Bug#632785: gnome-session: failure to start window manager

[Andreas J. Guelzow]

Subject: gnome-session: failure to start window manager
Package: gnome-session
Version: 2.30.2-3
Severity: important

*** Please type your report below this line ***

After upgrading, logging into a gnome session appears to start a
complete session (panel, nautilus, etc.) but the window manager is
missing. While it is possible to add a windowmanager (metacity) as a
start up appliaction this is not feasible for 200+ users. (This system
is accessed via ltsp from a group of machines in a lab setting). 

There seems to be no pertinent information in the .xsession-error file:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xsession: X session started for aguelzow at Tue Jul  5 15:37:43 MDT 2011
Setting IM through im-switch for locale=en_CA.
Start IM through /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/all_ALL linked
to /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/default.
Couldn't establish a connection to localhost:9202: IO::Socket::INET:
connect: Connection refused
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y
GPG_AGENT_INFO=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y/gpg:0:1
GNOME_KEYRING_PID=5267
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y
GPG_AGENT_INFO=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y/gpg:0:1
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y/ssh
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y
GPG_AGENT_INFO=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y/gpg:0:1
SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y/ssh
GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y
GPG_AGENT_INFO=/tmp/keyring-yVZO6y/gpg:0:1
x-session-manager[5256]: WARNING: Could not launch application
'gnome-volume-manager.desktop': Unable to start application: Failed to
execute child process
"/usr/lib/gnome-volume-manager/gnome-volume-manager" (No such file or
directory)
x-session-manager[5256]: WARNING: Could not launch application
'hplip-systray.desktop': Unable to start application: Failed to execute
child process "hp-systray" (No such file or directory)
Connection failure: Invalid argument
Initializing nautilus-gdu extension
Initializing nautilus-open-terminal extension

** (nautilus:5309): WARNING **: Can not calculate
_NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS

** (nautilus:5309): WARNING **: Can not calculate
_NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS

** (nautilus:5309): WARNING **: Can not get _NET_WORKAREA

** (nautilus:5309): WARNING **: Can not determine workarea, guessing at
layout

** (bluetooth-applet:5329): WARNING **: Could not open RFKILL control
device, please verify your installation

(gdu-notification-daemon:5321): libgdu-WARNING **: unhandled property
'DeviceAutomountHint'

(gdu-notification-daemon:5321): libgdu-WARNING **: unhandled property
'DeviceAutomountHint'

(gdu-notification-daemon:5321): libgdu-WARNING **: unhandled property
'DeviceAutomountHint'

(gdu-notification-daemon:5321): libgdu-WARNING **: unhandled property
'DeviceAutomountHint'

(gdu-notification-daemon:5321): libgdu-WARNING **: unhandled property
'DeviceAutomountHint'

** (gnome-volume-control-applet:5328): WARNING **:
pa_context_get_card_info_by_index() failed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

metacity appears to be set as window manager:

aguelzow at opteron2:~$ ls -l /etc/alternatives/*window*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 17 May  1
2009 /etc/alternatives/x-window-manager -> /usr/bin/metacity
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 33 May  1
2009 /etc/alternatives/x-window-manager.1.gz
-> /usr/share/man/man1/metacity.1.gz

-- System Information:
Debian Release: wheezy/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (1000, 'unstable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-3-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_CA.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_CA.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages gnome-session depends on:
ii  gnome-panel                   2.30.2-4   launcher and docking
facility for
ii  gnome-session-bin             2.30.2-3   The GNOME Session Manager -
Minima
ii  gnome-session-common          2.30.2-3   Common files for the GNOME
session
ii  gnome-settings-daemon         2.30.2-3   daemon handling the GNOME
session
ii  metacity                      1:2.34.0-1 lightweight GTK+ window
manager
ii  mutter                        3.0.2.1-1  lightweight GTK+ window
manager
ii  nautilus                      2.30.1-3   file manager and graphical
shell f
ii  policykit-1-gnome             0.101-2    GNOME authentication agent
for Pol

Versions of packages gnome-session recommends:
ii  gnome-power-manager           2.32.0-2   power management tool for
the GNOM

Versions of packages gnome-session suggests:
ii  desktop-base                  6.0.6      common files for the Debian
Deskto
ii  gnome-keyring                 3.0.3-2    GNOME keyring services
(daemon and
ii  gnome-user-guide              2.30.1-1   GNOME user's guide

-- no debconf information