Ubuntu – GUI not starting in Ubuntu 17.10

17.10nvidia

I just upgraded my laptop to 17.10. Upgrade went fine but when booting up, the gui won't start. The screen flicker and I have to login to the terminal and stop gdm3. I've tried removing and reinstalling the NVIDIA driver, but same results. I see this in syslog:

Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Stopping User Manager for UID 128...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopping Accessibility services bus...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopping D-Bus User Message Bus...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: Child process -3487 was already dead.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped target Default.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: Child process 3477 was already dead.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: Unable to kill session worker process
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped D-Bus User Message Bus.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped Accessibility services bus.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped target Basic System.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped target Sockets.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Closed Sound System.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped target Paths.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Stopped target Timers.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Closed D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Reached target Shutdown.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Starting Exit the Session...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3481]: Received SIGRTMIN+24 from PID 3539 (kill).
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Stopped User Manager for UID 128.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Removed slice User Slice of gdm.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Created slice User Slice of gdm.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 128...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Started Session c19 of user gdm.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Reached target Timers.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Listening on Sound System.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Reached target Paths.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Starting D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Listening on D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Reached target Sockets.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Reached target Basic System.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Reached target Default.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Startup finished in 19ms.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Started User Manager for UID 128.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Started D-Bus User Message Bus.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp dbus-daemon[3550]: Activating service name='org.gnome.ScreenSaver'
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp org.gnome.ScreenSaver[3550]: Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-screensav[3558]: Cannot open display: 
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp dbus-daemon[3550]: Activated service 'org.gnome.ScreenSaver' failed: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-session[3552]: gnome-session-binary[3552]: CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-session-binary[3552]: CRITICAL: Unable to create a DBus proxy for GnomeScreensaver: Error calling StartServiceByName for org.gnome.ScreenSaver: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.ChildExited: Process org.gnome.ScreenSaver exited with status 1
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-shell[3560]: Can't initialize KMS backend: could not find drm kms device
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-session[3552]: gnome-session-binary[3552]: WARNING: App 'org.gnome.Shell.desktop' exited with code 1
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-session-binary[3552]: WARNING: App 'org.gnome.Shell.desktop' exited with code 1
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gnome-session-binary[3552]: Unrecoverable failure in required component org.gnome.Shell.desktop
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: GdmDisplay: display lasted 0.152136 seconds
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: Child process -3548 was already dead.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: Child process 3538 was already dead.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Stopping User Manager for UID 128...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp gdm3: Unable to kill session worker process
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopping D-Bus User Message Bus...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopped target Default.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopped D-Bus User Message Bus.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopped target Basic System.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopped target Paths.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopped target Timers.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Stopped target Sockets.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Closed Sound System.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Closed D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Reached target Shutdown.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Starting Exit the Session...
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[3542]: Received SIGRTMIN+24 from PID 3568 (kill).
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Stopped User Manager for UID 128.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Removed slice User Slice of gdm.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Created slice User Slice of gdm.
Oct 20 11:50:28 torp systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 128...

Anybody know how to resolve this? Thanks in advance.

Hardware details:

Lenovo Y510P
Intel Core i7 2.40Ghz CPU
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M video card

Further updates:

I am seeing this in syslog:

Oct 22 21:40:37 torp systemd[4036]: Starting Accessibility services bus...
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp dbus-daemon[4051]: Successfully activated service 'org.a11y.Bus'
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp systemd[4036]: Started Accessibility services bus.
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp at-spi-bus-launcher[4060]: Activating service name='org.a11y.atspi.Registry'
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-is-accelerated: No hardware 3D support.
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-check-accelerated: GL Helper exited with code 256
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp at-spi-bus-launcher[4060]: Successfully activated service 'org.a11y.atspi.Registry'
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp org.a11y.atspi.Registry[4065]: SpiRegistry daemon is running with well-known name - org.a11y.atspi.Registry
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp gnome-session-c[4069]: eglGetDisplay() failed
Oct 22 21:40:37 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-check-accelerated: GLES Helper exited with code 256
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-is-accelerated: No hardware 3D support.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-check-accelerated: GL Helper exited with code 256
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session-c[4077]: eglGetDisplay() failed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-check-accelerated: GLES Helper exited with code 256
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-binary[4058]: WARNING: software acceleration check failed: Child process exited with code 1
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session[4058]: gnome-session-binary[4058]: CRITICAL: We failed, but the fail whale is dead. Sorry....
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session-binary[4058]: WARNING: software acceleration check failed: Child process exited with code 1
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-session-binary[4058]: CRITICAL: We failed, but the fail whale is dead. Sorry....
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp org.a11y.atspi.Registry[4065]: XIO:  fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server ":0"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp org.a11y.atspi.Registry[4065]:       after 21 requests (21 known processed) with 0 events remaining.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "22"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event3  - (II) Power Button: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "25"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event0  - (II) Power Button: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "26"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event1  - (II) Sleep Button: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "27"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event5  - (II) Video Bus: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "28"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event8  - (II) Lenovo EasyCamera: Lenovo EasyC: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "29"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event7  - (II) Ideapad extra buttons: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (**) Option "fd" "30"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) event4  - (II) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: (II) device removed
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "synaptics"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:70
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:68
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:71
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:72
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Starting Message of the Day...
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:69
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:65
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:64
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:67
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[4042]: (II) Server terminated successfully (0). Closing log file.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Stopping User Manager for UID 128...
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped target Default.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopping Accessibility services bus...
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopping D-Bus User Message Bus...
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped Accessibility services bus.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gdm3: Child process -4042 was already dead.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gdm3: Child process 4032 was already dead.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gdm3: Unable to kill session worker process
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped D-Bus User Message Bus.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped target Basic System.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped target Paths.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped target Sockets.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Closed Sound System.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Stopped target Timers.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Closed D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Reached target Shutdown.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Starting Exit the Session...
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4036]: Received SIGRTMIN+24 from PID 4109 (kill).
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Stopped User Manager for UID 128.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Removed slice User Slice of gdm.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Created slice User Slice of gdm.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Starting User Manager for UID 128...
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Started Session c35 of user gdm.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Reached target Paths.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Reached target Timers.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Starting D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Listening on Sound System.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Listening on D-Bus User Message Bus Socket.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Reached target Sockets.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Reached target Basic System.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Reached target Default.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Startup finished in 17ms.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[1]: Started User Manager for UID 128.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp systemd[4110]: Started D-Bus User Message Bus.
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp dbus-daemon[4118]: Activating service name='org.gnome.ScreenSaver'
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp org.gnome.ScreenSaver[4118]: Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused
Oct 22 21:40:42 torp gnome-screensav[4126]: Cannot open display: 

Best Answer

I felt foolish after having similar issues and finding the solution, but since my errors are similar to yours, down to the module not found message, I thought I'd share in case it helps:

After reinstalling the nvidia-384 package for the third time, I noticed that it mentioned it was skipping building the modules for the new "low-latency" kernel because the headers couldn't be found. After following these steps, I was good to go:

sudo apt purge 'nvidia-*'
sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
sudo apt install nvidia-384

Note that I did prevent gdm from using Wayland prior to trying anything, and from what I understand Wayland won't currently work with the nvidia binaries, so I'd advise ensuring it's disabled in /etc/gdm3/custom.conf by uncommenting the line #WaylandEnable=false.

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