"My Linux went black — here’s how I fixed it without reinstalling"

This week, my Linux laptop booted into… nothing

.

Just a black screen with a blinking mouse cursor.

No login.
No desktop.
No error.

And honestly? I thought I’d have to reinstall Ubuntu — again.

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💡 But I didn’t.

I took a breath, opened a terminal, and got to work.

This newsletter isn’t about flashy tools or big updates — it’s just one quiet fix that saved me hours.

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Here’s what worked:

1. I opened the terminal via:
   Ctrl + Alt + F2

2. I ran:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop gdm3 gnome-shell
sudo systemctl restart gdm3

After that, the login screen came back — just like that.

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What I learned:

• Don’t panic. Most Linux issues are fixable

• Document everything (I use Notion for that now)

• And don’t reinstall unless it’s truly necessary

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📓 I’m now sharing these moments in my dev life here on Substack.
No fluff. Just honest fixes, from real work.

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P.S. Ever faced a black screen like that?
Reply and tell me what saved you 👇

Or subscribe if you want more real-world Linux/dev stories from someone who’s been there.

With love,
Gamila 🖤