M-2009. Desktop mostly vanished.

[paulkruger]

New install. A couple of days ago I booted to a desktop with default image background and a very minimal task bar at the bottom. Most of the options don't function. I have text only buttons for terminal and Browser but neither work. I can click on desk top to get popup menu with limited items, many don't work there either. A few of the utilities and games will load but nothing related to system settings works.

When booting it goes directly to the black desktop without ever asking for any user to login.

I can exit desktop to terminal mode but can't get back to desktop except by reboot. I have tried to use the install/upgrade from dvd to no avail.

Tried command line to make a new user but does not help matters.

twice as confusing for me as I am totally new to linux.

Any ideas? ( I have also posted in Mandriva forum but no results yet )

[MikeTbob]

It sounds to me like your system is really acting up, did you install this yourself? Was it your first install? Did you get any errors while installing?
You are using Mandriva with Gnome Desktop?

[paulkruger]

Yes first install myself. It was working fine. I had installed applications and set up WINE and was able to use most of my windows apps etc. Worked great for better part of a week then this. I am communicating from a second box that has Fedora 11 on it. I am looking at both distros on two machines.

At least with this one working I can switch between to use the web. I just can't copy paste any output from the damaged install to this browser.

[MikeTbob]

Have you tried rebooting? I know that sounds like something for Windows users but give it a shot and see if it straightens itself out. Since this was your first install, maybe you should re-install.

[paulkruger]

Like I said it has worked for a week so has been rebooted many times. Several times just today alone. I prefer to fix if I can because of the apps I have added already. would rather not have to go through all that again if possible

[rokytnji]

Have you done any URMPI source list changes or software/app upgrades. Back when I ran Mandriva it was pretty easy to break a install via rpm hell.

[paulkruger]

I did install a few apps. Everything seemed to go ok however.

[rokytnji]

Any Apps installed from 3rd party Sources?

[paulkruger]

Any Apps installed from 3rd party Sources?

would a third party add-on to Firefox count?

remember in your questions I am new to Linux so won't understand some tech terms.

[rokytnji]

would a third party add-on to Firefox count?

I don't think so. But I am not sure if it would just break firefox if it was incompatible or effect the desktop. When I mean 3rd party sources and apps. You have to go into your repositories listing and add them physically to add the app. When I broke my Mandriva install, it was my fault for not understanding how to maneuver in the page below. Have you used that page yet?
Easy Urpmi