Urgent Ubuntu help please!

So Ubuntu ran completely fine on my HP dv9500t.

Now if i try to log on my user name nothing opens. I click and it says "starting" and nothing happens it just disappears. This goes for any program.

Now I can log on under failsafe gnome, but i don't really know where to go from there.

Any ideas?

thanks in advance.

 

how do you run programs if you don't login?

 

yah, could you make that a bit clearer? kinda confusing

 

1. I log in.
2. I try to execute a program
3. Program shows "starting ___"
4. "starting ___" goes away
5. Program doesn't open.

On anything it's like this.

 

Maybe I'd try to reinstall Gnome....could solve the problem (tell me if you want to know how)

Anyone having other ideas?

 

Reinstall gnome? Not all of Ubuntu? You might be on to something. Fire away with instructions or a link

Thanks.

 

Reinstall Gnome:
ctrl-alt-f1
sudo apt-get --reinstall install gdm

Or use KDE because Gnome sucks (IMO)
sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-desktop (optional, Gnome/KDE can run alongside each other)
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
(edit: fixed mistake with above 2 commands, thanks John B)

 

This is OT (apologies to OP), but, krt, why do you think Gnome sucks? I'm a Linux n00b and as I type, am using PCLinOS 2007 with KDE. Another machine I use has Ubuntu 7.10 with Gnome installed. Honestly, I don't really see (or understand) the difference, perhaps because with Linux, I mostly just surf the Net. I normally use a Mac and OSX.

If you've got time, a little elaboration, but not too elaborate (I'm a dummy!) would be appreciated - maybe a PM in order not to knock the thread off-track any further?

 

Do you know the exact difference between gnome-desktop vs ubuntu-desktop and kde-desktop vs kubuntu-desktop?


Eallan: KDE is also a good graphical environment but you'll loose some Ubuntu specific features...

 

Whatever reinstalling GDM was it completely worked.

Thanks so much for your help. Right now leopard is completely ruined while Ubuntu is working.

I'll have to look around at kde.

 

Good news to know Gnome works

 

Thanks for pointing that out. Yes, I know the difference b/w the packages but messed up. I meant kubuntu-desktop and I should not have made the mistake considering I done this only a few days ago. Edited my post above accordingly.

As for the Gnome sucks comment, I hoped the smilie showed I was joking but seriously, I find KDE more intuitive and seems more like a finished product, maybe it is also because Gnome has a tendency to protect you from settings by hiding them, almost reminds me of Windows (and you can customise the default format of the KDE panel which also sucks )

 

krt: Does "kde-desktop" exist? I have never checked

 

completely off topic....but i'm a linux noob as well, and i just got done installing ubuntu. when installing guild wars, i couldn't help but notice that it took like waaaay longer than it should have. like 2 hours. any reason for this? anything to fix this?

thnx in advance...

 

Did you install it through WINE? Check http://appdb.winehq.com for possible issues and fixes

@JohnB: No. Just checked the repositories and then googled it. Many people mention it in similar cases, some making the exact mistake I made so maybe after seeing it, I assumed it existed.

 

Well the problem is occurring again. Any ideas?

 

If you were to drop ubuntu-desktop for kubuntu-desktop, I suggest using aptitude instead of apt, since aptitude also removes packages depended on by dummy packages as those are. Thus, the inevitable removal P) of KDE would also result in the removal of all those KSomething applications. Otherwise, removing kubuntu-desktop (or ubuntu-desktop) would actually change nothing, since it's a dummy package upon which nothing depends.

Another good thing to know is that those dummy packages are important to have for upgrades, since they are used to add new software to the OS's standard install. (For example, with a major update).