14.04 no longer boots after software update

[coffeecat]

Proposed is more likely to break your system than some PPAs. The hint is in the name! Proposed should only be used if you wish to help with testing of updates before they are put into the main repository. Not everything that is tested in proposed makes it to the main repository for routine updates. Some display fairly major bugs and have to be withdrawn. I wouldn't be surprised if that has happened to you. I suggest disabling the proposed repository before you upgrade again.

[a-you]

Thanks for that explanation. I had already disabled it today, but I'm glad to read your comments. I suspected that it could have been the source of the problems, but I didn't realize it was as risky as that . The fact that it's got "ubuntu" in its name led me to believe that it wasn't risky

I'll probably have a chance to try the updater again maybe today or anyway in the next couple of days, doing it with the potentially problematic sources disabled first and enabling them one at a time. I'll let y'all know...


Well, why not now. Here goes...

1. I disabled all sources except "Important security updates" then ran the GUI "Software Updater" and so far so good

2. I enabled "Recommended updates" and everything seems fine; this time a restart wasn't asked for but I did it anyway just to test and so far so good

3. I just enabled "Unsupported updates" and the updater tool said there weren't any updates to install

Now I'll try adding the PPAs that I had. I guess I'll do these one at a time too just in case.

4. 1st is the claws-mail/ppa; again "The software on this computer is up to date"

5. now the otto-kesselgulasch/gimp-edge ppa; this time it did update gimp; restarted just to test that and all's well

6. next the webupd8team/java ppa; again a restart just to test and again all good

7. menulibre-dev/devel ppa "The software on this computer is up to date"

8. cinelerra-ppa/ppa; it updated cinelerra (this is the cv/community version of cinelerra btw)

then full shut down and boot from scratch and all good.

So indeed as I had suspected the following morning it looks like enabling updates form the "pre-released updates" source was a big mistake. As coffeecat kindly explained, it would seem that unless you are up for testing software enabling that source could be biting off more than you want to chew.

Thanks to everybody that offered comments, especially to coffeecat for following the thread over a couple of days even. Very much appreciated.