No desktop after latest updates (Jun 16, 2023)

[rqkeating]

I took 2 updates (via Discover) yesterday (June 16.)  Now my log in screen is correctly in landscape mode, but after logging in, there is no Plasma desktop.  There is just a black screen with the mouse cursor. 

I can move the mouse cursor around.
Ctrl + Alt + F1 takes me back to the log in screen but this time the log in screen is vertical.  The dots are in  the password box, but I can't re-enter a password there.
Ctrl +Alt + F2 appears to be the blank screen where I logged in.
Ctrl + Alt + F3 brings up a terminal where I can log in.

I am surprised at the F1 F2 terminal behavior.  I am used to F1 being the main one.

Any ideas on how I can recover?

[rqkeating]

After multiple power cycles (where the log in screen appeared horizontal,) the login screen one time appeared vertical and if I logged in on that screen, then everything worked.

[chzbacon]

I've had this issue a couple of times after updates or adding/removing accounts. One thing that has worked for me is to delete the .config directory that's within your user's home directory.

Hope this helps.

[rqkeating]

Although deleting .config is a little heavy handed, I did it and was able to restart without issue. However, today, once again it took multiple tries of powering on before I got the desktop. Assuming a config file setting is causing this, any idea which one?

[chzbacon]

Yeah, deleting .config isn't the ideal. I poked around a bit today and it seemed like everytime I pinned multiple apps to the taskbar I would have an issue where after I logged in the taskbar would never load / kept crashing. Causing the display to blink black and then show the desktop wallpaper. This would just continue to happen.

After poking around I stumbled on a configuration file in the .config directory in the user's home folder. It looks like it's the config for the taskbar. 

Code:

home/user/.config/plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc

I was able to remove a few apps from this line and after a reboot I was able to login. I'm not sure if/how this may be related but it seemed to work for me. I did pin a bunch of apps after having this issue and so far the last few reboots have been fine. Hopefully it will work for you as well without having to delete the .config directory.

Code:

[Containments][2][Applets][5][Configuration][General]

launchers=applications:systemsettings.desktop,applications:org.kde.discover.desktop,preferred://filemanager,applications:org.kde.angelfish.desktop,applications:firefox.desktop

[rqkeating]

There was talk on Discord that I may have a PT2 with a bad (incorrect?) image causing this problem and that I should re-flash. I did that and things look good, but since the problem was hit or miss, I'll have to wait to see.

The image I flashed doesn't have a clock or notification section on the bottom right of the panel. The image I had when I received the PT2 did have those. That might be a good way to tell what image you have.