Updated from pack 3 to 4, can only load Gnome fallback!

[mint123]

I used the Mint update manager in a 201109 LMDE with Gnome 2 hoping to go from UP 3 to 4. Now I can log in ONLY by using the basic Gnome standard shell. I installed Cinnamon and still no. There's no Mate on the computer and the file manager is still Nautilus so I guess Mate wasn't part of UP4? If I try anything but Gnome fallback, the desktop flashes for a second and then goes to a screen with a computer monitor in the center with a sad face. It says,

"Oh no! Something has gone wrong. A problem has occurred and the system can't recover. Please log out and try again."

This happens for both GDM3 and LightDM. Can this OS be salvaged or do i have to do a whole new install?!

[zerozero]

i would check 2 things:
1- were you using compiz before (in the gnome2 era) and was it in startup apps? if so, remove it from there, if you want cinnamon or gnome-shell you can't have compiz, that simple.

2- is your video card capable of handling 3D acceleration and are the drivers installed? without 3D acceleration you can't have cinnamon or gnome-shell.

[mint123]

Thanks zerozero! Removeing compiz did the job! Unfortunately Cinnamon is kinda jerky and slow feeling. This computer can handle anything Compiz and Gnome 2 could throw at it, has a 2 year old ATI card so I'll see how it goes..

[sackofspuds]

i would check 2 things:
1- were you using compiz before (in the gnome2 era) and was it in startup apps? if so, remove it from there, if you want cinnamon or gnome-shell you can't have compiz, that simple.

2- is your video card capable of handling 3D acceleration and are the drivers installed? without 3D acceleration you can't have cinnamon or gnome-shell.

Just like to say thanks zerohero. I had the same issue after Update Pack 4 and was stumped until I read your reply.

I moved these out of ~/.config/autostart:
compiz.desktop
remmina-applet.desktop - an application for remote desktop

and now Gnome rather than Gnome Classic is possible.

Out of interest:
$ inxi -Gx
Graphics: Card Intel Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller X.Org 1.11.4 Res: 1280x800@60.0hz
GLX Renderer Mesa DRI Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version 2.1 Mesa 7.11.2 Direct Rendering Yes

All I need do now is decide whether to keep Gnome as it is or go for Cinammon.

[zerozero]

glad to see this post is still useful
my everyday testing laptop

Code: Select all

zerozero@debian:~$ inxi -SGx
System:    Host: debian Kernel: 3.2.0-2-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.6.3)
           Desktop: Xfce 4.8.3 (Gtk 2.24.9) Distro: Debian GNU/Linux wheezy/sid
Graphics:  Card: Intel Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0
           X.Org: 1.12.1.902 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1366x768@60.0hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.3 Direct Rendering: Yes


intel is great