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Asked: 2024-09-24T23:51:38+05:30 In:

After upgrading from Ubuntu 23.10 to 24.04, my system fails to display the graphical user interface and login screen. What could be the reasons for this issue, and how can I resolve it?

So, I recently took the plunge and upgraded my Ubuntu installation from 23.10 to 24.04, thinking it would be smooth sailing with all the new features and improvements. But, of course, it never goes as planned, does it? Now, here I am, staring at a black screen and feeling utterly lost because there’s no graphical user interface or even a login screen popping up. Just a blank abyss where my desktop should be!

I’ve been trying to troubleshoot like a madman, but I’m really not sure where to start. I mean, could it be a driver issue? I’ve got an Nvidia card, and I know that sometimes those proprietary drivers can get all funky after an upgrade. I ran the upgrade process from the terminal, so I’ve also been wondering if something in my update command could have gone wrong. Maybe there were dependencies that didn’t properly install?

I did find a few forums suggesting that sometimes the display manager gets messed up during upgrades. I was using GDM, but maybe I should try switching to LightDM or SDDM temporarily? Also, could it be related to the desktop environment? I was primarily using GNOME, and I’ve heard of instances where users faced broken packages after an upgrade.

Another thought crossed my mind: Is it possible that some of my custom configurations from 23.10 are interfering with the new version? I’ve tweaked a bunch of settings over the months, so maybe one of those is the culprit. I’ve tried a few basic commands to restart the graphics stack (like `sudo service gdm restart`), but nothing seems to work.

I’m just feeling really stuck here. If anyone has faced similar issues after the upgrade or has any tips on how to get the GUI back, I’d love to hear your thoughts! What steps did you take to troubleshoot this kind of situation? Any insights or advice would be super appreciated right now!

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    2 Answers



    1. Ubuntu Upgrade Troubleshooting

      Stuck with a Black Screen after Ubuntu Upgrade?

      Totally understand where you’re coming from! Upgrading can be a rough ride. Here are some ideas that might help get you back to your GUI:

      Check Your Nvidia Drivers

      Yeah, Nvidia drivers can definitely throw a wrench in the works. You could boot into recovery mode (hold Shift during boot) and then try to reinstall the Nvidia drivers:

      sudo apt update
sudo apt install --reinstall nvidia-driver-

      Replace <version> with the correct driver version for your card. If you’re uncertain, you can also try using nouveau (the open-source drivers) temporarily to see if that helps.

      Switching Display Managers

      Switching display managers is worth a shot! You could try:

      sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3

      And then select LightDM or SDDM if prompted. You can also just install LightDM if you haven’t already:

      sudo apt install lightdm

      Check Your Desktop Environment

      If you’ve customized GNOME a lot, it might be conflicting. Boot into recovery mode and see if you can log in without the custom settings. You might also try switching to a different environment temporarily. You can install XFCE or something light just to test:

      sudo apt install xfce4

      Clear Old Configurations

      Considering your custom configs, you can try moving them out of the way. You can do this for GNOME settings:

      mv ~/.config/dconf/user ~/.config/dconf/user.bak

      Then reboot. This resets your GNOME settings, so you’ll have to customize again if this works.

      Update and Upgrade Again

      Sometimes a simple:

      sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

      can fix things if any packages were held back. You might also consider autoremove to clean up.

      Logs and More Troubleshooting

      If none of that works, check the logs for clues. Run this command:

      cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

      This may give you some hints about what’s going wrong.

      Stay persistent! You’ll figure it out. Good luck!



    2. It sounds like you’re experiencing quite a common issue when upgrading between Ubuntu versions, particularly with an Nvidia card involved. First, it’s crucial to check whether the proprietary Nvidia drivers are properly installed and compatible with Ubuntu 24.04. You can access a terminal by switching to a different virtual console using `Ctrl + Alt + F2` (or any function key from F1 to F6). Once you’re in the terminal, log in, and you can try reinstalling the Nvidia drivers with commands such as `sudo apt update` followed by `sudo apt install –reinstall nvidia-driver-`. Be sure to replace `` with the correct driver version that matches your graphics card. Additionally, clearing out any old kernels that might conflict can also be a helpful step. If you suspect broken packages, running `sudo apt –fix-broken install` could resolve dependency issues that occurred during the upgrade.

      Regarding display managers, switching to a different one could indeed alleviate issues stemming from GDM. You can do this by installing LightDM or SDDM with `sudo apt install lightdm` or `sudo apt install sddm`, then configuring your system to use it. During installation, you will often be prompted to choose the default display manager. On top of that, consider checking your custom configurations; resetting your GNOME settings may also help. Use `dconf reset -f /org/gnome/` to reset GNOME settings back to defaults. If all else fails and you need to regain some functionality quickly, you might want to boot into recovery mode from the GRUB menu, which can give you options for repairing broken packages or even safely reverting to a previous kernel. Let your troubleshooting journey begin; various forums will be your allies along the way!


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