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SOLVED

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I guess it was just a resolution error. Odd.

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I'm using Ubuntu 7.10.
Recently, I added this to my /etc/fstab

The "/" folder exists on /dev/hda1.

Scenario:

I boot the computer. I am approached with GDM. I login. The background wallpaper shows but no panels or icons display. I decide to alt+ctrl+backspace. I am again approached with GDM. I login once more. After this second attempt, the background wallpaper shows and the panels and icons display.

How do I solve this issue?
What exactly is causing the issue?

Nearly everything has a log. I'd start there if this was happening to me.

I think you're on the right track suspecting Nautilus. Log out, log back in, and if it "crashes" again, immediately open a terminal and run "dmesg" to see if you see any errors in the list. If not, cd to /var/log and start exploring.

I run XFCE on this Debian system and had a similar issue, same symptoms, only it was constant... it didn't sometimes work and sometimes not. Turned out that there was a bug in one of the XFCE components and once I apt-got a newer one, it was fine. Aside from a memory hole that appears to come and go (and is easily worked around by occasional CTL-ALT-BS), I've had no troubles out of XFCE.