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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)Flag for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

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Ubuntu 14.04.3 Cannot login via GUI, returns to GUI login prompt

This is the version of Linux Ubuntu 14.04.03

Linux version 4.4.0-38-generic (buildd@lgw01-22) (gcc version 4.8.4 (Ubuntu 4.8.4-2ubuntu1~14.04.3) ) #57~14.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 6 17:20:43 UTC 2016

The issue, after trying to login via the Default Ubuntu GUI, it loops back to the GUI again. (originally you could not type anything via the keyboard, this has been resolved).

Login via SSH and Console prompt are working fine.
Avatar of rindi
rindi
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I've sometimes had problems with the GUI if there wasn't enough free disk space available. Check if there is enough space (about 1GB should at least be free).
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

ASKER

Thanks for prompt response.

There is plenty free, over 400GB.

1% in use on A 500GB SSD.
Is all that free space on the same partition, or did you use different partitions?
all on same partitions /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda5
Then make sure you have the correct video driver loaded. There should also be a log for xorg in /var/logs which may give an idea about what the problem is.
Correct video driver is loaded, this was working fine, and then just stopped the next day.

I will be back on-site tomorrow morning, so will check /var/logs

I do wonder if the Video Card has failed....as a bizarre fault...
Common failed session logs:
/var/log/lightdm/*
/var/log/gdm/*
~/.xseession*

Sometimes it helps to press extra ok in tasksel.
If you use proprietary driver for graphic you need to reinstall it after each X11-related update
Thanks I'll check tomorrow.

No proprietary driver used, only that included with Ubuntu.
Might be missing keyboard layouts, a font, or some very basic library....
Further digging, after spending a few hours installing nVidia drivers, and purging nVidia drivers, because there were messages about failed initialization.

All seems okay in Xorg, but I did notice...

[+30.59s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+30.59s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+30.59s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+31.90s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+31.90s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+31.90s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+31.90s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.97s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.97s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.97s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.97s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.99s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.99s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.99s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+74.99s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+78.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+78.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+78.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+78.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+138.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+198.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+198.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+198.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+198.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+258.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+258.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+258.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+258.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+299.94s] DEBUG: settings-daemon.vala:209: Screensaver activated
[+318.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+318.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+318.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+318.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.02s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.04s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.04s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.04s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+324.04s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+359.38s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User0 added
[+360.87s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User1001 changed
[+360.87s] DEBUG: user-list.vala:1030: Adding/updating user demo (Demo)
[+360.87s] DEBUG: User /org/freedesktop/Accounts/User1000 changed
[+360.87s] DEBUG: user-list.vala:1030: Adding/updating user robotresearch (RobotResearch)
[+360.87s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+360.87s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+360.87s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+360.87s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+360.94s] WARNING: Unable to load icon from data: Unrecognised image file format
[+378.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkEventBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+378.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `GtkBox': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+378.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `Background': invalid matrix (not invertible)
[+378.98s] WARNING: drawing failure for widget `MainWindow': invalid matrix (not invertible)

in the greeter log, and also with the latest nVidia drivers, there is a message after login, which states an Error has occurred before logout, and back to GUI login.

Removed and purged ALL nVidia drivers, removed nVidia GPU, this computer also has onboard GPU, and the same issue occurs, so it's NOT GPU related.

Xorg is crashing....
Have you tried doing an apt-get upgrade? Or check what happens when you boot to a previous kernel from the GRUB boot menu. Also create another user account and try starting the GUI from there.
Have you tried doing an apt-get upgrade? Or check what happens when you boot to a previous kernel from the GRUB boot menu. Also create another user account and try starting the GUI from there.

Done all that, it's the same.
Try running fsck on the file-system.
no corruption, as seen by fsck - done that also.
Do you get the same results when booting Ubuntu from a DVD or USB stick?
No proprietary driver used, only that included with Ubuntu.
Reinstall all opengl and vdapu related packages.
@gheist

No proprietary driver used, only that included with Ubuntu.

meaning we were not using nVidia drivers, but it does not matter if it's nVidia, Intel, different computer the OS is broken.

@rindi

Do you get the same results when booting Ubuntu from a DVD or USB stick?

No, works fine. It's the OS which is broken.
nvidia driver disables nouveau kernel module (check /etc/modprobe.d/*conf)
it also replaces libGL.so, which can be fixed by update-alternatives or reinstalling libGL
and when there is no nVidia card installed.....

the problem still occurs.
nvidia driver disables nouveau driver completely
you need to get it back
and if the nVidia card is back in there is still an issue.
if you give me the exact commands we can try it.

before we scrap it, and re-install the OS.
I lack mastery in recovering ubuntu
Reinstall with /home on a separate partition ;)
Then you can reinstall broken system keeping users' data...
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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sudo apt-get do-release-upgrade fixed the issue.