[solved] blue desktop instead of default

[missmoondog]

i usually just leave the default desktop background alone on my computers and very seldom change the image. i do once in a blue moon though.
i'm using mint 19.3, xfce

have a laptop that every time i start it or reboot it, it goes to just a plain blue screen. the desktop icons appear and laptop is usable, but very laggy. with the latest kernel update and the nvidia drivers (340.108) just installed today, i thought that may fix it but it didn't.

i have to simply log out and back in for the default desktop to come up and laptop to run smoothly.

see attachment for what i mean.

Code: Select all

System:
  Host: HP-Compaq-8510w Kernel: 4.15.0-99-generic x86_64 bits: 64 
  compiler: gcc v: 7.5.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.14.1 tk: Gtk 3.22.30 
  info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 dm: LightDM 1.26.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia base: Ubuntu 18.04 bionic 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Hewlett-Packard product: HP Compaq 8510w v: F.15 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 30C5 v: KBC Version 71.36 serial: <filter> 
  BIOS: Hewlett-Packard v: 68MVD Ver. F.15 date: 12/02/2008 
Battery:
  ID-1: C1F4 charge: 53.1 Wh condition: 53.9/53.9 Wh (100%) volts: 16.8/14.4 
  model: Hewlett-Packard Primary type: Li-ion serial: <filter> 
  status: Charging 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo T8300 bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Penryn rev: 6 L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 9575 
  Speed: 1028 MHz min/max: 800/2401 MHz boost: enabled Core speeds (MHz): 
  1: 1160 2: 1127 
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA G84GLM [Quadro FX 570M] vendor: Hewlett-Packard 
  driver: nvidia v: 340.108 bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 10de:040c 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: nvidia 
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,nouveau,vesa resolution: 1680x1050~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Quadro FX 570M/PCIe/SSE2 v: 3.3.0 NVIDIA 340.108 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801H HD Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:284b 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.15.0-99-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82566MM Gigabit Network vendor: Hewlett-Packard 
  driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k port: 5000 bus ID: 00:19.0 chip ID: 8086:1049 
  IF: enp0s25 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN [Kedron] Network 
  driver: iwl4965 v: in-tree: port: 4000 bus ID: 10:00.0 chip ID: 8086:4229 
  IF: wlp16s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 238.47 GiB used: 24.47 GiB (10.3%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda model: SPCC Solid State Disk size: 238.47 GiB 
  speed: 3.0 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: V4.9 scheme: MBR 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 233.73 GiB used: 24.47 GiB (10.5%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 44.0 C mobo: 42.0 C gpu: nvidia temp: 55 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:hawkeye116477:waterfox.list 
  1: deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/hawkeye116477:/waterfox/xUbuntu_18.04/ /
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
  1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com tricia main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
  2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic main restricted universe multiverse
  3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates main restricted universe multiverse
  4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-backports main restricted universe multiverse
  5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ bionic-security main restricted universe multiverse
  6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ bionic partner
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/opera-stable.list 
  1: deb https://deb.opera.com/opera-stable/ stable non-free #Opera Browser (final releases)
Info:
  Processes: 177 Uptime: 41m Memory: 1.95 GiB used: 886.3 MiB (44.5%) 
  Init: systemd v: 237 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 7.5.0 alt: 7 Shell: bash 
  v: 4.4.20 running in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.0.32 

how to fix issue so i don't have to log out then in before using laptop?

thank you

[spamegg]

I had a similar wallpaper problem when I'm using two monitors. My issue was the wallpaper being too zoomed in. Try this:
Go to Menu/Startup Applications
Click on the plus sign "Add" then "Custom Command"
Name it what you like, in the "Command" block type this:

Code: Select all

sh -c 'for name in 'centered' 'zoom'; do { gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.background picture-options $name; sleep 1; }; done'

Make sure to turn on the command to run at startup by pressing the slide button.
Then restart.
This may not work for you but there might be a similar command that could fix your issue. Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with bash scripting so I don't know how to modify this to fit your situation.

[missmoondog]

will try that, but first want to ask how can it be to zoomed in when i've never changed anything about it? everything is totally default.

[pbear]

Only learned of the setting just now, but checking it's clear zoom is the default. I'm happier with command line than most, but prefer to use dconf-editor for these settings. Available in repo: apt install dconf-editor. Uses a wonky format, everything is arranged in an upside-down tree. So, org.cinnamon.desktop.background means org > cinnamon > desktop, of which picture-options is the next step down.

Checking XFCE, I see picture-option settings in both cinnamon and gnome (there's no node for xfce). Don't know which controls in your case, but my hunch would be gnome. Nothing for it but trial-and-error. Starting with gnome, select centered from a dropdown and see whether that fixes your problem. Revert if not and try cinnamon. If neither does it, revert both and keep hunting.

[michael-hi]

These are presumably just the same settings that you would access more simply by right-clicking on the desktop and choosing Desktop Settings, then change the Style drop-down from Zoomed to whatever...

[michael-hi]

And just to add a couple of suggestions:

In case there is something "wrong" with the default background image, it might be worth trying another background image from the selection provided and seeing if that makes any difference.

Alternatively, once you have logged back in and got it running smoothly as you describe, you could try selecting the option "Automatically save session on logout" in Session and Startup. Then shut down completely and see if it works OK when you next boot. If it does, you could then untick the "automatically save session on logout" and keep your fingers crossed...

[pbear]

These are presumably just the same settings that you would access more simply by right-clicking on the desktop and choosing Desktop Settings, then change the Style drop-down from Zoomed to whatever...

New on me. OTOH, I hadn't even heard of this setting before today.

Nonetheless true there are settings in dconf-editor not accessible with the regular tools.

[missmoondog]

won't be able to get on that laptop for a couple/few days possibly, but will check into it and get back with you.

thank you

[spamegg]

Yeah it should be the same setting as in dconf-editor.

To be clear about my comment before, my issue with the wallpaper being "too zoomed in" is NOT that the Wallpaper setting was set to "Zoom". That is the default setting indeed. It was WAY MORE zoomed in than that, moreover the colours were also washed out. Changing settings from dconf-editor would not fix it; it could be fixed only by manually changing the wallpaper to something else (until I found this bash command solution to do it automatically at login). AFAIK this bug is still present whenever I use two monitors. In fact for a few miliseconds I can see my wallpaper getting "fixed" at reaching desktop after login. Maybe it will be fixed in Mint 20.

[missmoondog]

of course as it usually happens, i was here last night about to post a reply that said my laptop actually started correctly for the first time in some time. was just getting ready to start typing when the monitor went blip, i actually heard a blip sound, and i couldn't see anything. not sure what happened, but it seemed like laptop wasn't getting power from the adapter. i know the battery in it is totally junk, so even just turning it on is probably impossible on battery power let alone it stayed on long enough to get updated and surf a few sites before coming here last night. i restarted it and it was working, so i quickly messed with the default desktop settings and shut it down. haven't bothered trying to get back on it yet. when i restarted laptop, it came back on with just the blue desktop though.

fwiw, i had moved the laptop to a different room and outlet. i know the outlet is good, so either it was a freak accident or the adapter is going bad or the connector inside laptop is going bad. i have another laptop that the connector inside laptop had to be super glued back in place. it did feel a little wiggly, but don't know if it's been like that previously.

will check into it later some time!

[pbear]

... or the connector inside laptop is going bad.

I've spent more money on that repair than any other. As the famous saying goes, "For want of a nail ... "

[missmoondog]

... or the connector inside laptop is going bad.

I've spent more money on that repair than any other. As the famous saying goes, "For want of a nail ... "

one of the very few times laptop has ever been moved. one of the very few times i've ever removed the ac connector also!

[missmoondog]

well, as i started to type last night, of course i get on laptop tonight and it starts up just fine!

i had reset my desktop wall paper to centered instead of zoom last night before shutting it down after it freaked out.

will mark topic solved, amybe, after having tested this a couple more times.

in the event it is solved, thanks to every one for the help.

edit: 2.5 hours later I rebooted laptop. it started up correctly!

marking topic solved.

thank you all