Gnome sessiosn doesn't start
 

Since I installed ubuntu at a computer at the office, I haven't been able to start gnome. I do get the gdm screen asking for the username and the password, and once I "login", it appears just like it's gonna start gnome.... but it doesn't. I get a plain brown screen with the arrow... and that's it. I have to ctrl+alt+backspace in order to be able to go to the gdm main screen again.

What's going on?

Can't start GNOME and Screen Resolution are not related as far as I am concerned.

I never said they were, man.

I'm having that very same problem. I just recently installed Ubuntu to create a dual-boot system with XP. Ubuntu runs on the master hard drive with XP running as the slave. I had no problems running Ubuntu through its first run (the install and such) but after I updated it and rebooted it's been giving me that blank screen with the arrow. I can't get it to do anything!

I'm new to Linux and this is driving me insane! It was working fine the first time and all I did was update it. :( Does anyone out there have any ideas? keep in mine I know *nothing* about Linux so I may ask what seem like really dumb questions.

See the error messages in /var/log/Xorg.0.log and ~/.xsession-errors (in your home directory). If there are any error messages, post them here.

I have my very own theory.... but haven't been able to prove it: The screen resolution has to be over 640x480 (which is the actual resolution X is getting). Perhaps someone could say wether I'm wrong.

Once I get to run X in 800x600 (or more) I'll tell you... but that won't be soon, I guess. So I won't be confirming in a while.

Well I got my screen resolution to go over 600x400 and it'll still lock up. Pressing ctrl alt backspace lets me go back to the login screen. It'll let me go back to the login screen and after a few tries I can get in. To fix the resolution I had to get the Nvidia drivers for my machine. No biggie. Once I figure this out and how to get XP to load from Grub I'll be all set. But one problem at a time..

Here is what my xsession error file said:

/etc/gdm/PreSession/Default: Registering your session with wtmp and utmp
/etc/gdm/PreSession/Default: running: /usr/bin/X11/sessreg -a -w /var/log/wtmp -u /var/run/utmp -x "/var/lib/gdm/:0.Xservers" -h "" -l ":0" "jonesstarr"
/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
SESSION_MANAGER=local/Box:/tmp/.ICE-unix/8547

** (gnome-cups-icon:8643): WARNING **: failed request with status 1030

** (gnome-cups-icon:8643): WARNING **: failed request with status 1030

** (gnome-cups-icon:8643): WARNING **: failed request with status 1030
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_device_4a9_1084_120_-1_307G46
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_usb_device_4a9_1084_120_-1_307G46_0
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/usb_usb_device_0_0_206_-1_0000:00:02.0_0
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_64
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_60
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_1ef
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_1ec
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_1ed
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_1ee
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_1eb
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_10de_1e0
manager.c/925: New Device: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/legacy_floppy_0

** (gnome-cups-icon:8643): WARNING **: failed request with status 1030

** (gnome-cups-icon:8643): WARNING **: failed request with status 1030

And it just kept repeating (gnome-cups-icon:8643): WARNING **:failed request with status 1030 down the rest of the page. There were no errors in Xorg.0.log that I saw.

Any ideas?

I'm no expert, but it seems this "Hal" is causing some problem. Try unplugging your USB devices and starting gnome.

I wonder why hardware is being detected when you start X :confused:

It might be its not starting up services, can u do anything? like right click or get up a terminal?

Ingvildr, sometimes I can right-click and get a terminal (once or twice) but most of the time it just gives me a whole lot of nothing. I have to hit ctrl + alt + backspace to re-login or I'll have to reboot. Then again, sometimes it'll boot up just fine on the first try! It's all very confusing. :(

Another suggestion: When you login from gdm, click on "session" and select "Gnome Failsafe"

I tried that one. It didn't work. :-(

This is getting better and better. I tried starting gnome in a vnc server. When I get in the VNC session, I only get to see a console. The console is gnome-terminal. The only sign of gnome by the time. ;)

When I try to run gnome-session from that console. I get this output:

This is VNCs log file right after starting:
The last message says something like: The option --login is no longer supported in this version of gnome-terminal; perhaps you should create a profile with the option you wish to configure and use the option <<New window with profile>>".

Do you think we can solve the whole thing now? :'(

I tried gnome-wm, but it says there's another WM already started.

I tried with --replace, but It had exactly the same output. :scratch:

Try doing this:
Then try to start gnome in a vnc server.
If it still doesn't work, try renaming the .ICE-unix directory If it still doesn't work, close your eyes, take a deep breath and think of a happy little elf in fairyland :p