black screen(solved)

[Errol Sapir]

On 10/11/2012 06:01 PM, Errol Sapir wrote:
>
>
> On 10/11/2012 04:44 PM, Basil Chupin wrote:
>> On 11/10/12 10:37, Errol Sapir wrote:
>>> Tried that to no avail. I think the problem is one of the settings of
>>> the desktop because if I go into "repair" mode and then go to command
>>> line and type startx, the gui desktop comes up. It isn't "my" desktop,
>>> just an empty plain gui KDE desktop. When login in "normally" the
>>> desktop starts to appear after typing my password and then goes black.
>>> It is though a black cover has been formed over the desktop because
>>> all the programs work with ALT/F2 and the typing the name of the
>>> program. All this time the mouse curser is visible and is movable but
>>> clicking anywhere on the screen does nothing until I use ALT/F2 and
>>> then I can type in the name of any program and click on the list that
>>> appears to operate the program. The mouse and keyboard work perfectly
>>> on any program opened.
>>> There is also no panel visible at any time and if I minimize a program
>>> it disappears "under" the black screen.
>>> Errol
>>>
>>> On 10/10/2012 02:22 AM, Basil Chupin wrote:
>>>> On 10/10/12 10:57, Errol Sapir wrote:
>>>>> Thanks for the info utek and Miriam. I tried that but that doesn't
>>>>> seem to be the problem. The plasma-desktop goes black when logging in.
>>>>> Black (with nothing else visible on the screen) seem to have become
>>>>> the default colour, "covering" everything on the old desktop. I have
>>>>> gone into display and changed themes to no avail.
>>>>> As I said I can operate anything from "run", including settings, and
>>>>> basically any program I type in. They all come up as they did before
>>>>> this problem arose.
>>>> [...........]
>>>>
>>>>   When logging in, before typing in your password, click on the
>>>> 'spanner' tool and select plasma desktop and then finish logging in.
>>>> There is a quirk which fails to start the plasma desktop when you have
>>>> upgraded KDE but after you do what I just suggested the problem
>>>> disappears.
>>>>
>>>> BC
>>
>> It would be very nice if you did not top-post.....
>>
>> Then I suggest that you rename  /.kde4 directory in your home to, say,
>> /.kde4-old so that it is recreated when you reboot and login again.
>>
>> BTW, which video card are you using and do you have the latest driver
>> for it installed (and I don't mean the nouveau, default, driver if you
>> have a nVidia card)?
>>
>> BC
>>
>
> Sorry about the top posting. I never remember which forums want top and
> which want bottom.
> I have an external card and I don't know if the drivers are the latest.
> I'll look into it. I'll also try the /.KDE-old and report back. Thanks
> for the advice.
> Errol
>
Basil Thanks! Your suggestion to build a new KDE directory solved the 
problem. The gui is working fine, a few tweaks to get my desktop back to 
what it was and I'm away.
Thanks all who gave advice as well.
Errol