[SOLVED] Gnome shell unresponsive after an update

I am using Ubuntu 12.04 precise x64 as single OS on an Intel dual-core 1.7 GHz laptop with 2 GB of DDR2 RAM and 160 GB HDD.

Recently I upgraded the linux kernel to 3.6.9 from upubuntu. After that, a few 'apt-get update's later, my Gnome shell (not Unity, classic GNome 3.4.2) stopped working, leaving a crash window which says "Gnome had an error.." or something like that. I wonder what the problem could be.

P.S.- Downloaded gnome shell from ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3

After NOT getting any help from LQ people, I had no choice but to uninstall and re-install the whole distro. I think it was an incompatibilty issue for gnome 3.4 and nautilus extensions.

The best part is more than a hundred people viewed the questions, nobody helped or cared to even try!

Originally Posted by leosubhadeep Recently I upgraded the linux kernel to 3.6.9 from upubuntu.

This was not an upgrade. This was an unsupported kernel from an unsupported source that you decided to install at your own risk.

Originally Posted by leosubhadeep I wonder what the problem could be.

The problem is that you decided to install an unsupported kernel from an unsupported source at your own risk.

Originally Posted by leosubhadeep P.S.- Downloaded gnome shell from ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3

Those PPA repos are also not supported by the Ubuntu developers and vary greatly in quality and reliability.

This is why it says on the https://launchpad.net/~gnome3-team/+archive/gnome3 website:

You can update your system with unsupported packages from this untrusted PPA by adding ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3 to your system's Software Sources.

As you have discovered, installing unsupported kernels and desktop environments often does not go very well.
I always stick with the standard Ubuntu repos and I never have problems like this.

Originally Posted by leosubhadeep After NOT getting any help from LQ people ...

I doubt that there are very many people around here who have managed to put themselves in the rather unique situation that you have put yourself in.
I had never even heard of that http://www.upubuntu.com site before I found this thread. Thanks to you, I now know to avoid it.

Originally Posted by tommcd This was not an upgrade. This was an unsupported kernel from an unsupported source that you decided to install at your own risk.

How soon have you discovered the 'unsupported' nature of the kernel! Where were you when I had that issue? And who wants you to reply in such a manner on a solved thread?

The problem is that you decided to install an unsupported kernel from an unsupported source at your own risk.

Those PPA repos are also not supported by the Ubuntu developers and vary greatly in quality and reliability. This is why it says on the https://launchpad.net/~gnome3-team/+archive/gnome3 website: As you have discovered, installing unsupported kernels and desktop environments often does not go very well. I always stick with the standard Ubuntu repos and I never have problems like this.

I must thank you for such useful advice.

I doubt that there are very many people around here who have managed to put themselves in the rather unique situation that you have put yourself in.

I doubt you think yourself much more than you are. Besides, a real problem solver never makes such comment. Believe me, i doubt there are very many problem solvers around here who make such comments.

I had never even heard of that http://www.upubuntu.com site before I found this thread. Thanks to you, I now know to avoid it.

You are pretending to a know-it-all here. Many people have heard of upubuntu and it doesn't really matter if a single user haven't heard of a download site for linux.

I'm sorry but I had to reply. No offense intended at all, just replies to your comments.

Originally Posted by leosubhadeep Where were you when I had that issue? And who wants you to reply in such a manner on a solved thread? ...

I was probably sleeping. I do not live here 24 hours a day.

My point was that you created your own problem. I never alter my system unless I am prepared to reverse the changes if things turn out badly. This is why I have never had these problems.
I am not a know-it-all, but I know enough not to be dangerous. There will likely never be a shortage of people around here who manage to get themselves into all kinds of problems by adding rogue repositories to their Ubuntu system. I always give them the same advice that I have given you. Usually, this is after nobody else has manged to fix the mess that they created for themselves.
Sometimes this is the price you pay for an education.
The fact that nobody replied to your thread is a good indicator that your situation is a rather unique one.

And as you said:

Originally Posted by leosubhadeep I'm sorry but I had to reply. No offense intended at all, just replies to your comments.

Thank you tommcd, I uninstalled and re-installed Ubuntu and now I use repos from ONLY Ubuntu software center. And for about a month, I haven't faced any problem with gnome or compiz. Also using official repos supported by Ubuntu makes my sources.list file clean and error-free. Thank you once again.