Graphical desktop failed to start

[David Fletcher]

I just booted my computer, and the desktop didn't start, it just left me
with a terminal to log in.

Logging in as the administrator, I was able to do the update - upgrade,
then shutdown -r now, and it rebooted, this time giving me the desktop.

If this had happened on a friend's laptop, that I installed with Linux
as an upgrade to XP, there'd have been all hell raised. I'd have had to
do an 80 mile round trip to try to sort the damned thing out.

I'm running Ubuntu 12.04, but she isn't, thank goodness.

Dave