8.10 to 9.04 - gnome-panel gone and several other problems

[amazing mustard]

(both 64 bit version)

I recently upgraded from 8.10 Intrepid Ibex to 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope and now I face a couple of problems. Ubuntu starts up fine, except for:

- gnome-panels are gone
- desktop icons are gone
- right mouse click menu is unavailble on the desktop
- ALT-F2 doesn't work
- ALT-F4 doesn't work (firefox)
- CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE doesn't work
- compiz cube doesn't work (possibly never started)
- sound doesn't work (probably unrelated)
- windows can't be moved (could be compiz related)

I got firefox started with CTRL+ALT+DEL and going to online help.

It would be helpful if I could at least run programs or use the command line.

Any suggestions?

[sfainb]

I dont have most of those issues but the sound doesnt work either. This seems to be a common problem. Also, my mouse pad scroll function used to switch between worksapces and that no longer works. It does work on websites.

[oleander]

If you know how to start all of the programs that aren't starting (the desktop, panel, etc.) via the command line, here's one option: take a live cd and go in and edit the script in charge of startup programs in order to get those programs to start when the computer starts. According to this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=48862,
Edit ~/.gnome2/session-manual for local changes or /usr/share/gnome/default.session for global changes. If the script itself isn't the problem and it's the program that initiates the startup script/s, I'm not sure what to suggest as I do not have enough experience to know a solution to that.

I hope this helps! :)

~Oleander

[amazing mustard]

Thanks for the replies.

I managed to get in command line with CTRL+ALT+F1 but in a different X session.

~/.gnome2/session-manual and /usr/share/gnome/default.session do not exist. man default.session did not return a manual page.

Is it possible to run X with another gnome config from command line?

[amazing mustard]

turns out one simple command did the trick.

For surfing the net:
1. CTRL+ALT+F1
2. sudo dhclient
3. CTRL+ALT+F7
4. CTRL+ALT+DEL > go to help
* close the reboot screen or the machine will shut down in 60 seconds
5. go to online help .. hopefully firefox will start

For the fix:
6. CTRL+ALT+F1
7. sudo dpkg --configure -a (that's double '-' in front of configure)

GUI still looks a bit funny. my quick launch icons and compiz top/bottom images were tossed, but everything works .. even the sound

yay :D