ubuntu wont load up after software update

[crewrecline]

I will state that im not computer literate. i had ubuntu 12.4 on an acer aspire. i did an update and after it restarted ubuntu wouldnt boot up any long and all im getting is a dos like screen. again sorry if im not saying this stuff right. as soon as it boots up i get the ubuntu purple screen but then it goes to black screen that says:
"stopping system v runlevel compatibility" [ok]
"starting" [ok]
"stopping cold plug devices" [ok]
[ok] stopping log initial device creation
[ok] starting save udev log and update rules
[ok] stopping save udev log and update rules
if someone can help i would greatly appreciate it.

[Bashing-om]

crewrecline; Hi Welcome to the forum .

Is ubuntu 12.04 the only operating system installed on your computer ?
If only one instance of ubuntu installed; Try this and advise results:
Cold boot the computer, as soon as the bios screen clears depress and hold the shift key -> grub menu;
Arrow down to an earlier kernel entry line (non recovery) and hit the enter key to boot with the selected kernel.

Can you now boot to the GUI login and login to your system ?

just try'n to help

[crewrecline]

i did what you said and i got a screen that gave me the options:
ubuntu
advanced options for ubuntu
memory test (memtest86+)
memory test (memtest86+, serial consol ######)

[crewrecline]

the advanced options gave me entries that look like (ubuntu, with linux 3.5.0-28-generic (recovery mode))

[Bashing-om]

crewrecline;

Looks like you are running 12.04.2 with the enhanced kernel, and that the inplace (re-)install removed the older kernels, no biggy.
Let's try this, in the process to get you a graphics driver loaded:
Boot to that grub menu, with the "ubuntu" entry highlighted, press the "e" key for edit mode -> kernel boot parameters screen;
arrow down to the line similar to :"linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-24-generic root=UUID=dbd69ed2-530c-4409-8f5a-a3f1ea41fc67 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff" ; Arrow across to the terms "quiet splash" and insert the term "nomodeset" - with out the quotes-;
Key combo ctl+x to continue the boot process.
Do you now boot to the GUI -- degraded graphics ??

Yes ? If so lets see about installing a graphics driver:
key combo ctl+alt+t yields a terminal, post the out put of terminal codes:

lsb_release -a
 uname -r
lspci | grep VGA
lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 vga

Depending on the output is what is advised for the next step.

A tale in the telling

[crewrecline]

alright so it booted to a screen that has blue lines going vertically across the screen

[Bashing-om]

No usable GUI desk top ?
Else will have to go to a "text" login to get the info.

stepp'n small

[crewrecline]

this is the furthest it has gotten. not sure if this is what your looking for or not.

[Bashing-om]

crewrecline; Hey.

Yeah, that will work as you have come up with a means to xfer the info back to us.

At that login prompt go ahead and enter your user name <enter key> and then enter your password <enter key>, nothing will be reflected back to the screen when password is entered (security reasons),

In that terminal do these terminal commands:

lsb_release -a  
uname -r
sudo lshw -C display
lspci -nnk | grep -iA3 vga

so we know what we are working with - version,card and driver info.

ain't no step for a stepper

[crewrecline]

alrighty