Bug 700276

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #698184 +++

Description of problem:
Boot from a F15 live image (such as one of those posted at https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Test_Day:2011-04-21_GNOME3_Final ), log in as liveuser, open a terminal, run gnome-session-properties, check the box "Automatically remember running applications when logging out", log out and back in. Although running applications in the first workspace are still there, there is no trace of the top panel, the Super key doesn't work, and no obvious way to fix things.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
any recent version (such as the one in F15 Beta)

How reproducible:
always

Additional info:
Reproduced in two different machines which are Gnome shell-capable. Oddly, seems to work fine in fallback mode (for example in a VM). I also saw this earlier with the F15 Beta desktop live image (see http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/test/2011-April/098797.html ). At the time, there were a large number of updates, and I didn't have enough memory to apply them all in a live session, so thought maybe it was already fixed. Appears now that it's not.

--- Additional comment from awilliam on 2011-04-20 11:02:07 EDT ---

Adjusted summary: it's not using g-s-p that's the problem, but session saving (you also hit the bug if you enable session saving without using g-s-p, and you *don't* hit the bug if you just use g-s-p to set up autostart).

Proposing as F15 blocker; importantly, we should check what happens if you upgrade with this preference set.

--- Additional comment from jlaska on 2011-04-21 15:50:12 EDT ---

Discussed at 2011-04-21 blocker review meeting (http://meetbot.fedoraproject.org/fedora-bugzappers/2011-04-21/f15-blocker-review.2011-04-21-17.00.html) ...

AGREED: 698184 - AcceptedNTH - further testing of F14->F15 upgrades may elevate to AcceptedBlocker
ACTION: jlaska - test F14->F15 upgrade 698184

--- Additional comment from robatino on 2011-04-22 04:11:44 EDT ---

If this isn't fixed by Final, I hope there will be well-publicized instructions so people hit by this can recover a usable system. I still don't know how to do it. (Presumably it's a matter of going to a VT and deleting/editing some files, I don't know which ones, and most casual users wouldn't either.)

--- Additional comment from awilliam on 2011-04-22 11:19:09 EDT ---

you have to poke some setting in gconf or dconf/gsettings, I believe.

--- Additional comment from robatino on 2011-04-22 12:44:31 EDT ---

This was recently reported upstream at https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=647359 and the same fix works here: go to a VT, rm ~/.config/gnome-session-saved-session/*, go back to the GUI, restart X with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, log in again.

--- Additional comment from robatino on 2011-04-22 12:53:14 EDT ---

Sorry, I meant "rm ~/.config/gnome-session/saved-session/*".

--- Additional comment from robatino on 2011-04-22 13:31:21 EDT ---

Jlaska: Note that https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=647359#c1 says "this happens when upgrading from gnome 2.32 to gnome 3.0.0" so it will probably happen on a F14->F15 upgrade as well. I'd test it but it requires gnome shell (not fallback) which I can't get in a VM.

--- Additional comment from jlaska on 2011-04-26 07:36:32 EDT ---

I just tested this issue and wasn't able to reproduce the failure on upgrade.

= Steps to Reproduce =

1) Installed F-14 with updates
2) Configured session auto-saving and saved firefox and gnome-terminal so they start on login
3) Logout and login to confirm session savings works
4) Ran preupgrade to get to F15
5) Logged in after preupgrade

= Actual Results =

* Gnome-shell starts and launches firefox and gnome-terminal

= Additional information =

* install.log:Installing gnome-session-2.32.0-1.fc14.x86_64
* upgrade.log:Upgrading gnome-session-3.0.0-1.fc15.x86_64

--- Additional comment from jlaska on 2011-04-26 07:55:52 EDT ---

Created attachment 494887 [details]
$HOME/.config/gnome-session/saved-session/gnome-shell.desktop

(In reply to comment #8)
> I just tested this issue and wasn't able to reproduce the failure on upgrade.

I take that back.  The first login after upgrade works just fine.  Any subsequent logins are impacted by this issue.  The only way I can get a working desktop *after* the first successful login is to remove $HOME/.config/gnome-session/saved-session/gnome-shell.desktop

Attaching $HOME/.config/gnome-session/saved-session/gnome-shell.desktop for inspection.  According to upstream GNOME bug#647359 (see https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=647359#c7), the problem is that the attached file calls mutter, not gnome-shell.

--- Additional comment from jlaska on 2011-04-26 08:06:03 EDT ---

Given that this bug is impacted by upgrades (F14->F15), and according to the Beta criteria [1] "...The upgraded system must meet all release criteria".  I think this issue is worth considering as a Final release blocker.  

During the last blocker review [2], there were mixed votes on whether this would be considered a release blocker if it was impacting upgrades.  Given that we know upgrades are impacted by this issue ... should this be considered a release blocker?

[1] https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_15_Beta_Release_Criteria
[2] http://meetbot.fedoraproject.org/fedora-bugzappers/2011-04-21/f15-blocker-review.2011-04-21-17.00.html

--- Additional comment from jaredsmith on 2011-04-27 05:16:44 EDT ---

This certainly looks like a blocker to me.  It's got my vote to find itself on the blocker list.

--- Additional comment from awilliam on 2011-04-27 10:59:00 EDT ---

given the consequences on upgrade with what's likely to be a reasonably common option, +1 blocker.

--- Additional comment from mclasen on 2011-04-27 12:40:04 EDT ---

See https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=645539 for the proposed workaround

--- Additional comment from mclasen on 2011-04-27 21:21:50 EDT ---

Ah, turns out that the workaround doesn't actually work around anything...
The problem is that the libmutter conversion of gnome-shell did not update the session management support. So you now start /usr/bin/gnome-shell, but it still sets a restart command that runs /usr/bin/mutter