[SOLVED] Ubuntu 8.10-blank screen

Elizabeth3 · 04-25-2009, 01:42 PM

I am new to Ubuntu and was trying to run some updates on the system. I needed to restart the computer and after I got through the login screen, everything went blank. I read some other forums and was able to get into the terrminal to try a few things. At one point I got a fatal error message (I can't remember exactly what it said) but it included /tmp/.X0-lock . So I tried someones suggestion: ls /tmp/.X0-lock rm /tmp/.X0-lock and it said cannot remove '/tmp/.X0-lock' : operation not permitted.

Anyone have any ideas or know what is going on? Thanks so much!

Rome5 · 04-25-2009, 04:56 PM

A. Run it with 'sudo' instead, like so:

Code:

sudo rm /tmp/.X0-lock

-- 'superuser do' or sudo, is required
-- the error just means Xserver is already running

B. Would you run the following and post the output here:

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

-- #note, choose the 'ubuntu recovery mode' option from GRUB. After logging in, type 'startx'. Then you should be able to run the command from a terminal and have access to firefox in order to post the output.

Elizabeth3 · 04-26-2009, 08:20 PM

Thank you for your help.

I tried the startx command and the sudo rm /tmp/.X0-lock command and in response to both of them I got "command unrecognizable" messages. I talked to the person who helped me install linux from the beginning and he said it would be better at this point to just start over and install the newest version of linux because part of what is going on is we tried to update from 8.4 to 8.10 and it shutdown in the middle of the update so it is sort of half 8.4 and half 8.10...I don't have much invested in it as far as files or extra stuff because I'm just starting off so I think we're just going to try starting over with the newest version and bypass this problem. Thank you so much for your suggestions though!

Rome5 · 04-27-2009, 09:38 AM

Yeah, shutdowns during updates can be bad news. Glad you got it figured it out, though and good luck.

**Bartender** · 04-28-2009, 10:35 PM

Liz3 -
One of the joys of Linux is the freedom to just start over if you want! With Windows you need the stupid authorization code and then Microsoft insists on installing their Genuine Windows spyware and maybe you won't get accused of being a pirate...

Argh

With Linux, as long as you back up your personal data, or set aside a separate /home partition, you're free to wipe the install, start over, try something different, go back to the first one, whatever. Installing it a few times is helpful to you anyway. You'll feel more confident. Maybe confident enough to help someone else try Linux!

04-25-2009, 01:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
Elizabeth3 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2 OS: ubuntu 8.10	[SOLVED] Ubuntu 8.10-blank screen I am new to Ubuntu and was trying to run some updates on the system. I needed to restart the computer and after I got through the login screen, everything went blank. I read some other forums and was able to get into the terrminal to try a few things. At one point I got a fatal error message (I can't remember exactly what it said) but it included /tmp/.X0-lock . So I tried someones suggestion: ls /tmp/.X0-lock rm /tmp/.X0-lock and it said cannot remove '/tmp/.X0-lock' : operation not permitted. Anyone have any ideas or know what is going on? Thanks so much!

04-25-2009, 04:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
Rome5 Alternative Computing Team Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Denver.CO Posts: 311 OS: Arch linux	Re: Ubuntu 8.10-blank screen A. Run it with 'sudo' instead, like so: Code: sudo rm /tmp/.X0-lock -- 'superuser do' or sudo, is required -- the error just means Xserver is already running B. Would you run the following and post the output here: Code: cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log -- #note, choose the 'ubuntu recovery mode' option from GRUB. After logging in, type 'startx'. Then you should be able to run the command from a terminal and have access to firefox in order to post the output. __________________ Arch64 ~ PekWM

04-26-2009, 08:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
Elizabeth3 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2 OS: ubuntu 8.10	Re: Ubuntu 8.10-blank screen Thank you for your help. I tried the startx command and the sudo rm /tmp/.X0-lock command and in response to both of them I got "command unrecognizable" messages. I talked to the person who helped me install linux from the beginning and he said it would be better at this point to just start over and install the newest version of linux because part of what is going on is we tried to update from 8.4 to 8.10 and it shutdown in the middle of the update so it is sort of half 8.4 and half 8.10...I don't have much invested in it as far as files or extra stuff because I'm just starting off so I think we're just going to try starting over with the newest version and bypass this problem. Thank you so much for your suggestions though!

04-27-2009, 09:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
Rome5 Alternative Computing Team Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Denver.CO Posts: 311 OS: Arch linux	Re: [SOLVED] Ubuntu 8.10-blank screen Yeah, shutdowns during updates can be bad news. Glad you got it figured it out, though and good luck. __________________ Arch64 ~ PekWM

04-28-2009, 10:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Re: [SOLVED] Ubuntu 8.10-blank screen Liz3 - One of the joys of Linux is the freedom to just start over if you want! With Windows you need the stupid authorization code and then Microsoft insists on installing their Genuine Windows spyware and maybe you won't get accused of being a pirate... Argh With Linux, as long as you back up your personal data, or set aside a separate /home partition, you're free to wipe the install, start over, try something different, go back to the first one, whatever. Installing it a few times is helpful to you anyway. You'll feel more confident. Maybe confident enough to help someone else try Linux!