What is the command to display the desktop GUI?

[MacsandaPi]

I’m trying to get my Pi2B (early version) with Stretch to boot into an external hard drive. It boots to the “Welcome to the Raspberry Pi Desktop” splash screen, but doesn’t follow to the desktop GUI. Instead, the screen shows “pi@raspberrypi: ~$" with a blinking cursor, waiting for a command.

I’ve tried “startx”, which produces a scrolling list, but ends with the line “pi@raspberrypi: ~$” and blinking cursor.

What command(s) should I use to get to the desktop GUI?

Many thanks for your help.

[PeterO]

Which version of stretch have you installed ?
PeterO

[B.Goode]

Code: Select all

 startlxde-pi 

As @Peter implies, this does require that you have installed a full, with Desktop, version of Raspbian. It won't work without extra work on a Lite, gui-less, installation.

[MacsandaPi]

Which version of stretch have you installed ?
PeterO

2018-03-13-raspbian-stretch

[MacsandaPi]

Code: Select all

 startlxde-pi 

As @Peter implies, this does require that you have installed a full, with Desktop, version of Raspbian. It won't work without extra work on a Lite, gui-less, installation.

Entering the command

Code: Select all

startlxde-pi

ends with: “(lxsession:2232: Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:” and returns to the “pi@raspberrypi:~$” and blinking cursor.

Now what?

[MacsandaPi]

Which version of stretch have you installed ?
PeterO

It's the latest Raspbian Stretch with Desktop

[PeterO]

Well at least that's confirmed you haven't installed the "lite" version without the desktop !
Did you try to run it from just the sdcard before trying to move the root filesystem to a hard disk ?
PeterO

[MacsandaPi]

Well at least that's confirmed you haven't installed the "lite" version without the desktop !
Did you try to run it from just the sdcard before trying to move the root filesystem to a hard disk ?
PeterO

Yes, it booted fine from the SD card.

[PeterO]

How did you move the root filesystem to the external hard disk ?
PeterO

[MacsandaPi]

How did you move the root filesystem to the external hard disk ?
PeterO

I used Etcher to copy the Stretch.zip file to the external hard drive.

[PeterO]

What have you put in /etc/fstab and /boot/cmdline.txt ?

[MacsandaPi]

What have you put in /etc/fstab and /boot/cmdline.txt ?

After booting successfully from the SD card, I plugged the HD into the Pi and copied the root=PARTUUID of the HD to /boot/cmdline.txt. I didn't make any changes in/etc/fstab.

The following link is to my related post on this problem in the Beginners Forum. Maybe you'll find some useful information there that will aid your troubleshooting.viewtopic.php?f=91&t=208352

Am very grateful for your willingness to help me. This is a frustrating exercise for me because I had an early version of Jessie that was set up with no difficulties with this same external drive.

[PeterO]

Ok, well you've used RonR's script (which I don't think is necessary) so you better go back to that thread as I can't help you if his script has broken your system.

I have a Pi 2B v1.1 that I just upgraded to Stretch and that has / on a usb hdd. I can't look at it right now, but I'll fire it up in the morning to see how it is configured.

PeterO

[MacsandaPi]

Ok, well you've used RonR's script (which I don't think is necessary) so you better go back to that thread as I can't help you if his script has broken your system.

I’m not knowledgeable enough to say if RonR’s scripts had any negative effect on my system; I would tend to think not, because the problem I’m experiencing now (boot process not continuing past the initial “Welcome to the Raspberry Pi Desktop” splash screen), occurred before I ran his scripts.

I have a Pi 2B v1.1 that I just upgraded to Stretch and that has / on a usb hdd. I can't look at it right now, but I'll fire it up in the morning to see how it is configured.

PeterO

Thank you. I would be very grateful for any additional help you could provide.

The boot process stops with the system displaying in a console (terminal) mode. That is, I can use commands to list files, access raspsi-config, check the kernel version, re-boot, shutdown, etc. So the system seems to work in that regard…it’s just that I don’t know how to tell it to go into the desktop GUI.