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After not using the computer for a few hours, I return and see a black/blank screen. I see the mouse cursor. It responds to movements and it changes state as if the windows are there (changing to text or 'link thumb').

But all I see is a black screen. Anyone knows anything about this?

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  • I saw some threads regarding black screen when connecting an external monitor - this NOT the case here. May 17, 2011 at 19:20
  • Also, I have a thinkpad edge 15, which was certified: ubuntu.com/certification/release/11.04/laptops May 17, 2011 at 19:23
  • Perhaps it relates to the compiz memory leak problem that causes the windows not to be drawn? May 17, 2011 at 19:24
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    Welcome to Ask Ubuntu, the way this site works is for you to continuously edit your original question with information, don't put it in the comments as they tend to get buried. May 17, 2011 at 21:46
  • I experience this sometimes right after I boot my thinkpad. Sep 6, 2013 at 17:46

6 Answers 6

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Have you tried restarting your window manager?

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start

If that is the case, as you suggested in the comments it may be a memory leak or something with Compiz?

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  • Everything is black, except fot the mouse curse. I don't know where to type what you suggested. May 19, 2011 at 6:27
  • I did. It didn't work. And prefer service gdm restart to init.d Aug 11, 2011 at 21:10
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I had to disable the screensaver on my Thinkpad Edge 13 to solve a similar (same?) problem.

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I think we nailed this one. You need to go to a tty shell (with no ui) by using, for example, ctrl+alt+F2. In the tty shell, you need to login and find any compiz process, using the command

ps -ef | grep compix

Then, kill all the compiz processes:

kill -9 <processes ids separated using space>

Then run unity to initialize the UI:

unity&

Give it a moment to load and go back to the 'UI shell', using ctrl+alt+F8, to see the UI being initialized.

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Another option (Can help a freeze - not just a black screen):

Go to a tty shell (with no ui) by using, for example, ctrl+alt+F2.

Just kill the compiz process (not compiz-decorator) - The UI will restart itself.

Identifying process id:

ps -ef | grep compix

Killing the process:

kill -9 <processes id>

Go back to the 'UI shell' (ctrl+alt+F7) - the UI will restart.

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I occasionally have the same issue.

Try hitting Alt+F2 and then typing unity --replace.

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  • Thanks. I will try it next time it happens. I read that using the --replace "acts the same as running unity without --replace" May 18, 2011 at 8:05
  • Tried but didn't work. May 19, 2011 at 6:28
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On Ubuntu 13.04, the following may help when you have a black screen and a mouse pointer or some other indication/knowledge that you are running the lightdm desktop manager that ships with Unity.

Open up TTY1 by typing Ctrl+Alt+F1 (or F2 for TTY2, etc).

Log in, then enter:

sudo restart lightdm

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