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I recently built a computer, then installed Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS (Desktop, AMD64)using the Universal USB Installer from pendrivelinux.com. When it was first installed, the Unity bar (at the left) was flickering a bit, so I installed the AMD Catalyst 13.1 proprietary driver from the AMD website, which stopped the flickering. I then downloaded the following: •Java 7 update 21 (a real pain) •OpenJDK runtime environment for Java 7 •Minecraft •Steam After a while, when I tried playing Minecraft, it started to go to some kind of command line that was NOT terminal (can not input) before going to the login screen. After this, it asked me to install the AMD fglrx driver updates and after a reboot, it started going to the same command line-type-non-Terminal thing I explained earlier. Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can fix it? I am a noob when it comes to the deeper parts of Linux, I only know things like apt-get (which will not work here).

Specs AMD A6-5400K 4GB RAM 60GB SSD MSI FM2-A55M-E33 motherboard

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  • Did you install the AMD 13.1 driver using a PPA, directly from their website, or using packages generated from the .run file from their website? Is the video card a "hybrid" card? Apr 20, 2013 at 1:53
  • I installed the driver straight from their website; I made a file executable then double clicked it. Also, no, it is using graphics from the "APU" which are Radeon HD7***. *indicates something I don't know
    – eidde
    Apr 20, 2013 at 1:56
  • I updated my solution below with a link for how to remove the drivers. Your best bet is to uninstall AMD catalyst and start from scratch with the GPU drivers. Apr 20, 2013 at 1:59
  • YouTube video of the problem being (painfully slowly) uploaded, hang on.
    – eidde
    Apr 20, 2013 at 2:39

1 Answer 1

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Barring any other solutions, you can try removing the drivers. If you installed the drivers as packages, running

sudo apt-get remove --purge fglrx*

should remove the drivers, allowing you to start fresh with your flickering unity.

If you installed them by hand, the way to remove them is described in this question.

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  • But, as I explained, the command-line-type thing isn't actually a command line, I can't input anything.
    – eidde
    Apr 20, 2013 at 1:57
  • Try Control+Alt+F2, or F3... etc. and see if you get a command line. Alternately try Control+Alt+Backspace to quit X11. Or boot into "recovery mode" from GRUB, where you'll get a command line. Apr 20, 2013 at 2:01
  • None of the Ctrl+Alt techniques did anything and I'm not sure how to boot into recovery mode in GRUB as there is no GRUB GUI appearing; I only have Ubuntu installed. All that happens when I turn it on is purple screen, Ubuntu logo with five orange progress dots then the command line thingy. In fact, would it help if I uploaded a YouTube video to show the problem?
    – eidde
    Apr 20, 2013 at 2:07
  • Possibly. Try rebooting and hitting the down arrow key repeatedly to try to bring up a GRUB boot menu. Alternately, you could try booting from an Ubuntu LiveCD and change Grub to show a boot menu. Apr 20, 2013 at 2:09
  • When I just went into recovery and resumed a boot, at the bottom it said "initctl: Event failed"
    – eidde
    Apr 20, 2013 at 2:22

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