Spinnning desktop icon on boot

eco_bach · 12-31-2016, 09:36 AM

Hi
What are some possible causes of a desktop hanging on boot and you only see a spinning icon? (see attached) Is there some item in the Grub boot menu I can check? Should I boot from a USB key and run some type of administrative task? Running Ubuntu-Mate 16.04

hazel · 12-31-2016, 10:25 AM

The problem isn't with grub. Linux has booted successfully so grub isn't involved any more. The problem obviously is bringing up the desktop. In Linux, the desktop sits on top of the system like a hat on a head. Even if it goes wrong, you still have a working Linux system

If you press ctrl-alt-f1, you will get a linux login prompt. Login here and have a look at the file /var/log/Xorg.0.log. Post it here if necessary. It is the record of Linux's attempt to bring up a working desktop. My guess is that this is a graphics driver problem.

Ztcoracat · 12-31-2016, 11:06 AM

Sometimes a proprietary GPU driver can interfere with boot up.

eco_bach · 12-31-2016, 11:35 AM

Thanks
Hmmm, why is it that EVERY crash or hang problem I've had can be traced back to Nvidia drivers? Its the main reason I gave up on Centos and switched to Ubuntu..ease of driver upgrades. Oh well...

tronayne · 12-31-2016, 12:20 PM

One other thing that can cause a long wait for boot might be an Internet connection.

During boot things get started and if there is no Internet connection you're waiting for one or more time-outs, maybe inet, maybe NTP (with a lot of server entries) or other services.

That generally does not happen if you have an Ethernet connection to your router or to the ISP modem. If you're starting the Internet manually after boot, say with Wi-Fi instead of Ethernet things can sit there for a while until they time out. I have the same sort of problem with my lap top when not at home (where it's always connected with Ethernet), long wait for time-outs.

Of course, it could be proprietary drivers as mentioned above but...

If you're not connected with Ethernet, why not plug one in and see if it works for you -- most system automagically recognize and connect when there is a network available on start up.

Hope this helps some.

Ztcoracat · 12-31-2016, 12:21 PM

I had the same problem with my desktop. Debain would not boot for me no matter what I tried. I'm pretty sure it was the AMD/ATI Radeon GPU or card itself or the driver not playing nice. All distro's but Debian work on that desktop.

Post the output of the Xorg file for hazel it could provide clues as to what might be the issue.

Happy New Year-

ondoho · 01-01-2017, 09:57 AM

op, is it actually hanging? maybe you can just use the desktop normally despite the spinner?

in any case, some app is starting up & misbehaving, maybe

Code:

ps axwww|sort -r|head

one of those?

sundialsvcs · 01-02-2017, 08:42 AM

To clarify, there are two points at which an operating system might "entertain the masses" at startup. You need to know which one you're seeing, and how to get around it.

(1) During initial boot, an image can be thrown up to conceal the "slew of messages whirling by" on the console.

(2) When the GUI starts up (and, unlike Windows, the GUI is not "joined at the hip" to the underlying OS ...), another entertainment screen might be displayed before the functional desktop image appears.

The two displays might be visually merged such that it is not obvious when a transition occurs.

- - -

The shutdown sequence sometimes has entertainment screens, too.

Ztcoracat · 01-02-2017, 04:58 PM

I wonder if "plymouth" is to blame?

Any thoughts on that ondoho and sundialsvcs?

-------------------------------------------------------------
eco_bach:

Does your os eventually boot?

ondoho · 01-03-2017, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztcoracat

I wonder if "plymouth" is to blame?

Any thoughts on that ondoho and sundialsvcs?

the attached image is from the very last stage of booting, after login i think. definitely not plymouth.

in windows, a solid spinner means the user cannot interact with the system at all.
in linux, it doesn't really mean much at all, you can still click on things and open menus and apps.

Ztcoracat · 01-03-2017, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

the attached image is from the very last stage of booting, after login i think. definitely not plymouth.

in windows, a solid spinner means the user cannot interact with the system at all.
in linux, it doesn't really mean much at all, you can still click on things and open menus and apps.

Thanks; ondoho-

Having a look at the Xorg. file would help I'm thinking. Which OP has yet to post.

John VV · 01-03-2017, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Hmmm, why is it that EVERY crash or hang problem I've had can be traced back to Nvidia drivers?

in ten years i have NEVER!!! had a nvidia issue on CentOS , Scientific Linux 5,6,or 7

now i have had MAJOR issues with the Fedora and suse pre built rpm's !!!
so i use the Nvidia.run
-- with the upgrade to 42.2 i decided to try the suse G03 nvidia driver bad mistake!
-- last night's update FUBAR'ed the driver so i am now back to the *.run driver

please post your hardware specs and IF nvidia
are you using Nouveau ?
the ubuntu version of nvidia's driver
or the .run driver