Lost Desktop! - (Not solved but disposed of!)

[leadwtZ]

I am not getting my usual desktop on boot but instead get a blank screen with just the cursor. Screenshot works via keyboard shortcut but I do not know any others!

I have re-installed Mint (not touching the /Home partition of course) and now get the cursor (larger than normal as it seems the screen resolution has changed) and the wallpaper. No icons, panels etc.

Only changes I have made previous to this appalling disaster is the removal of all languages except en-gb (I had en-aus as default don't ask me how) and I also changed the video driver (Nvidia) from 'nouveau' to the 'recommended'. I do not know how that got changed either as I always run with the 'recommended' driver.

A minnie hotch-potch. Any ideas please?

Thanks.

[Pjotr]

Two things to try:
1. Install the best Nvidia driver for your video card:

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sudo apt-get install nvidia-304 nvidia-settings

(you might need to launch a terminal window with a keyboard shortcut)

Then reboot.

2. Step 1 should have given you a normal desktop. Now another fix: you should never remove parts of the default set of English language varieties (I've learned from bitter experience), so re-install them again. Then reboot.

[leadwtZ]

Hi Pjotr,

Tried the nvidia, loaded quite a few files and upgraded a few too. However on 'startx' errors relating to 'card1' and to nvidia 304 not found.

Note the caution re default language. Would you know what I require to re-install same?

Keyboard shortcuts get me to terminal and even work spaces but not much else yet.

Thanks.

[Pjotr]

Please generate an overview of your system like this:
- launch a terminal window and make it full screen, to avoid chopped lines;
- copy/paste this command into the terminal:

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inxi -Fxz

(if you type: the letter F is a capital letter)

Press Enter.

Copy/paste the output in your next message. Note: you might need to save the output to a .txt file first, in order to transfer it to another computer with a functioning desktop.

[leadwtZ]

Done that however unable to copy to file no actions work! I did pipe the output and looked through it - I could see nothing amiss but then if I knew enough to analyse the output I could probably fix the problem too!

Next?

[Pjotr]

- Make screenshots of the inxi output and save them locally;
- boot from a Mint DVD (live session, "try without installing"), access your hard disk and upload the screenshots to http://www.postimage.org
- Post the hyperlinks to the uploaded screenshots in your next message.

[leadwtZ]

Hello again.

Regret that screenshots of the output do not work. I have tried previously but gave it another go - nil result.

I can access the hd from this, my secondary hd (LM cinn. 17.1) and have checked for images just in case they saved without telling me but no they ain't.

??

Thanks for your continued effort it is appreciated.

[leadwtZ]

Bumpity Bump!

Any more offerings on this - otherwise it will be a new install of 17.2 (Mate) when it comes out on CD?

Thanks.

[parsma]

Don't know anything about your problem per se, but I was thinking about the problem you had with not being able to save the output from the Terminal window. Have you tried using the > character? Like so:

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inxi -Fxz > output.txt

I doesn't produce very clean output due to special colour formatting, I would say. It might also be, of course, this very thing you already tried. Just thought I'd mention it. :)

[leadwtZ]

parsma,

Thanks for that - not a command that I knew and now noted. I will try it out. Watch this space!

[MattDGTL]

so your desktop looks iffy? i had a similar issue..

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 8&t=198538

[leadwtZ]

Well this one is closed now as I upgraded to 17.2 with no issues at all.

So thanks to all - tips and links all noted - you never know!