After security updates Unity will not launch

**Mogen317** · November 6th, 2012

Hi. I'm on Ubuntu 12.10. Ten min ago software updater popped up and asked me to install some security updates and reboot. After doing so unity will not launch and I'm left with a blank desktop after logging in. Running "compiz --replace" and "unity" in terminal fails.

How can I check to see what I just installed and figure out what's causing this problem?

**stinkeye** · November 6th, 2012

Try to reset compiz with...

Code:

dconf reset -f /org/compiz/

Then reload with...

Code:

setsid unity

**Mogen317** · November 6th, 2012

Sadly, that did not work either. Here is the console output:

Code:

mike@mike-ThinkPad-X120e:~$ dconf reset -f /org/compiz
mike@mike-ThinkPad-X120e:~$ setsid unity
mike@mike-ThinkPad-X120e:~$ unity-panel-service: no process found
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: core
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: core
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: ccp
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: ccp
compizconfig - Info: Backend     : gsettings
compizconfig - Info: Integration : true
compizconfig - Info: Profile     : unity
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: composite
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: composite
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: opengl
X Error of failed request:  BadRequest (invalid request code or no such operation)
  Major opcode of failed request:  155 (ATIFGLEXTENSION)
  Minor opcode of failed request:  66 ()
  Serial number of failed request:  23
  Current serial number in output stream:  23
compiz (core) - Info: Unity is not supported by your hardware. Enabling software rendering instead (slow).
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: opengl
Compiz (opengl) - Fatal: glXQueryExtensionsString is NULL for screen 0
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin initScreen failed: opengl
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: opengl
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: opengl
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: regex
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: regex
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: compiztoolbox
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: compiztoolbox
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.

compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Error: Plugin 'opengl' not loaded.

compiz (core) - Error: Plugin init failed: scale
compiz (core) - Error: Failed to start plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Info: Unloading plugin: scale
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: mousepoll
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: mousepoll
compiz (core) - Info: Loading plugin: imgpng
compiz (core) - Info: Starting plugin: imgpng

What's curious to me is the

Code:

compiz (core) - Info: Unity is not supported by your hardware. Enabling software rendering instead (slow).

I have been runing unity using hardware accelerated effects and the 12.11 catalyst drivers for my ATI Radeon GPU. I did

Code:

sudo apt-get purge fglrx*

and rebooted, but same problem.

**stinkeye** · November 6th, 2012

Try purging your proprietary drivers and then install linux-headers-generic and reinstall drivers.

eg THIS solved my nvidia install.

Bug #1068488

**Mogen317** · November 6th, 2012

Found the packages that got installed they were:

Code:

linux-image-3.5.0-18-generic:amd64 <none> 3.5.0-18.29
linux-headers-3.5.0-18:all <none> 3.5.0-18.29
linux-headers-3.5.0-18-generic:amd64 <none> 3.5.0-18.29
linux-image-extra-3.5.0-18-generic:and <none> 3.5.0-18.29

So I'm assuming that my graphics driver is incompatible with linux kernel 3.5.0-18.29

I'm using the latest driver from AMD, does anyone know how to downgrade the kernel? What will happen if I do apt-get remove to all that stuff?

**black veils** · November 7th, 2012

when booting, press and hold the shift key until grub menu shows.

for now at least, you can manually boot into the previous kernel from here, see if that allows things to work.