Re: URGENT: my gnome desktop is dead

[Jon Dowland <jon.dowland@ncl.ac.uk>]

>   This morning I switched my laptop on, as usual, but
>   after logging in (using gdm), gnome only shows me the
>   tomboy window.  No panels, no background, no icons ...
>
>    Yesterday I regularly switched off the laptop. I did
>    not upgrade the system recently (I'm running sid).
>
>
>I have no idea on where to start debugging the problem.

Is there anything written to ~/.xsession-errors after
login? Switch to a VT (CTRL+ALT+F1 say, and CTRL+ALT+F7 to
switch back) and log in to check the file.

Have the gnome packages been removed by accident?
gnome-panel, nautilus, gnome-session are key ones.

Try launching e.g. gnome-terminal from the console and
seeing if it displayed:

<switch to VT1, login>
$ export DISPLAY=:0
$ gnome-terminal
<switch back to VT7, is the terminal present?>

>    I need your help because today I really need to work
>    and I do not want to loose my job for that F... gnome.
>
>    By the way what is a stable functional alternative to
>    gnome, excluding kde?

Gnome in Stable, as appose to anything in sid. Suggestion:
if your job is riding on your computer being in a
functional state, *RUN STABLE*.



-- 
Jon Dowland