No desktop icons or menu bar?

[whiskeyhotel]

Hello,

I just installed Ubuntu 10.04. I'm a first time user. when i boot up computer, I can choose Ubuntu, and it starts up, but there are no desktop icons, no menu bar (?). I'm able to right click and create folders and files, but that's about it. any ideas? Installed on an older pc running windows xp

thanks

[arrange]

Do you see something like this (without the icon)?
http://ubuntulady.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/standard.png?w=500

Or is there only the background and no panels or icons at all?
Are you using Wubi (Ubuntu installed within XP) or classic installation on an extra partition on the disk?

[whiskeyhotel]

There is only the background with no panels at all. It was the classic install on extra partition.

[arrange]

Could you please open up a Terminal (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GnomeTerminal) and type
ps aux | grep gnome(to see what gnome processes are running)
and post the output here?

It may also help if you uploaded/attached the ~/.xsession-errors file.

[whiskeyhotel]

Is there anyway to access terminal by right clicking on desktop, because I have nothing else to click on

[arrange]

Haha, sorry, I forgot :)

Right click, Create launcher, and in the Command field type gnome-terminal (Name doesn't matter). Click OK. Then you should see a new icon on the desktop.

[whiskeyhotel]

Here it is:

whiskeytown@whiskeytown-desktop:~$ ps aux | grep gnome
root 724 0.0 0.5 20488 2880 ? Sl 12:21 0:00 /usr/lib/gdm/gdm-simple-slave --display-id /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Display1
1000 1145 0.0 0.4 23980 2112 ? Sl 12:21 0:00 /usr/bin/gnome-keyring-daemon --daemonize --login
1000 1163 0.0 1.2 25908 6452 ? Ssl 12:21 0:00 gnome-session
1000 1197 0.0 0.0 3276 288 ? Ss 12:21 0:00 /usr/bin/ssh-agent /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session
1000 1200 0.0 0.1 3376 688 ? S 12:21 0:00 /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session
1000 1211 0.0 1.6 88932 8604 ? Ss 12:21 0:05 /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gnome-settings-daemon
1000 1223 0.0 1.4 20032 7552 ? S 12:21 0:00 gnome-power-manager
1000 1224 0.0 1.1 18392 5920 ? S 12:21 0:00 /usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1
1000 1227 0.0 2.6 40048 13648 ? S 12:21 0:04 gnome-panel
1000 1278 0.0 0.6 17804 3192 ? Ss 12:21 0:00 gnome-screensaver
1000 1285 0.2 2.5 39384 12756 ? S 12:21 0:19 /usr/lib/gnome-panel/wnck-applet --oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_Wncklet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=18
1000 1287 0.0 2.0 37188 10408 ? S 12:21 0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-applets/trashapplet --oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_Panel_TrashApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=24
1000 1295 0.0 2.4 31952 12424 ? S 12:21 0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-panel/clock-applet --oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_ClockApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=29
1000 1299 0.0 1.6 23096 8476 ? S 12:21 0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-panel/notification-area-applet --oaf-activate-iid=OAFIID:GNOME_NotificationAreaApplet_Factory --oaf-ior-fd=41
1000 1314 0.0 1.3 18912 7016 ? S 12:21 0:00 /usr/lib/gnome-disk-utility/gdu-notification-daemon
1000 2902 0.2 2.2 35396 11488 ? S 14:37 0:02 gnome-desktop-item-edit --create-new /home/whiskeytown/Desktop
1000 3026 5.8 2.4 44540 12436 ? Sl 14:51 0:00 gnome-terminal
1000 3027 0.0 0.1 1980 704 ? S 14:51 0:00 gnome-pty-helper
1000 3048 0.0 0.1 3320 856 pts/0 S+ 14:51 0:00 grep --color=auto gnome
whiskeytown@whiskeytown-desktop:~$

[tmette]

Does your mouse go off the screen like there is more there but you can't see it? Try to move your mouse all the way in the upper-left corner and click. Your resolution might be messed up.

[whiskeyhotel]

My mouse doesn't go off the screen. I'm viewing eveything thats being displayed

Edit: The mouse does go off the screen on the bottom, but not the top when viewing desktop.

[arrange]

gnome-panel is running, so it must be somewhere :)

Try any/all of these: (if they don't work, change the values back to default ones)
Run gnome-appearance-properties. Change theme and/or switch visual effects to none.
Run gnome-display-properties. Try changing the resolution or monitor.
You can also stop the gnome-panel process; it should respawn automatically and may appear:
killall gnome-panel

You could also provide a screenshot, maybe it will look familiar to someone - run gnome-screenshot.

[whiskeyhotel]

Thanks, I think progress is being made!

I ran Run gnome-appearance-properties and switched themes and the panels at the bottom showed up.

stopping the gnome-panel process with code killall genome-panel gave me panels at the top, clock, etc.

Am i supposed to have default icons on the desktop?
http://ubuntuforums.org/home/whiskeytown/Desktop/Screenshot.png

[SlidingHorn]

A fresh install (as far as I remember) does not have any icons on the desktop. They'll show up if you create .desktop files for them or if you mount another filesystem, etc.

[arrange]

No default icons :) You can easily create them by dragging them from a folder or Applications menu etc