Black screen in Ubuntu 14.01 after software update, Macbook Pro

I have Ubuntu 14.04.1 installed as a virtual machine on my 2011 Macbook Pro, on Parallels 9.0.24251. I downloaded the Ubuntu iso file from the Ubuntu site 2 weeks ago. It works perfectly. However, in the normal process of using 'sudo apt-get update', and the GUI sofware update app, Ubuntu downloads a lot of stuff that is more recent than the install iso. When I reboot the VM after the update, the login screen is normal, but after loading the GUI, any new window gives a black screen (with dashes and lines in some cases). All the dock applications generate black screens, although the dock icons themselves are normal. Same is true for the menu bar controls.

The MBP has a Radeon 6770m/Intel hybrid graphics set up. So I presume Ubuntu has downloaded the wrong graphics driver, but it's not clear which of the update files is causing the problem.

I checked the "Additional Drivers' option and there is nothing available, but I suspect Parallels has its own drivers which are being damaged by the Ubuntu update.

Is there a way around this problem?

Additional info: I did the system test suite and the grapgics driver version test reported the following:

ERROR: No video driver loaded! Possibly in failsafe mode!
------------- VIDEO DRIVER INFORMATION -------------
------------- HYBRID GRAPHICS CHECK ----------------
Graphics Chipset: Unknown (1ab8:4005)
Loaded DDX Drivers: prlvideo
Hybrid Graphics: no

The prlvideo DDX reference suggests it's Parallels doing the video, in which case Ubuntu should not interfere, or there should be a way to reinstall the Parallels driver. Is there?

 

Same problem here with 2012 MacBook Air, Parallels 9.0.24251, and Ubuntu 14.04. Downloaded Ubuntu ISO today, worked fine initially. Then ran Software Updater and something broke. Now the login screen is fine, but then I get a black screen, except for the dock and the menu bar. The menu bar is OK but the menus are garbled.

 

Good to know I'm not alone... I logged a problem report and a support request with Parallels.

 

Solved. Here's how to do it. Before you do the software update:

1. close Ubuntu
2. In the Parallels Ubuntu window Virtual Machine > Configure > turn off 3D acceleration
3. Start Ubuntu and log in (the graphics may be a bit sluggish)
4. Do the software update using Software updater
5. Restart Ubuntu after the update

Now it should be working (no black screens) but with sluggish graphics

6. Shutdown Ubuntu
7. In the In the Parallels Ubuntu window Virtual Machine > Configure > turn **ON** 3D acceleration.
8 Restart Ubuntu and log in.

It should now be working.

For further information (and where I got the recipe from) see http://askubuntu.com/questions/404589/ubuntu-13-10-macbook-air-mavericks-parallels-9-black-screen

 

[tried to post this earlier, apparently a different log in name, as it went to a moderator. Hope this doesn't have a similar fate... :-( ]

Solved. Here's how to do it. Before you do the software update:

1. close Ubuntu
2. In the Parallels Ubuntu window Virtual Machine > Configure > turn off 3D acceleration
3. Start Ubuntu and log in (the graphics may be a bit sluggish)
4. Do the software update using Software updater
5. Restart Ubuntu after the update

Now it should be working (no black screens) but with sluggish graphics

6. Shutdown Ubuntu
7. In the In the Parallels Ubuntu window Virtual Machine > Configure > turn **ON** 3D acceleration.
8 Restart Ubuntu and log in.

It should now be working.

For further information (and where I got the recipe from) see http://askubuntu.com/questions/404589/ubuntu-13-10-macbook-air-mavericks-parallels-9-black-screen

 

Yes, that worked for me. I built a new 14.04 VM, turned off 3D acceleration, ran Software Updater. All seemed well. Turned 3D acceleration back on, everything still OK. Discarded my old 14.04 VM with the black screen.

Next time I might use Safe Mode before running Software Updater.

 

Hi d.c.nicholls,

Glad that your issue was resolved and thank you for sharing it with us.

 

I had the same problem. Instead of creating a new VM, I shut down the VM, turned off 3D accel, booted, shutdown and re-enabled 3D accel. Everything seems to be working fine.

 

Thanks Brendon_Bolin your hint saved me a lot of time. No need to create a new VM. Just shut down the VM, turn 3D acceleration off, boot Ubuntu VM, shut down and re-enable 3D.

 

This doesn't work for me. If I turn off 3D acceleration Ubuntu goes into a login loop and I can't login to do the update.

 

@htmanning please generate the problem report right after the issue reproduced and reply us back with the report ID number.

 

I have the same issue. I created 328034951 .

The problem re-appeered at least with the latest two updates to Parallels Desktop. After installing (updating) Parallels Tools in an Ubuntu guest OS, it refuses to boot properly. It gets stuck, blinking the screen occasionally during boot sequence. The latest entry in the boot sequence is "Gnome Display Manager".
If I disable 3D acceleration, Ubuntu boots. Even re-installing the Parallels tools with 3D disabled does not solve the problem. Only re-installing Ubuntu does - but after Parallels receives an update, the problem reappears - effectively requiring the guest OS to be re-installed every time Parallels is updated. Very aggravating.

 

"blinking the screen" - it is X11 crashed in cycle, due to incorrect xorg config file.
Xorg config file is created automatically by Parallels Tools installer and located here: /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-prltools.conf
It is started like this:

# Parallels Video section
Section "Device"
Identifier "Parallels Video"
Driver "prlvideo"
EndSection​

................... And so on ..........

This is part of your Xorg-log file:

[ 5.973] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Fri Nov 15 20:00:48 2019
[ 5.974] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 5.975] (==) No Layout section. Using the first Screen section.
[ 5.975] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[ 5.975] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[ 5.975] (**) | |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[ 5.975] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
..................​

But it must looks like this if correct xorg config used:

[ 171.280] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Tue Dec 17 15:10:55 2019
[ 171.386] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[ 171.459] (==) ServerLayout "DefaultLayout"
[ 171.460] (**) |-->Screen "Parallels Screen" (0)
[ 171.460] (**) | |-->Monitor "Parallels Monitor"
[ 171.460] (**) | |-->Device "Parallels Video"
......................​

Probably, there is some application (automatic configurator) in your Ubuntu VM that remove this file (or created another config file with higher priority)

 

Thanks for the hint. I think the problem was umask 027 set in .bashrc. Removing that seems to have solved it.

 

At least /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-prltools.conf had rw-r----- as rights. Manually changing them with chmod did not help, so I suspect the umask screwed up something else too.