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This is not a resolution issue, I am on a netbook, that has been working fine for years, I have no nvidia graphics, guest user works just fine with the existing graphics and adding a new user has worked just fine with the existing graphics.

I've tried all but one of the answers in the resolution (create new user and copy everything over, workaround).

12.04 installed on my dell notebook. Has been running just great for ages, prior to 12.04 it was running the previous LTS ubuntu since mid2010. Everything worked just fine.

Yesterday could not login from the greeter screen, lightdm. Login name/password is accepted but after a second or so returns to login screen.

I can login a guest session just fine and all works OK there, unity working well, no graphic problems, all O.K.. And when there using ctrl/alt/F1 get to a prompt and login to CLI also just fine, see all my files in the encryptfs home directory, so password is OK.

because all is OK on the new account and the guest session I don't think there is a problem with Xorg.conf.

I've deleted .Xauthority, no joy.

My home folder has the correct permissions drwxr-xr-x and owned by me.

The wallpaper is owned by me but readable by all.

My hard disc, whilst quite full, still has over 5GB available df -h

I've tried sudo dpkg --configure -a; and sudo apt-get update; I don't want to upgrade from 12.04.

I dont have nvidia so am not going to try their drivers. The existing driver works fine on the new account.

I don't want to follow the password reset procedure as the password is not a problem, works fine on tty and no Invalid Password message comes when I try gui login.

I suspect that there is something amiss with gdm, perhaps a permissions issue when logging in as myself. here is :0-greeter.log

gnome-session[2146]: WARNING: Failed to start app: Unable to start application: Failed to execute child process "/usr/lib/at-spi/at-spi-registryd" (No such file or directory)
(gnome-settings-daemon:2152): color-plugin-WARNING **: failed to create directory on startup: Error creating directory: Permission denied
gnome-session[2146]: WARNING: Failed to start app: Unable to start application: Failed to execute child process "gnome-power-manager" (No such file or directory)
(gnome-settings-daemon:2152): color-plugin-WARNING **: failed to create profile from EDID data: Error creating directory: Permission denied
(gnome-settings-daemon:2152): color-plugin-WARNING **: failed to create profile from EDID data: Error creating directory: Permission denied
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: Overriding tab label for notebook
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: Overriding tab label for notebook
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: Overriding tab label for notebook
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: Overriding tab label for notebook
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: Overriding tab label for notebook
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: /build/buildd/gtk+3.0-3.4.2/./gtk/gtkwidget.c:7117: widget not within a GtkWindow
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -47 and height -47
Window manager warning: Buggy client sent a _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW message with a timestamp of 0 for 0x1000007 (Login Wind)
Window manager warning: meta_window_activate called by a pager with a 0 timestamp; the pager needs to be fixed.
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-CRITICAL: gtk_widget_get_preferred_height_for_width: assertion `width >= 0' failed
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gtk-WARNING: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -47 and height -47
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: CRITICAL: get_column_number: assertion `i < gtk_tree_view_get_n_columns (treeview)' failed
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: CRITICAL: get_column_number: assertion `i < gtk_tree_view_get_n_columns (treeview)' failed
Window manager warning: Buggy client sent a _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW message with a timestamp of 0 for 0x1000007 (Login Wind)
Window manager warning: meta_window_activate called by a pager with a 0 timestamp; the pager needs to be fixed.
Window manager warning: Buggy client sent a _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW message with a timestamp of 0 for 0x1000007 (Login Wind)
Window manager warning: meta_window_activate called by a pager with a 0 timestamp; the pager needs to be fixed.
Window manager warning: Buggy client sent a _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW message with a timestamp of 0 for 0x1000007 (Login Wind)
Window manager warning: meta_window_activate called by a pager with a 0 timestamp; the pager needs to be fixed.
Window manager warning: Buggy client sent a _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW message with a timestamp of 0 for 0x1000007 (Login Wind)
Window manager warning: meta_window_activate called by a pager with a 0 timestamp; the pager needs to be fixed.
Window manager warning: CurrentTime used to choose focus window; focus window may not be correct.
Window manager warning: Got a request to focus the no_focus_window with a timestamp of 0.  This shouldn't happen!
** (gnome-settings-daemon:2152): WARNING **: Name taken or bus went away - shutting down
g_dbus_connection_real_closed: Remote peer vanished with error: Underlying GIOStream returned 0 bytes on an async read (g-io-error-quark, 0). Exiting.
gdm-simple-greeter[2177]: Gdk-WARNING: gdm-simple-greeter: Fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server :0.
(gnome-settings-daemon:2152): libappindicator-WARNING **: Unable to send signal for NewStatus: The connection is closed
(gnome-settings-daemon:2152): Gdk-WARNING **: gnome-settings-daemon: Fatal IO error 0 (Success) on X server :0.

Here's a section from lightdm.log

[+11.23s] DEBUG: Started session 1830 with service 'lightdm', username 'chris'
[+11.25s] DEBUG: Session 1830 got 1 message(s) from PAM
[+11.25s] DEBUG: Prompt greeter with 1 message(s)
[+13.58s] DEBUG: Continue authentication
[+18.58s] DEBUG: Session 1830 authentication complete with return value 0: Success
[+18.58s] DEBUG: Authenticate result for user chris: Success
[+18.62s] DEBUG: User chris authorized
[+18.64s] DEBUG: Greeter requests session ubuntu-2d
[+18.64s] DEBUG: Using session ubuntu-2d
[+18.64s] DEBUG: Stopping greeter
[+18.64s] DEBUG: Session 1168: Sending SIGTERM
[+18.77s] DEBUG: Session 1168 exited with return value 0
[+18.77s] DEBUG: Greeter quit
[+18.82s] DEBUG: Dropping privileges to uid 1000
[+18.82s] DEBUG: Restoring privileges
[+18.89s] DEBUG: Dropping privileges to uid 1000
[+18.89s] DEBUG: Writing /home/chris/.dmrc
[+18.89s] DEBUG: Restoring privileges
[+18.98s] DEBUG: Starting session ubuntu-2d as user chris
[+18.98s] DEBUG: Session 1830 running command /usr/sbin/lightdm-session gnome-session --session=ubuntu-2d
[+19.12s] DEBUG: Registering session with bus path /org/freedesktop/DisplayManager/Session0
[+19.12s] DEBUG: Greeter closed communication channel
[+22.35s] DEBUG: Session 1830 exited with return value 0
[+22.35s] DEBUG: User session quit
[+22.35s] DEBUG: Stopping display

The bit around 19s interests me, an Ubuntu-2d session starts and then vary rapidly exits.

Here's /var/log/lightgm/x-0-greeter.log

Activating service name='org.a11y.atspi.Registry'
[+0.00s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:895: Starting unity-greeter 0.2.9 UID=118 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8

[+0.00s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:898: Setting cursor
[+0.00s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:902: Creating background surface
[+0.00s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:905: Loading command line options
[+0.00s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:933: Setting GTK+ settings
Successfully activated service 'org.a11y.atspi.Registry'

** (at-spi2-registryd:1979): WARNING **: Failed to register client: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.ServiceUnknown: The name org.gnome.SessionManager was not provided by any .service files

** (at-spi2-registryd:1979): WARNING **: Unable to register client with session manager
[+0.16s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:956: Creating Unity Greeter
[+0.16s] DEBUG: Connecting to display manager...
[+0.16s] DEBUG: Wrote 17 bytes to daemon
[+0.16s] DEBUG: Read 8 bytes from daemon
[+0.16s] DEBUG: Read 120 bytes from daemon
[+0.16s] DEBUG: Connected version=1.2.3 default-session=ubuntu show-manual-login=false hide-users=false has-guest-account=true
[+0.45s] DEBUG: menubar.vala:318: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8 LANGUAGE=(null)
[+0.49s] CRITICAL: g_error_free: assertion `error != NULL' failed
[+0.51s] DEBUG: get entries
[+0.51s] DEBUG: menubar.vala:511: Adding indicator object 0x84d41ec at position 0
[+0.53s] DEBUG: Evaluating bitmask for '%H:%M'
[+0.53s] DEBUG: Checking against 1 possible times
[+0.57s] DEBUG: Guessing max time width: 36
[+0.57s] DEBUG: get entries
[+0.57s] DEBUG: menubar.vala:511: Adding indicator object 0x853101c at position 1
[+0.58s] WARNING: IndicatorObject class does not have an accessible description.
[+0.62s] WARNING: IndicatorObject class does not have an accessible description.
[+0.62s] DEBUG: get entries
[+0.62s] DEBUG: get entries
[+0.62s] DEBUG: menubar.vala:511: Adding indicator object 0x844cd2c at position 2
[+0.62s] DEBUG: menubar.vala:335: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8 LANGUAGE=(null)
[+0.66s] DEBUG: Loaded session /usr/share/xsessions/ubuntu-2d.desktop (Ubuntu 2D, This session logs you into Ubuntu 2D Mode)
[+0.66s] DEBUG: Ignoring session /usr/share/xsessions/gnome-shell.desktop
[+0.66s] DEBUG: Loaded session /usr/share/xsessions/xterm.desktop (Recovery Console, Failsafe session with only xterm)
[+0.66s] DEBUG: Loaded session /usr/share/xsessions/ubuntu.desktop (Ubuntu, This session logs you into Ubuntu)
[+0.66s] DEBUG: Ignoring session /usr/share/xsessions/gnome.desktop
[+0.66s] DEBUG: Loaded session /usr/share/xsessions/xsession.desktop (User Defined Session, Custom ~/.xsession script)
[+0.66s] DEBUG: session-chooser.vala:42: Adding session xterm (Recovery Console)
[+0.67s] DEBUG: session-chooser.vala:42: Adding session ubuntu (Ubuntu)
[+0.67s] DEBUG: session-chooser.vala:42: Adding session ubuntu-2d (Ubuntu 2D)
[+0.67s] DEBUG: session-chooser.vala:42: Adding session xsession (User Defined Session)
[+1.38s] DEBUG: Setting keyboard layout to 'gb'
[+1.49s] DEBUG: main-window.vala:98: Screen is 800x600 pixels
[+1.49s] DEBUG: main-window.vala:104: Monitor 0 is 800x600 pixels at 0,0
[+1.49s] DEBUG: main-window.vala:104: Monitor 1 is 800x600 pixels at 0,0
[+1.51s] DEBUG: Loading users from org.freedesktop.Accounts
[+1.51s] DEBUG: Loading user /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User1000
[+1.57s] DEBUG: Loading user /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User1001
[+1.65s] DEBUG: Loading sessions from org.freedesktop.DisplayManager
[+1.65s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:332: Adding/updating user chris (chris)
[+1.65s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:332: Adding/updating user guest (guest)
[+1.65s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:189: Adding guest account entry
[+1.70s] DEBUG: Starting authentication for user chris...
[+1.70s] DEBUG: Wrote 21 bytes to daemon
[+1.70s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:959: Showing greeter
[+1.70s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:357: Showing main window
[+1.71s] DEBUG: New style for time label
[+1.72s] DEBUG: Evaluating bitmask for '%H:%M'
[+1.72s] DEBUG: Checking against 1 possible times
[+1.72s] DEBUG: Guessing max time width: 36
[+1.77s] DEBUG: background.vala:315: Regenerating backgrounds
[+1.77s] DEBUG: background.vala:67: Making background /usr/share/backgrounds/warty-final-ubuntu.png at 800x600
[+1.78s] DEBUG: New style for time label
[+1.78s] DEBUG: Evaluating bitmask for '%H:%M'
[+1.78s] DEBUG: Checking against 1 possible times
[+1.78s] DEBUG: Guessing max time width: 36
[+1.79s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:972: Starting main loop
[+1.79s] DEBUG: Read 8 bytes from daemon
[+1.79s] DEBUG: Read 35 bytes from daemon
[+1.79s] DEBUG: Prompt user with 1 message(s)
[+2.04s] DEBUG: background.vala:67: Making background /home/chris/Pictures/steelEnds.JPG at 800x600
[+2.04s] DEBUG: background.vala:144: Error loading background: Failed to open file '/home/chris/Pictures/steelEnds.JPG': Permission denied
[+2.07s] DEBUG: Num devices: '2'

[+2.07s] DEBUG: get_primary_device: got data from object /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/line_power_ACAD
[+2.07s] DEBUG: get_primary_device: got data from object /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/battery_BAT1
[+2.07s] DEBUG: put_primary_device: got data from object /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/battery_BAT1
[+2.07s] DEBUG: set_accessible_desc: setting accessible description to 'Battery (charged)'
[+2.07s] DEBUG: Num devices: '2'

[+2.07s] DEBUG: menu_add_device: got data from object /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/line_power_ACAD
[+2.07s] DEBUG: menu_add_device: got data from object /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/battery_BAT1
[+2.08s] DEBUG: icon_policy is: 0 (present==0, charge==1, never==2)
[+2.08s] DEBUG: count_batteries found 1 batteries (0 are charging/discharging)
[+2.08s] DEBUG: should_be_visible: yes
[+2.08s] DEBUG: refresh_entry_accessible_desc: setting entry 0x844ccd4 accessible description to 'Battery (charged)'
[+2.08s] DEBUG: get entries
[+2.08s] DEBUG: get entries
[+2.08s] DEBUG: get entries
[+2.08s] DEBUG: menubar.vala:511: Adding indicator object 0x844ccd4 at position 2
[+2.09s] WARNING: Getting layout failed: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownMethod: No such interface `com.canonical.dbusmenu' on object at path /com/canonical/indicator/users/menu
[+2.16s] DEBUG: Setting keyboard layout to 'gb'
[+2.33s] DEBUG: notify visible signal received
[+2.33s] CRITICAL: ido_calendar_menu_item_set_date: assertion `IDO_IS_CALENDAR_MENU_ITEM(menuitem)' failed
[+2.35s] DEBUG: New calendar item
[+2.37s] DEBUG: indicator-sound: new_volume_slider_widget
[+2.39s] DEBUG: indicator-sound: new_voip_slider_widget
[+2.50s] DEBUG: unity-greeter.vala:315: starting system-ready sound
[+2.60s] DEBUG: background.vala:116: Render of background /home/chris/Pictures/steelEnds.JPG complete
[+2.60s] CRITICAL: background_loader_create_pattern: assertion `image != NULL' failed
[+2.62s] DEBUG: background.vala:116: Render of background /usr/share/backgrounds/warty-final-ubuntu.png complete

Thanks nerof61 Tried sudo chown -R chris:chris /home/chris

some errors

chown: changing ownership of '/home/chris/.cache/compizconfig-1/staticswitcher.pb ': Input/output error  
chown: changing ownership of '/home/chris/compiz-1/session/10d1c......... ': Input/output error

Logging in still has the same issue, no change.

Looking at both these files, they are both owned chris:chris, 0 bytes long and both were last modified two days ago when the machine was last working correctly. I'll have a think about this, perhaps I should re-install compiz.

I've been thinking around problems with X. Checked /hoe/chris/.xsession-errors, not aa lot of help to me, hopefully someone can point me the right way?

openConnection: connect:  No such file or directory 
cannot connect to br1tty at: 0
/home/chris/gnupg/gpg-agent-info-chris-laptop: Syntax error. '(' unexpected

Will add more as I find it.

I've tried adding a user, john, from the tty. Once done, I then re-booted and tried to login, exactly the same issues even with john, password accepted then kicked back to login screen virtually straight away. I'm still OK with a guest session though and no issues with ctrl/alt/F1

Later. I notice that the home directory for the new user, john, is owned by root. using sudo chown john:john john I changed the ownership of the home directory. Now I can log in just as normal as john so making some progress.

I'm really struggling with this and any help appreciated.

3
  • 2
    Did you edit your ~/.profile file recently?
    – jobin
    Apr 7, 2013 at 8:01
  • No, in fact I just looked and the last modification date was in January 2011. Apr 7, 2013 at 8:40
  • Add the "solution" as an answer, not in the question.
    – Mateo
    May 26, 2013 at 14:00

1 Answer 1

1

Log in to a TTY (I suggest TTY1, it's CTRL+ALT+F1) and type this:

sudo chown -R YOURUSERNAME:YOURUSERNAME /home/YOURUSERNAME/

Obviously, you need to replace YOURUSERNAME with, well, your User Name.

Then, go back to the login screen and log in.

Hope this helps!!!

1
  • What's the error? Edit your question with it.
    – horIzoN
    Apr 7, 2013 at 10:06

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