How do I use LightDM with GNOME3?

Question

I just installed GNOME3 following the steps from another question

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell

then installed lightdm, tried starting it and got a blank screen, what did I do wrong?

sudo apt-get install lightdm
sudo lightdm

then blank screen (is this normal?) ... restarted (using power button, is this blank screen normal?), selected Ubuntu GNOME Shell Desktop got "Failed to load sesson Gnome" tried Ubuntu and got "Failed to load session ubuntu" ...

This is a fresh install of Ubuntu 11.04 Server on Virtual Box.

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered May 19 '11 at 08:34

3

This may not work for Installlation and you May Receive a Black Screen. Please Feel Comfortable with using the Recover Console and other methods before attempting to install,

How to install

Source is in Launchpad (bzr clone lp:lightdm) and tarball releases. If you are using Ubuntu (Lucid or Maverick) you can install it from a PPA:

 sudo add-apt-repository ppa:robert-ancell/lightdm
 sudo apt-get update
 sudo apt-get install lightdm lightdm-theme-webkit lightdm-theme-gnome

You can test lightdm by running it in a window:

 sudo apt-get install xserver-xephyr

Create the file lightdm.conf:

 [Greeter]
  theme=webkit
  lightdm –test-mode -c lightdm.conf

LightDM

Install LightDM on Ubuntu

answered May 19 '11 at 08:34

Uri Herrera

14,866

Where do I find/create lightdm.conf? – JM at Work May 19 '11 at 08:39
/etc/init/lightdm.conf – Uri Herrera May 19 '11 at 08:40
1

thanks, I also noticed the PPA I used is different ppa:lightdm-team/ppa from https://launchpad.net/~lightdm-team/+archive/ppa which should I use? I am on natty 11.04 – JM at Work May 19 '11 at 08:46
or /etc/lightdm.conf seems to vary for some people. – Uri Herrera May 19 '11 at 08:46
the PPA you commented has version 0.3.3 the ppa form the article has version 0.3.2 i'd say use the newer one. – Uri Herrera May 19 '11 at 08:48
1

Hi again, sry but, the file has contents in it already, do I just append to it? ... I am still getting the same errors also I seem to be getting the default theme? not the one above in your answer – JM at Work May 19 '11 at 09:07
http://paste.ubuntu.com/609983/ try with the contents in the link – Uri Herrera May 19 '11 at 09:10
1

though honestly seems to be very unstable right now, i would use SLIM instead seems to be easier to get it to work – Uri Herrera May 19 '11 at 09:18

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 19 '11 at 22:41

1

after installing I tried

sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm

selected lightdm, rebooted and it is now working.

Yes, it did show blank black screen while i was trying

sudo stop gdm
sudo start lightdm

sudo lightdm

answered Jun 19 '11 at 22:41

int_ua

8,574

How do I use LightDM with GNOME3?

2 Answers2

This may not work for Installlation and you May Receive a Black Screen. Please Feel Comfortable with using the Recover Console and other methods before attempting to install,