I am still trying without much success to get a desktop on my minimal + virtualization install of a CentOS-6.3 kvm host. When I run startx I get a desktop but other than the icons for computer, home and trash there is nothing displayed. I can right click the mouse and from there I can open a terminal window and creat a folder on the desktop but I have no title bar and no status bar. There are no drop down menus for applications, system or anything else.

This is the content of my env:

env | sort _=/bin/env COLORTERM=gnome-terminal CVS_RSH=ssh DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=/tmp/dbus-tComprYFWO,guid=d2919a7fcf4b75fd97d539fe00000062 DISPLAY=:0.0 G_BROKEN_FILENAMES=1 GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID=this-is-deprecated GNOME_KEYRING_SOCKET=/tmp/keyring-Q8NLAk/socket GTK_RC_FILES=/etc/gtk/gtkrc:/root/.gtkrc-1.2-gnome2 HISTCONTROL=ignoredups HISTSIZE=1000 HOME=/root HOSTNAME=vhost04.hamilton.harte-lyne.ca LANG=en_US.UTF-8 LESSOPEN=|/usr/bin/lesspipe.sh %s LOGNAME=root LS_COLORS=. . . *.xspf=01;36: MAIL=/var/spool/mail/root ORBIT_SOCKETDIR=/tmp/orbit-root PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/root/bin PWD=/root/Desktop SESSION_MANAGER=local/unix:@/tmp/.ICE-unix/2690,unix/unix:/tmp/.ICE-unix/2690 SHELL=/bin/bash SHLVL=3 SSH_AGENT_PID=2691 SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/keyring-Q8NLAk/socket.ssh TERM=xterm USER=root WINDOWID=29365969 WINDOWPATH=7 XAUTHORITY=/root/.Xauthority XDG_SESSION_COOKIE=2a071ee033f2806e361d3a1300000010-1349440548.28361-792141036

I have installed the following packages via yum:

reinstall gnome-desktop-2.28.2-9.el6.centos.x86_64 install gdm-1:2.30.4-33.el6_2.x86_64 groupinstall "x window system" groupinstall "general purpose desktop" install gnome-desktop

ps shows these active processes that appear to pertain to the window session:

root 2651 2623 0 08:35 tty1 00:00:00 /bin/sh /usr/bin/startx root 2667 2651 0 08:35 tty1 00:00:00 xinit /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc -- /usr/bin/X :0 -auth /root/.serverauth.2651 root 2668 2667 1 08:35 tty7 00:00:20 /usr/bin/X :0 -auth /root/.serve rauth.2651 root 2674 2667 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/ck-xinit-session /usr/b in/ssh-agent /etc/X11/xinit/Xclients root 2681 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-w ith-session root 2682 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:01 /bin/dbus-daemon --fork --print- pid 5 --print-address 7 --session root 2690 2674 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/gnome-session root 2691 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/ssh-agent /etc/X11/xini t/Xclients root 2698 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/devkit-power-daemon root 2721 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gnome-settings-daem on root 2724 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 seahorse-daemon root 2725 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 gnome-keyring-daemon --start root 2729 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfsd root 2735 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec//gvfs-fuse-daemon / root/.gvfs root 2745 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:01 metacity root 2756 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:02 nautilus root 2759 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 gnome-power-manager root 2763 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 gnome-volume-control-applet root 2764 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gdu-notification-da emon root 2767 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/polkit-gnome-authen tication-agent-1 root 2770 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/udisks-daemon root 2773 2690 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 bluetooth-applet root 2775 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/polkit-1/polkitd root 2776 2770 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 udisks-daemon: polling /dev/sr0 root 2784 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/restorecond -u root 2786 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfsd-trash --spawn er :1.8 /org/gtk/gvfs/exec_spaw/0 root 2788 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfs-gdu-volume-mon itor root 2790 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfs-gphoto2-volume -monitor root 2792 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfs-afc-volume-mon itor root 2798 1 0 08:35 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfsd-burn --spawne r :1.8 /org/gtk/gvfs/exec_spaw/1 root 2801 1 0 08:36 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfsd-computer --sp awner :1.8 /org/gtk/gvfs/exec_spaw/2 root 2805 1 0 08:36 ? 00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gvfsd-metadata root 2821 1 0 08:37 ? 00:00:03 /usr/bin/gnome-terminal -x /bin/ sh -c cd '/root/Desktop' && exec $SHELL root 2822 2821 0 08:37 ? 00:00:00 gnome-pty-helper root 2823 2821 0 08:37 pts/0 00:00:00 /bin/bash root 2841 1 0 08:37 ? 00:00:00 seahorse-daemon

So what is it that I am missing? What other step is required to get my 'normal' gnome desktop with the utilities ans such displayed in the title bar?