No Desktop After Updating

Yikes, where did my desktop go? I just did a major update, a two-parter. When I restarted as prompted, my screen is just blank. I still have the icons at the bottom, and the menu functions normally. No problem getting online and posting in the forum. I tried changing Zorin Look and Zorin Theme, but it didn't help.

Next time you boot, choose second item in grub and choose earlier kernel.

Yep, that took care of the problem. Thanks, Friend!

OK, so the latest kernel release is not what you need - you need to uninstall the latest kernel so that your previous one is the one that boots:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FYW2nGv4gs

Make sure you booted in to the last kernel before following this guide which looks at removing older kernels - keep your last 2 kernels - get rid of anything older - but not the config files as per the video and remove the newest - because Zorin is now running kernels beginning 3 - change the search number in synaptic from 2 to 3.

Hi Swarf, I have looked at the video several times, and I have a couple problems: 1) I cannot seem to mark the kernels in such a way that removing them is an option. "Remove" option is greyed-out. The only option available is installing. Which I obviously don't need to do as they are already there. 2) there are a large number of images there, do I really want to get rid of them all? There are dozens. Thanks as always!

You just need to get rid of the ones prior to the latest 3 kernels.

Have you got Ubuntu-tweak installed? If you have you should be able to remove unwanted kernels using 'janitor'.

To update: I now can boot into the latest kernel, and get the desktop. however it is not behaving quite normally. For example, when I right-click on the desktop, in order to change the wallpaper, nothing happens. Can't change it in Settings either. Also, and to fold in another thread: I attempted to get aero by using an Ubuntu tutorial. Didn't exactly work, but it sort of did. There is now an aero effect on the bottom strip. Also, the menu background was blue rather than black. Don't know if that is due to the attempt I made. I did that on the second kernel, not the first. Have I confused you enough? If you remember, I was trying to get aero recently and it wasn’t happening.

Edit: I take that back, I do not have aero. I had put on a wallpaper from WallpapersWide.com, and realized that there is a touch of aero natively on Zorin, on the bottom bar. How obvious it is depends on what you put on the desktop. some pictures show it, others do not. So my foolish attempt to use an Ubuntu tutorial to get aero failed, as it was doomed to do. I ain't worried; I can always reinstall if I screw things up. That's the beauty of Linux. With Windows, it's a major PITA. With Linux, it's actually fun. And I have saved anything valuable ion other places anyway so nothing gets lost.

No, I don't have Ubuntu tweak, or Unity Tweak as it may be called now, and can't seem to get it, it won't come up in Software Centre or SPM.

Hi, you need to get ubuntutweak from here:

http://ubuntu-tweak.com/

It does not automatically show up in the Zorin menu after installation.

Open a terminal and enter:

Code:

Ubuntu-tweak

Once the application is launched, pin it to the Panel.

You can make the panel appear differently yourself by customising it using the last tab in Awn Preferences.

Going back to Ubuntu-tweak, once launched, click on the last tab for Janitor.

Another tool is Bleachbit - but heed the advice here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2155233

Fortunately, the problem seems to have resolved itself. I can now boot directly to Zorin from the boot menu and all is well. I'm going to leave well-enough alone.

Well, I got U-Tweak installed. I'm hoping I did this right. I checked the top (first) entry, left the nest two blank, then checked the rest all the way down. My system booted ok, but there was a delay in getting the desktop. but it eventually appeared after less than a minute.