<div dir="ltr">If you are able to install it, you could use 'Synaptic Package Manager'. That is what we all had to use in the earlier days before Ubuntu created the 'Software Centre', I still use it sometimes when I'm doing something that's not so straight forward. Synaptic, being a GUI, does give you a good idea what packages are available and you can do 'reinstalls' as well as adding & removing software and repairing broken packages. The name of 'Synaptic' is 'synaptic-pkexec' and, once installed, resides in /usr/bin/.<div>
<br></div><div>Mint does use the Ubuntu repositories, as well as its own, but, as you say, there is the Mint Debian edition. I think that is an insurance policy lest they find it difficult to use Ubuntu at some time in the future. Atm Canonical aren't happy about them using Ubuntu binaries for things like the 'Mint Box'.<div>
<br></div><div>Just remember, next time you do an install, not go for the easy install, but to put your Home directory, at least, on a separate partition - this can all be taken care of during the install. Also, a swap partition at least the size of RAM on your machine. If you do that you won't have all this backing up to do as you'll just keep your home directory when you do an reinstall.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I don't know how much you know about the configuration files etc. but there are what I call 'dot' directories in your home directory. You can see them in the terminal by typing 'ls -la' or by typing 'Ctrl H' in the Mint's Nemo file manager (fork of Nautilus). The directory names are preceded by a '.' .If you backup these files you can return them to a new install and have all your application preferences restored.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Hopefully, that gives you a bit to go on with.</div><div><br></div><div>Brian</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 5 January 2014 23:05, David Bolton <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:david@nucleon.co.uk" target="_blank">david@nucleon.co.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<div>Many thanks Brian,<br>
<br>
This is v14.1 - which is still mainly based on Ubuntu repos, I
think (they seem to be gradually moving towards vanilla Debian)<br>
<br>
But it does have apt too. I've tried using apt to install a new
apt-get but that failed. I'll have another go when I've got time.
Purging may well be necessary first - the command seems to be part
of the "apt" collection too.<br>
<br>
But I need to do some more backing up before I do anything more
drastic.... ;-)<br>
<br>
Dave<div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On 05/01/14 21:27, Brian A wrote:<br>
</div></div></div><div><div class="h5">
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px">Afaik
the Ubuntu Software Centre uses apt-get. I would expect the
Mint one to be similar - though I know that the GUI interface
on Mint is different. Hence it will hang if, as you say,
apt-get is not working.</span>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px">
Sometimes it is best to uninstall packages and start again. In
this case you need to 'apt-get purge' to get rid of the
settings, as well as apt-get remove. If apt get has been
corrupted that I'm not sure what you can do to get it back.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px">While
I am typing this there are probably others doing the same. You
could see if 'aptitude' is there and try using that to do an
install, but I think that was left out of the Ubuntu repos so
it probably isn't in Mint either - but worth a try.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px">You
can also try 'dpkg PACKAGENAME' to reconfigure packages.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px">I
don't know how you do your installs but it is wise to put your
home folder on a separate partition. That way it is not much
bother at all to reinstall and you still have all your
settings. I tend to try stuff out on my working system instead
of using VirtualBox - occasionally I've trashed the system and
I just do a reinstall - it is hardly any trouble at all.</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 5 January 2014 21:25, Brian A <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bradlug@techchico.org.uk" target="_blank">bradlug@techchico.org.uk</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">Afaik the Ubuntu Software Centre uses
apt-get. I would expect the Mint one to be similar -
though I know that the GUI interface on Mint is different.
Hence it will hang if, as you say, apt-get is not working.
<div>
Sometimes it is best to uninstall packages and start
again. In this case you need to 'apt-get purge' to get
rid of the settings, as well as apt-get remove. If apt
get has been corrupted that I'm not sure what you can do
to get it back.</div>
<div>While I am typing this there are probably others
doing the same. You could see if 'aptitude' is there and
try using that to do an install, but I think that was
left out of the Ubuntu repos so it probably isn't in
Mint either - but worth a try.</div>
<div>You can also try 'dpkg PACKAGENAME' to reconfigure
packages.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I don't know how you do your installs but it is wise
to put your home folder on a separate partition. That
way it is not much bother at all to reinstall and you
still have all your settings. I tend to try stuff out on
my working system instead of using VirtualBox -
occasionally I've trashed the system and I just do a
reinstall - it is hardly any trouble at all.</div>
<span><font color="#888888">
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Brian</div>
</font></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 5 January 2014 21:10,
David Bolton <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:david@nucleon.co.uk" target="_blank">david@nucleon.co.uk</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi
Folks,<br>
<br>
Hoping that you will be able to point me in the
right direction ;-)<br>
<br>
I appear to have borked my Software Manager
utility in Mint (mintinstall.py)<br>
<br>
I was trying to uninstall GnuPG - and during the
process the program hung. After cancelling, and
restarting, it now always hangs when I select a
package in order to see details/reviews.<br>
<br>
I have tried reinstalling mintinstall by using
"sudo apt-get install mintinstall" - but I got the
message:<br>
<br>
> sudo: apt-get: command not found<br>
<br>
Then I just typed: "apt-get" and got the bizarre
message:<br>
<br>
> The program 'apt-get' is currently not
installed. You can install it by typing:<br>
> sudo apt-get install apt<br>
<br>
So I type: "sudo apt-get install apt" - and get
the message:<br>
<br>
> sudo: apt-get: command not found<br>
<br>
Searching my hard disc, I see that the apt-get
script is still there...<br>
<br>
Before I keep going in ever decreasing circles,
and disappear up my own backside, I'd like to know
if there is a way out of this without reinstalling
the complete OS from scratch.<br>
<br>
(ps. please don't just say "Mint? You don't want
to use that! You should use <insert fave
distro> instead! ;-)<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
<br>
David<br>
<br>
<br>
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