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IMPORTANT: Ubuntu Classic (without effects) works. I am trying to get Unity to work.

I have the following problem with Ubuntu 11.04 (had it with 10.10 too, but disabling KMS or using the fglrx driver fixed it - can't remember exactly which), but now since the Radeon driver is better than it used to be, I want to use it (not to mention the fglrx performance is disappointing).

Ubuntu boots normally until the login screen. After login, it shows the background, the mouse is shown and it just remains there. It does not freeze, but it does not load anything else. I can move the mouse and can go into text console (Ctrl+Alt+F1).

It does not work on Ubuntu profile (Unity) or on the Ubuntu Classic (GNOME + effects) profile. I even tried installing GNOME3 from their PPA, but it does not finish loading either (just like the other two).

My hardware: Toshiba Satellite M40 Notebook, ATI Radeon x600 (128MB) video card

I haven't been able to find any errors in dmesg or other logs.

Update 1:

Alt+F2 does not work -- nothing pops up. There is a GNOME panel loaded (I see the process in the text console) when trying Ubuntu Classic (with effects). Even the Unity panel service loads when I use the Ubuntu profile. I get the impression that something doesn't finish loading (in both Ubuntu and Classic with effects) because if I move the mouse over to where the toolbar would be I get the working mouse.

The thing is with fglrx I get an error when trying to load Unity, saying to use Classic because of a lack of hardware. But with the Radeon driver, I don't get that error, they seem to start loading but never finish -- they just hang.

It would be nice if the Radeon driver would allow me to use effects/unity/GNOME 3 since Unity seems to run well on an Intel 945m Express integrated video card notebook. I hope updates to the driver/Unity will fix my problem.

$ /usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p

OpenGL vendor string: X.Org R300 Project
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on ATI RV380
OpenGL version string: 2.1 Mesa 7.10.2
Not software rendered: yes
Not blacklisted: yes
GLX fbconfig: yes
GLX texture from pixmap: yes
GL npot or rect textures: yes
GL vertex program: yes
GL fragment program: yes
GL vertex buffer object: yes
GL framebuffer object: yes
GL version is 1.4+: yes
Unity supported: yes

The Unity script says that I should be running Unity.

I found lots of bugs related to this (I think) like Ubuntu bug 777341 and Ubuntu bug 758482 and lots of questions relating to it here in Ask Ubuntu and on other sites. I will assume that this is a problem that will be resolved in future Ubuntu updates.

Update 2:

Fiddling with Compiz plugins (Gnome Plugin or Unity Plugin) in CCSM does not help.

The same goes for uninstalling Compiz/Unity and reinstalling it.

I am starting to get the feeling that this is not an easy thing to fix, and only a driver (Radeon/r300g/Gallium)/Compiz/Unity Ubuntu update will fix this.

4 Answers 4

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Change the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT in /etc/default/grub in:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash radeon.modeset=1 pci=nomsi"

Run update-grub and reboot

The pci=nomsi did the trick for me.

0

Second Attempt
Go to a command line Ctrl + Alt + F1.
Create this folder:

mkdir  ~/.config/autostart

Create this file:

nano ~/.config/autostart/gnome.desktop  

Paste this into it:

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Icon[en_US]=gnome-panel
Name[en_US]=Gnome
Exec=gnome-panel
Name=Gnome
Icon=gnome-panel

Then

sudo reboot now

First Attempt
I needed to put gnome-panel as a command at Startup Applications (Alt + F2 and pastegnome-session-properties) to fix something like this. Can you test it?

6
  • Alt+F2 does not work. Nothing pops up.
    – Octav S
    May 5, 2011 at 17:45
  • I've edited the answer. Hope this can fix.
    – desgua
    May 5, 2011 at 17:59
  • Second attempt doesn't do the trick either. Even without your modification there is a gnome panel loaded (i see the process in the text console). Even the unity panel service loads when I use the Ubuntu profile. I get the impression that something doesn't finish loading (in both Ubuntu and classic with effects) because if I move the mouse over to where the toolbar would be I get the working mouse. I just tried entering Ubuntu Classic (without effects) and it worked.
    – Octav S
    May 5, 2011 at 19:44
  • Th ething is with fglrx I get n error when trying to load unity, saying to use classic because of lack of hardware. But with the radeon driver I don't get that error, they seem to start loading but never end. They just hang.
    – Octav S
    May 5, 2011 at 19:46
  • I will look toward a solution and post here if I find something.
    – desgua
    May 5, 2011 at 22:03
0

It happened to me, you can do this to fix:

Go to Ubuntu Classic (without effects), start CCSM and enable Gnome Plugin or Unity Plugin.

Seems that Compiz has some problem to use them both, because the plugins seem to conflict.

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  • Sorry, but in my CCSM only Gnome Plugin is enabled, Unity Plugin is not enabled. I tried "compiz --replace" and got to the freezing part. I also disabled Gnome Plugin and tried unity and got to the same old "freezing". Thanx anyway.
    – Octav S
    May 7, 2011 at 18:06
-1

the same thing happened to me and i think i have your solution (or at least this is what work for me)

boot up in Ubuntu classi**c and go to **system - administration - synaptic package manager remove anything that has to do with compiz (or anything that has compiz in the name)

now restart your computer and boot up in Ubuntu and press ctrl alt t and your terminal should come up type in this line sudo apt-get install compiz then press enter after that type in this line sudo apt-get install unity press enter then sudo apt-get upgrade unity

after its done restart your computer and boot in to ubuntu and bam everything is back

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  • Sorry, that did not work, i don't think that the packages were corrupted / not correctly installed. I had the exact same "freeze". Thanx anyway.
    – Octav S
    May 7, 2011 at 17:43

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