Ubuntu boots on terminal only, how do I recover the GUI desktop?

Question

Where is my Ubuntu desktop? Its booting and going always default to terminal screen, if i press Ctrl+Alt+F7 still in terminal Ctrl+Alt+F1 still in terminal.

No GUI, how do I recover it?

EDIT:

sun@e700gent:/etc/X11$ sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop
[sudo] password for sun: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  libcdio-paranoia1 packagekit-backend-aptcc gdebi-core libxrandr-ltsq2 linux-headers-3.5.0-23-generic linux-headers-3.5.0-23 libcdio-cdda1 libllvm3.1
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 209 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/4,016 B of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ... 230006 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace ubuntu-desktop 1.267.1 (using .../ubuntu-desktop_1.267.1_amd64.deb) ...
Unpacking replacement ubuntu-desktop ...
Setting up ubuntu-desktop (1.267.1) ...

sun@e700gent:~$ unity --reset
WARNING: no DISPLAY variable set, setting it to :0

(process:2541): GConf-WARNING **: Client failed to connect to the D-BUS daemon:
//bin/dbus-launch terminated abnormally with the following error: Autolaunch error: X11 initialization failed.

WARNING: environment is incorrect: No D-BUS daemon running

Did you just try to reset in a tty?
unity-panel-service: no process found
compiz (core) - Fatal: Couldn't open display :0




sun@e700gent:~$ sudo startx
[sudo] password for sun: 


X.Org X Server 1.11.3
Release Date: 2011-12-16
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.42-37-generic x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux e700gent 3.5.0-36-generic #57~precise1-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 20 18:21:09 UTC 2013 x86_64
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-36-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=68af0547-17ed-4a85-8369-244d57223f91 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
Build Date: 11 April 2013  01:05:39PM
xorg-server 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.13 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support) 
Current version of pixman: 0.24.4
    Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
    to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
    (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
    (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Jul 16 17:37:57 2013
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"

Fatal server error:
no screens found

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
     at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 
Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.

 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log
Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.

EDIT:

It seems like solving this problem is like rocket science, its unfixed. Instead of wasting time debugging it, i finally re-install the ubuntu.

Answer 1

Try this. Just press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard to open Terminal. When it opens, run the command(s) below:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop

Answer 2

Follow below instructions:

1. sudo dpkg --configure -a
2. sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop
3. restart your computer and go to desktop

Answer 3

when I encounter this on my machine I simply delete the /etc/X11/xorg.conf and restart the system. BUT - I always make backups! :)

Answer 4

What display manager did you have before? Go to protected mode as root with Ctrl + Alt + F1 Then try reinstalling the following packages:

apt-get install --reinstall xorg-xserver*
apt-get install --reinstall gdm
apt-get install --reinstall unity

In case you have a different display manager than gdm, type kdm or lightdm.

I once had that too - regarding nvidia-drivers ...

Answer 5

What worked for me were the following two commands and then rebooting

sudo apt install xorg
sudo apt-get install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop

Answer 6

There was posted in Ubuntu-forum this here to solve the problem after

"Stopping userspace bootsplash" appears like in your boot-log:

With the proprietary drivers installed they did the following:

Ctrl + Alt + F1 (To open up a terminal) and after login:

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get autoclean

sudo apt-get autoremove

sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh -a

reboot

Entered Grub recovery mode and selected "repair damaged packages"

reboot

Hold Shift to get to grub menu hit E to enter temporary changes into grub place 'vmalloc=192MB' next to quiet splash

F10

And problem now solved ?!

They then made the change permanent by editing the /etc/default/grub to include:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash vmalloc=192MB"

Maybe this solves your problem ? Let me know !

Answer 7

I had the same problem, and none of the solutions posted here worked.
What worked for me is the following:

     sudo apt-get upgrade
     sudo reboot

Commands such as apt-get update where not working before reboot. After rebooting I opened a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and updated everything

    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

and everything seems to work fine.

Answer 8

I recently got this problem. So the problem is, changing the default display manager or deleting the daemon associated with it. My default display manager was gdm3, but mistakenly I installed xdm and hence while installation I choose xdm. But when I understood the problem, I removed xdm hoping the default would go back to gdm3, but it didn't go. Instead I got a terminal screen popping uo each time I login. It was frustrating at first, but just a singlr line will make it work...

sudo apt install xdm

When the window to choose the default display manager pop up, choose gdm3 ( yes it was still present) and press ok. Now reboot the system to put a smile on your face.

Answer 9

If you have a gui installed and it boots to command line, then you can use the following command:

sudo service lightdm start