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Around Aug 15,2018, I upgraded from 16.04LTS to 18.04LTS using, IIRC, the gui shown here:

https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/tutorial-upgrading-ubuntu-desktop?_ga=2.85153881.1518174303.1535755443-1996780387.1511607668#3

I also remember making some change which enabling printing to the console extensive boot info.

However, when booting, the console messages sometimes stop at:

[ OK ] Started Console Manager. tion 45s after completed startup. Starting Update UTMP about System Runlevel...

but other times (most recently) the console boot msgs stop at:

[ OK ] Started Daily apt download activities

I've googled and read and tried several solutions, none of which work. In particular, I've tried solutions posted on following urls:

Upgrade from 14.04 "Started Update UTMP about System Runlevel Changes"

While booting stops at Started Update UTMP about System Runlevel Changes

as well as solutions posted on several other urls. I've also got a text file logging my attempts, but that's > 800 lines long. A link to the log file is here:

https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/pHvdcrNfKw/

At around 800 of that file, it shows I no longer have a write home directory. That may have something to do with the (probably rash) attempt at avoiding the login msgs containing:

Could not find key

That attempt involved simple renaming instead of deleting the ~/.Private and ~/.ecryptfs files.

Are the files in my home directory lost forever (except for the backups)?

On yesterday, was able to recover my home directory by reinstalling ecryptfs-utils and then using ecryptfs-mount-private; however, still getting the message (in /var/kernel.log) about not finding key and still no gui login screen appears.

Tried solutions described from here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ecryptfs-utils/+bug/1718658

in particular the keyctl link @u @s command, but that made no difference.

On 2018-09-13, found this page:

How to Encrypt /home on Ubuntu 18.04?

which, in a comment by SunnyDaze, said:

can't mount it new because "encrypt home folder" option is gone now from the installer? We can't even log in.

which sounds a lot like my problem. Will look further on that page for answers.

user1681377
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1 Answers1

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After a regular update my UBUNTU 16.04 LTS asked me if I wanted to install UBUNTU 18.04 LTS. I agreed, and installation started. There were no problems until booting stopped at the console message mentioned above.
Using GRUB V2.02, during the next try I selected "ubuntu - advanced options - recovery mode" from the menus. The screens switched to VGA resolution 640*480, and boot continued until recovery menu showed up. When I selected "Resume normal boot", the system booted without problems and started up finally with the correct screen resolution.
It seems to me that the reduced VGA resolution during boot time in recovery mode is the workaround for this error.

abu_bua
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Kurt Lukas
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  • See next comments (don't know how to delete comment). – user1681377 Sep 11 '18 at 15:42
  • Thanks Kurt; however, I tried that, but after selecting "Resume normal boot', the console displayed messages quickly (I assume boot messages), and then redisplayed the menu with "Resume normal boot". Repeated that selection. Still no change. I'm lost :( – user1681377 Sep 11 '18 at 15:45
  • Kurt, I should also add that before I followed your suggestions, I'd solved the problem about no home directory by using ecrypt-mount-private and rebooting. I've no idea whether that change is relevant. – user1681377 Sep 11 '18 at 16:48