hell;

I am running Ubuntu 13.04 which I acquired off a DVD disc from OSdisc.com. That being said here is my problem. On severral occasions over the past couple of weeks my PC freezes when I try to launch 'Dash'. This seems to happen most often when I still have a window open, such as Firefox or any of the other two browsers; Opera or Chromium. At that point everything on the screen is frozen, I can move my mouse around and click all I want and nothing reacts. In the end I am compelled to power off using the power button on my Tower. I power back up and in a few moments I am good to go.
I'm asking if anyone here has had a similar experience an did you find a reason why?
Now, if I close the browser I was using and then click on the Dash icon in the launcher I have no problems with it. Is this a simple case of closing out of the browsers before clicking Dash or could it be something else? I got used accustomed to having seveeral windows open at the same time occasionally an usually there is no problem, except on those few times with Dash?
herakles_14

This is consistent with my experience during the brief period I tried Ubuntu with the Unity desktop environment. Ubuntu "point" releases are not well known for their stability, and Unity in particular has a reputation as being very buggy. My recommendation is to try a more stable desktop environment (such as Xfce) and/or try a stability-oriented distro (such as Debian).

If you must stick with Ubuntu 13.04 with Unity desktop, then my recommendations are 1) make sure you have installed all available bugfixes using the Update Manager; 2) identify your video chipset (using tools such as the terminal command 'lspci'); 3) search ubuntuforums.org for other users with your same hardware and see what they have done to solve this problem.

Good luck!

snowpine;

Thanks for you input. I wish Ubuntu had not gone the Unity route and had stayed with a Gnome desktop environment. I am at the moment logged in to Gnome 3.7 (?) which I installed through a link from an article in Linux News Today a few weeks ago. I did this so I would have an option whether to go with Unity or Gnome. My first distro was Ubunutu 9.04 and I have been with Ubuntu since then however your remark on perhaps changing to a more stable distro has merit. Ubuntu 13.04 did away with the Update Manager and now it is the 'Software Updater'.
You mentioned Xfce has a more stable desktop environment would I be able to incorporate it in with Ubuntu if I chose to go that way?
I've looked at using Linux Mint even PuppyLinux but had not considered Debian, maybe I should take a second look? I still like Ubuntu but would consider an alternate distro I could log into now and then.

This is what I got suing the lspci command:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ/P/PL Memory Controller Hub
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ/P/PL PCI Express Root Port
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GR/GH/GHM (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 01)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GR/GH/GHM (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 6 (rev 01)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01)
00:1d.3 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 01)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev e1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR (ICH7 Family) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family SATA Controller [IDE mode] (rev 01)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family SMBus Controller (rev 01)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation G72 [GeForce 7300 LE] (rev a1)
05:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation NM10/ICH7 Family LAN Controller (rev 01)

I admit to having no real idea what it all means.

I generally prefer coming here when I have a problem because I usually get responce quicker and is more easieer to find then at Ubuntuforums.org .

If I go with another Distro I'll put it on a flash drive.

herakles_14

Ubuntu with Xfce is called "Xubuntu" and you can install it from the software center or with the terminal command:

More info here: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/xfce

snowpine;

Thanks for the info on xfce and Xububuntu. If I use the terminal, do you think I should do an update and upgrade first before installing Xubuntu? I'm assuming I'll have the choice to go with either Ubuntu (Unity or Gnome) or Xubuntu and Xfce when I login?

herakels_14

If you do not regularly update your Ubuntu with bugfixes and security patches, then of course you should expect it to freeze and crash.

snowpine;

Guess I was not execting this problem (freezes and crashing) after having 13.04 a couple weeks. Did not find Xubuntu in the Software Center but did in Synaptic Package Manager. How different is the Xfce desktop of Xubuntu from Ubuntu gome? If I install Xubuntu a update an ugrade will preceed it.

herakles_14

The link in my post #4 has some screenshots of Xfce. It is very different from Unity, more like the old-style Gnome 2.

I recommend you run the upgrades before you do anything else. Perhaps there has been an upgrade to fix the exact bug (the freeze) you are experiencing?

snowpine;

I did do an upgrade along with an update prior to intalling the Xubuntu desktop via the command line. It is quite different then Ubuntu's unity that's for sure. It wil take some time to get accustomed to it.

herakles_14

Did the upgrade fix the Unity Dash freezing problem?

snowpine;

I have not used the Ubuntu side all that much in the past day so I have not used Dash. I can ot say I am all that fond of the xubuntu desktop set up ut then maybe it is because I am so accustomed to using Ubuntu. Another problem I'm having is seeng the icons at the top. Is there way to make them stand out so they are eaily visible?

I am at the moment on the Ubuntu side and so far no problem with Dash but then I have not tried to repeat the scenario that causes the problem. I'll post tis and then go see what happens.

herakles_14

snowpine,

Sad to say the update I did recently did not correct the problem of Unity freezing on me. I had opened it up to launch browser, in this case 'Opera Next', here is where I may have made my mistake? I wanted to place Opera Next on the launch bar but instead of waiting I had the idea that if I right clicked the icon there it would give me the option to place it on the launch bar but all I got was a frozen/crash screen/system.
I had to restart an sign in with Ubuntu/Gnome setting. not the current Gnome 3 rather the fall back Gnome 2, which I much prefer.
I am trying to recall when the freeze occurred before did I do a right click there too or no? In any case the situation has not been resolved.

On the Xubuntu desktop the icons are quite small after the Activity tab is hit and they appear? It would be better if I could increase their size somewhat?

I believe you suggested using Xubuntu and also mention using a more stable distro such as Debian? I am set to receive five distro's; Debian 7.0 being one of them. My intent is to try each one in turn to see if it may be time to switch from Ubuntu to another distro? I admit to being tired of getting the warning about a internal error within Ubuntu more often then I like.

Oh a last thing about Xubuntu and its icons along its top. Is there a way to increase their visibility or even their size,so I don't have to squint to see them? But that is a problem for another day.

herakles_14

I've had problems with Ubuntu freezing - I can move the pointer around the screen but that is all. This started with the 12/10 update, though it's taken until recently to do anything about it.

I loaded Lubuntu, which does everything I need, and seemed stable, but I kind of like Ubuntu.

I recently bought "Ubuntu Made Easy" (Rickford Grant) and have just loaded the Gnome desktop and the Cinnamon desktop - relevant section HERE - scroll down to p176.

Not sure whether or not that's of any help!

Michael

michaelm;

That is how it is for me when Ubuntu freezes I can move the mouse around an click till my finger are sore and naught happens. I like Ubuntu but have no use for Unity. which is why I loaded "The Full Gnome Desktop Environment' from the software center. The one thing about Unity I like is being able to see right off the bat the Apps I regularly use.
If I am right and on this I may be way off but the icon for Xubuntu looks like a dead Rat? Which is not something I want to see as my distro is loading.
Isn't Cinnamon the desktop environment for Linux Mint? I have heard of some mixed reviews about the Gnome Desktop, which I am no sure is the same as what is in the; Ubuntu Software Center?
But if either the Gnome Desktop or Cinnamon keeps your PC from periodically freezing they would be worth having.
I am going to check out;"Ubuntu Made Easy".
herakles-14

I believe this problem is sometimes related to the nouveau driver; at least it went away when I installed the nvidia binary drivers....just my experience.