Linux Mint Forums

I have installed Mint 12 64 bit edition but I have no panels, no menu - just an opening background with computer and home icons and fortunately a welcome window which enables me to get on this forum! I must be missing something obvious.

I have exactly the same problem after installing Lisa (12) from a DVD.
I am glad that I am not alone
Is it a temporary bug of a newly released version or did it happen in previous versions too?
Quite frustrating as a first time Linux Mint experience.

This has not happened to me before - and I have been using Mint since version 4. I have had other issues with version 11 but up to 10 was rock solid. I guess it is something to do with the complication of different desktops in this version and particular graphics card . (Mine on board is nVidia GeForce 7025). I hope it can be resolved as I would be sorry to say goodbye to Mint.

Confirmed that the same menu-less desktop is present on my older Dell 1150 laptop. Very strange! I took a peak at 'dmesg' and saw some messages re: 'gnome-shell' seg faults, but not sure if that is related or not.

I have managed to have a functional desktop by switching to Mate. I had no panels when using Gnome (in Gnome Classic only the top panel appeared, no bottom, no Menu).
I am using 32 bit Mint 12 on IBM ThinkCentre (Pentium 4, 3,4 Ghz, 1GB RAM, Intel 865Gx86/MMX/SSE2 graphics)

VMX wrote:I have managed to have a functional desktop by switching to Mate. I had no panels when using Gnome (in Gnome Classic only the top panel appeared, no bottom, no Menu).
I am using 32 bit Mint 12 on IBM ThinkCentre (Pentium 4, 3,4 Ghz, 1GB RAM, Intel 865Gx86/MMX/SSE2 graphics)

How did you switch to Mate? I don't have any controls to do much of anything

some proprietary drivers not work with Gnome/gnome shell.
I have same problem with Geforce FX5500, after use additional driver, i cannot see bottom and top panel in gnome-shell.
But i don't have that problem on my other PC with radeon x1650 with default MInt driver.
Try deactivate proprietary drivers.

How did you switch to Mate? I don't have any controls to do much of anything

When you log in there is a small wheel next to your user name. Clicking the wheel opens several Desktop options (Gnome/Gnome classic/ Mate etc.)

Try deactivate proprietary drivers.

The problem is that Gnome (default option for a desktop) doesn't work right from the beginning (when you start Mint 12 for the first time after installation) so it is kind of a difficult to figure out how to deactivate anything. Imagine how frustrating it is for all less experienced users who decided to try Mint for the first time (like myself).
Linux Mint should really address this problem if they are serious about attracting new users!

current situation:
I have tried various things from different postsbut this seems to be a start (albeit highly unsatisfactory.
Boot with installation DVD and at GRUB screen press TAB. replace 'quiet' with 'noquiet', 'splash' with 'nosplash', and insert 'nomodeset' before final --. This then gave me a live Cd installation with panels etc.
I then installed but again ended with a screen with no panels. Random clicking opened the update manager. I set this off and two vague technicolour panels appeared. When finished repeated clicking on an icon that had been the hardware one but was now crossed out did produce the recommended driver window. I installed this and the panels have finally appeared.
At present my main problem is that the mouse is very unresponsive. I am trying to restore my backup but even that gives different options top previous versions of Mint.
I started with Mint 3 years ago because it was one of only two distros that gave me a screen and was easy to install!

VMX wrote:

How did you switch to Mate? I don't have any controls to do much of anything

When you log in there is a small wheel next to your user name. Clicking the wheel opens several Desktop options (Gnome/Gnome classic/ Mate etc.)

Ah, of course! Thanks! Using 'Mate' allowed me to see menus, at least. I then did an upgrade, in hopes that it would allow me to re-try Gnome, but the same problem remains for me on that desktop

I'm encountering the same issue with the same fix. I really liked GNOME 3 though (the Windows key worked), so I'll be monitoring this thread and hope a solution is found.

This is to confirm that my system is working up to a point. I do not know if I could repeat the steps that got me here. I could not restore my backup - I had to copy individual folders across, I have my emails archived but cannot replace them in Thunderbird, I had to set up Thunderbird from scratch. Restoring has worked seamlessly on all previous upgrades. Why does Gnome 3 switch between screens. Why do you have to change to application screen to alter things in the window screen. Why are many applications duplicated and how do you sort it out. Why can't you just call up your applications as in Android (which Gnome 3 copies) - sorry they all copy GEM which was the GUI for msdos BEFORE windows! The whole is as bad a mess as Windows 8 looks like - trying to be all things to all men. It took me ages to find how to change to MATE etc but then during installation I clicked on 'login automatically' which in this case proved to be a mistake. Perhaps a warning could have been given. I am really sorry that a distribution that has served me well for years and has gained such a following is no longer the one that a windows user can turn to and find easy to install and use. I will bear with it for the time being on my desktop but it will not be installed on my netbook. Sorry!

Hi, I am running Linux Mint on a laptop with no Harddrive using a 4gb flash. Its an old Dell Inspiron 1150. Mint 11 ran well, but with Mint 12 I am getting the same error. Is this a safe boot when older graphics chips are detected? How does one get out of this safe mode when one enters it?

Hi, I seem to be having the same or similar problem. I have been a Minty user since Helena, but this has been the most difficult installation to get right. I am running an ASUS A6000km laptop, with Nvidia Ge7300 graphic etc, the live cd installation was fine and showed the Gnome 3 and menus etc, plus the ability to swap to MGSE ok. So I installed in my usual way, retaining the home folder and formatting the previous minty installation. All seemed to go well, and I installed the DVD meta package and all the current updates. The installation only seems to give me options of Gnome, Gnome Classic, Gnome Classic ( without ...) etc. Not MGSE or Gnome 3 options. I did not install the Mate package but I do have the mint-meta-mgse package installed. I cannot get the screens that I had on the live CD, no infinity icon in the top bar or menu down the bottom bar, so I don't think that I am running Gnome 3. I log out and try to select something different, but I only have the choices above. I tried removing the Nvidia driver, but it made no difference, so I re-activated the recommended driver again.

Everything seems to work ok in the classic menu, but I only moved to Mint 12 to get the new shells. Any ideas please?

I am having a similar issue when I use a live cd and boot with nomodeset.

I am trying to migrate from Ubuntu to Mint, but encountering the same problem on an IBM ThinkPad T42. Installed 32-bit version from a DVD ISO on USB. At first Mint 12 looked "normal", but after I logged in a second time, no panels, no window borders, no window buttons - unusable. Logging in with MATE works, but - how do I get Gnome?

As to the suggestion to deactivate proprietary drivers - I will be digging to find out how to do that, but a pointer here would be appreciated.

It's good to know, at least, that I'm not the only person suffering from the problem.

If this is a bug? Who's bug? I mean who do I report this to?

I am seeing the same thing with the Mint 12 install into Oracle VirtualBox on Win 7 64.

It does appear to be related to graphics card.

I installed Mint 12 with a Radeon 3650 card with 1GB memory installed. I had the 'new' look, complete with top and bottom bars and infinity icon.
I swapped my graphics card back to my older card (GeForce FX5200 with 128mb memory) for testing purposes with a different issue, and when I logged in, I was back to the 'reduced' desktop.

I can not swap to MATE as I dont have the "wheel" and I set it to automatically login.

If you did not know about the 'new' look, then it probably would not look such a bad desktop, although it is now missing the iconise all button.

EDIT:
I did try logging out, which then gives the cogwheel, but the only options were
Gnome
Gnome Classic
Gnome Classic (no effects)

but whichever option I choose, the desktop is still presented the same.

I gave up on Mint 12... this is not for me (of for my PC): this version is anything but stable and we did not get any attention or support from Linux Mint experts.
I have replaced Lisa with another distro (Fuduntu) and everything works fine.
Good luck and patience, Lisa users.