[It made me pick a "component" in the component field above but I've no idea really] I guess something in my user configs/settings is killing Plasmashell 5.3. Did it get corrupted? from terminal~$ killall plasmashell; plasmashell returns kf5.kiconthemes: "Theme tree: (Breeze)" Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_wallpaperimages.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_share.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_plasmashell.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_wallpaper.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_layoutemplate.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_lookandfeel.so" instead. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/LayoutTemplate" not found Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 185: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 247: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 279: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 301: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 386: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 466: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 533: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 627: saw number, expected matrix Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 1309: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 1440: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "~/.fonts.conf", line 1518: Having multiple values in <test> isn't supported and may not work as expected Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/50-user.conf", line 14: reading configurations from ~/.fonts.conf is deprecated. please move it to /home/meika/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf manually Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_wallpaperimages.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_share.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_plasmashell.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_wallpaper.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_layoutemplate.so" instead. Calling KPluginInfo::property("X-KDE-PluginInfo-Name") is deprecated, use KPluginInfo::pluginName() in "/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/plasma/packagestructure/plasma_packagestructure_lookandfeel.so" instead. kscreen: launcherDataAvailable: "org.kde.KScreen.Backend.XRandR" kscreen: Launcher finished with exit code 1 , status 0 kscreen: Service for requested backend already running No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.milou" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.plasma.trash" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.plasma.calendar" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.paste" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.contextmenu" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.switchdesktop" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.paste" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.contextmenu" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.switchdesktop" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.plasma.folder" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.plasma.folder" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.paste" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.contextmenu" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.switchdesktop" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.plasma.folder" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Applet" not found No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/Containment" not found Applet "org.kde.plasma.folder" could not be loaded. kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open ksycoca from "/home/meika/.cache/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Trying to open global ksycoca from "/home/meika/.local/share/kservices5/ksycoca5" kf5.kservice.sycoca: Still no database... No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.paste" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.contextmenu" No ksycoca database available! Tried running kbuildsycoca5 ? KServiceTypeTrader: serviceType "Plasma/ContainmentActions" not found offers is empty for "org.kde.switchdesktop" last screen is < 0 so putting containment on screen 1 Containment graphic object not valid Plasma Shell startup completed Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. unknown, 2.last thing I remember was installing Back in Time from Muon Discover 3. multiple re-installs of Kubuntu 15.04 with same computer name or different gives no Plasma after login 1A. killall plasmashell; plasmashell see Details field above Actual Results: Except for applications start after login and from previous session the screen IS COMPLETELY DARK, fortunately alt F2 gives me access to whatever I can remember to run from the command line Expected Results: run the Plasma 5.3 desktop :help:
Check .cache do you have a file owned by root?
in ,cache only ksycoca5 is owned by root (I've installed Gnome BTW)
chown yourusername:yourusername ~/.cache/ksycoca5 and it will all come back *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 342438 ***
excellent advice. Everything back though I did have to add a default panel to the desktop (there were none). thank you very much. I guess it's a mystery how the ownership changed.