Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

kstenger · 2011-05-09 22:56:52

Hello, I've been looking at some similar posts but none of them solved my problem.

Some days ago I was -Syu'ing when someone told me gnome-shell was comming up with the update, I had no idea what the change was about, so I went reading some about it.
It seemed to me something wonderful and I still am eager to have it working on my desktop. But I had some issues so far:

First time booting, everything seemes incredibly normal, and my dreams come true!
The problem came after that, when I was following some tips to make it work/look like I wanted to.

What I can't exactly say is how I changed each thing of these, because I used all of the posible tools, but the changes where:
1) show minimize, maximize and close buttons on windows titlebars.
2) show date all along with the clock
3) main user auto-login
4) show desktop icons

And well... I think #3 or #4 broke my desktop, even when at first glance #3 seemed to work.

When I restarted everything loaded, but nothing was shown on the screen but black backround and the mouse pointer.

I freeaked out and did pacman -R gnome-shell.

Things went to normal, using the no-shell gnome3.

So I unsetted the auto-login and I removed every file on .config/autostart/ to remove the desktop icons thing.

Now I re-installed gnome-shell it to give it another try doing changes a bit more carefully, and things are like this:

1) When my main user logs in it uses the no-shell gnome version.

2) Other users can use it normally.

3) My main user .xsession-errors file is this: http://pastebin.com/ehAZZg5D (if you tell me how to get it in plain english I will)

4) My pacman -Qm is:

 
adobe-flex-sdk 3.4.0.9271-1
alacarte 0.13.2-3
banshee-1-lyrics-plugin 0.8.1-3
beecrypt 4.2.1-2
crossfire-client 1.50.0-1
debootstrap 1.0.20-1
deskbar-applet 2.32.0-4
downgrade 1.1-7
eggdbus 0.6-1
emacs-find-recursive 20010326-1
emacs-icicles 1-1
emacs-ipython-mode 2927-1
emacs-markdown-mode-git 20100514-1
emacs-org-mode 6.36-1
emacs-session 2.2a-2
emacs-template 3.1c-1
emacs-wget 0.5.0-1
f4l 0.2.1-6
facter 1.5.7-2
fontcacheproto 0.1.3-1
gcc2 2.95.3-2
gmail-notify 1.6.1.1-1
gnome-audio 2.22.2-1
gnome-netstatus 2.28.2-1
gscreenshot 1.3-5
gstreamer0.10-farsight 0.12.11-2
gstreamer0.10-pitfdll 0.9.1.1+cvs20080215-4
gtksourceview 1.8.5-3
hamster-applet 2.32.1-1
intlfonts 1.2.1-2
kognite 20081004-1
leo 4.8-2
libgail-gnome 1.20.4-1
libmimic 1.0.4-4
librfid 0.2.0-1
libxfontcache 1.0.5-1
libxxf86misc 1.0.2-1
obmixer 0.11-2
openoffice-base-bin 3.2.1-6
peppy 0.14.2-1
perl-goo-canvas 0.06-1
perl-gtk2-imageview 0.05-2
perl-proc-processtable 0.45-2
pymacs 0.24_beta1-2
pysvn-py2 1.7.4-3
python-brasero 2.32.0-4
python-evince 2.32.0-4
python-gnomeapplet 2.32.0-4
python-gtksourceview 2.32.0-5
python-mediaprofiles 2.32.0-4
python-suds 0.4-2
revelation 0.4.11-7
rfdump 1.6-1
rpmunpack 0-3
seahorse-plugins 2.30.1-3
shutter 0.86.4-1
sshmnt 1.3-1
tomboy-reminder 0.9.1-1
tuxmath 1.7.2-2
vim-emacs 20010816-2
workbench 1.6.4-2
xf86miscproto 0.9.3-1
xf86-video-radeonhd 1.3.0-3
xorg-fonts-jmk 3.0-18
xorg-res-utils 1.0.3-3
xvile 9.7-2

Question is: what shall I do to get my main user to use gnome-shell again ?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help :-)

kstenger · 2011-05-10 17:34:03

Please, I really need some help with this... just let me know if you need more info about my problem.
I just hope I was clear enough.
Thanks.

Wey · 2011-05-10 18:26:33

Hey kstenger,
what happens if you open a terminal in fallback mode and execute

gnome-shell --replace

If that works fine, verify if there is a gnome-shell.desktop file in /usr/share/applications/.
E. g.,

cat /usr/share/gnome-shell.desktop

which should look similiar to this:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=GNOME Shell
Comment=Window management and application launching
Exec=/usr/bin/gnome-shell
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Bugzilla=GNOME
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Product=gnome-shell
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Component=general
X-GNOME-Bugzilla-Version=3.0.1
Categories=GNOME;GTK;Core;
OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
NoDisplay=true
X-GNOME-Autostart-Phase=WindowManager
X-GNOME-Provides=panel;windowmanager;
X-GNOME-Autostart-Notify=true
X-GNOME-AutoRestart=true

Actually, the gnome-setting-daemon should start gnome-shell automatically, however, you could also try to symlink the gnome-shell.desktop file to your /etc/xdg/autostart directory (or to /home/username/.config/autostart for that matter).

ln -s /usr/share/applications/gnome-shell.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/gnome-shell.desktop

edit:

cat /usr/share/gnome-shell.desktop

should be

cat /usr/share/applications/gnome-shell.desktop

Last edited by Wey (2011-05-11 19:38:57)

kstenger · 2011-05-10 20:10:32

 $ gnome-shell --replace

(gnome-shell:26974): Gdk-WARNING **: The GDK_NATIVE_WINDOWS environment variable is not supported in GTK3.
See the documentation for gdk_window_ensure_native() on how to get native windows.
Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 16: Another compositing manager is running on screen 0
Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 8: add_win: assertion `info != NULL' failed
Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 8: meta_compositor_sync_window_geometry: assertion `info' failed
Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 8: add_win: assertion `info != NULL' failed
Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 8: meta_compositor_sync_window_geometry: assertion `info' failed
Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 8: add_win: assertion `info != NULL' failed
Violación de segmento

s/Advertencia del gestor de ventanas/ Window manager warning
s/Violacion de segmento/Segmentation fault

After it, i couldn't change focus anymore and both bars of the window manager where gone.
So I restarted just to see what happened when I re-logged in, and I'm back with the no-shell gnome.

Probably when I uninstalled it I messed something which is unable to solve itself for this user but works ok for other users?

Hope you can tell me what to do... thanks

Edit: I now see GDK_NATIVE_WINDOWS is not used on gtk3 anymore, but why is it there ? how to remove/change it?

Last edited by kstenger (2011-05-10 20:16:59)

mandog · 2011-05-10 21:51:34

Try going to system settings then system info click on graphics check if you are in standard mode or fallback mode it should show "forced fallback mode off" if not turn it off log out and in you should be in shell.

kstenger · 2011-05-10 22:30:06

Thanks for your tip, but that option is already set to off.

Other ideas? :-)

Wey · 2011-05-11 12:37:02

Just to make sure this message:

Advertencia del gestor de ventanas: Log level 16: Another compositing manager is running on screen 0

isn't the problem, have a look at your running processes (e. g. ps fax).

Also, as you said gnome-shell was working before, you could try to temporarily disable all your settings by creating a backup folder in your home dir and moving all the dot-files and dot-directories to it (preferably from a tty without gnome running). Then try to launch gnome. If it works, reinsert the files from your backup directory step by step, to identify the bad apple.

Last edited by Wey (2011-05-11 12:38:26)

kstenger · 2011-05-11 18:04:19

thanks Wey,
your suggestion made me realize that the error of gnome-shell --replace could have been caused by the second user logged in at that time (with the shell).

So I tried it again only with my user and it worked.... but just for a while.

When I restarted to see if everything was right my window manager started but with *nothing* else than the background picture and a luckily opened gnome-terminal. So right now I have nothing else but command line for launching graphic apps. Alt+F2 doesn't work either, so I'm writting this using "firefox &"

I re-read your previous post and checked /usr/share/gnome-shell.desktop seeing it didn't exist, so I did as you suggested, created it, added the content and created the softlinks as you said, but still, window manager stays the same, even after reboot.

What may I be missing now?
Or should I go to the other aproach by moving the dotted directories out of my home?

just in case: output of ps fax at http://pastebin.com/zT542wVS

thanks

edit:
ps: the other user still works with the shell normally

Last edited by kstenger (2011-05-11 18:05:02)

Wey · 2011-05-11 19:36:18

Sorry there was a typo in my post, the gnome-shell.desktop should go to /usr/share/applications/gnome-shell.desktop. But there should already be one, as its global and you reported your other user to work fine. So sorry about that.

I would go with backing up the dot-files/directories next. There shouldn't be any harm in that and it would be the easiest way to identify the conflicting configuration. Note that you don't necessarly have to move them out of your home, just cd in your home directory, mkdir backup, then ls -a and mv the dot-files to backup. that way you won't run in any permission problems.

kstenger · 2011-05-11 22:37:40

Well, that took a bit of work, but I undoubtly found my bad apple.

The directory /home/myuser/.config/dconf/ has a file named "user" which is definitely messing things up.

I'm not sure on what settings are in there, for instance it seems something about the configuration of my keyboard's language may be related since it's now english instead of spanish.
Do you know what else should I take care of to be completely settled? Or just point me somewhere I can find some info about it

I so much appreciate your help! Thank you very much for all :-)

Wey · 2011-05-12 06:51:49

Glad to hear most things work again

You should be able to specify the gnome keyboard layout by executing "gnome-control-center region".

As far as i know, the dconf-data is binary, so can't give any diagnose on it. But remember you can manipulate it with the dcon-editor, it should highlight non-default values. For example, with the corrupted user-file, you could check if the dconf-key /org/gnome/desktop/session/session-name says "gnome" or "gnome-fallback". You can also activate /org/gnome/shell/clock/show-date and /org/gnome/desktop/background/show-desktop-icons to quickly restore the initial setting mentioned in your first post.

kstenger · 2011-05-12 17:08:37

You've been of real help Wey! Thanks a lot :-)

I am feeling more confident now tweaking options.
I already realized that the option of saving session crashes things away (for me at least) but I could restore it rapidly this time lol
Hope they can fix it soon, but I think I can survive for a while without it using my favorites menu!! I'm really very happy to have the shell working :-D

I'm glad to say this topic is solved. Thanks!

Arch Linux

#1 2011-05-09 22:56:52

Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#2 2011-05-10 17:34:03

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#3 2011-05-10 18:26:33

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#4 2011-05-10 20:10:32

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#5 2011-05-10 21:51:34

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#6 2011-05-10 22:30:06

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#7 2011-05-11 12:37:02

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#8 2011-05-11 18:04:19

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#9 2011-05-11 19:36:18

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#10 2011-05-11 22:37:40

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#11 2011-05-12 06:51:49

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

#12 2011-05-12 17:08:37

Re: Gnome-shell not starting, getting gnome3 (fallback?) instead

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