internet right.

And remember, "wesley@pc-1~$" is not an error message, nor does it mean there is something wrong (though the fact that you are in command-line mode is wrong, since Ubuntu is supposed to enter the GUI automatically). It is just a command prompt where you enter commands. In fact, I intentionally set up my computer to boot to the command line instead of entering the GUI automatically.

There are even programs that emulate the prompt while you are running in the GUI and a lot of us use them all the time.

drteo66 · 03-19-2010, 04:12 PM

Thanks Guys for trying to help with Ubuntu. While waiting for the answer I sensed that it's going to take a lot of time to get this mess fixed. So I decided to abandon Ubuntu 9.10. I just installed Linux Mint 7 (without realizing that Mint 8 Helena had been released) and it is up and running now. It is a small installation all the way, took just around 50 minutes. So my mess is now closed. I appreciate all the help. If I have problem with Mint 7, I will return. The only nagging question is, how do I upgrade to Mint 8?

MTK358 · 03-19-2010, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drteo66

The only nagging question is, how do I upgrade to Mint 8?

You download Mint 8 and install it over Mint 7.

And if you want to learn more about how to use the terminal, see the tutorials in my sig.