Fwd: Re: [Wylug-help] redo/reset KDE - is this even possible

[chris mackins]

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Subject: Re: [Wylug-help] redo/reset KDE  - is this even possible
Date: Saturday 29 Jan 2005 3:04 pm
From: chris mackins <c.mackins at bradford.ac.uk>
To: Anne Wilson <cannewilson at tiscali.co.uk>

On Saturday 29 Jan 2005 2:01 pm, Anne Wilson wrote:
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> On Saturday 29 Jan 2005 13:49, chris mackins wrote:
> > Hi Alex
> >
> > Thanks for the reply.
> >
> > To briefly paint the picture, a couple weeks ago, I did a media update
> > using Mandrake (10.1) through the GUI.  The result from that was that I
> > lost a number of apps (Thunderbird/Firefox and also StarOffice7); my
> > email seetings were lost as were all my browser bookmarks in Konqueror.
> > Worse, all my own work which I'd saved was also completely lost. Using a
> > console, my shell script had changed from [chris at localhost]$ to this
> > bash-2.05b$
>
> Around 18 months ago some of us had a similar mis-hap when one mirror
> wasn't fully up-to-date.  That was from an update, though, not from a
> media-update. Since all media-update does is to read the list of available
> files I don't see just how that could possibly have caused the problem.  I
> wonder, therefore, if you were actually running an update when it happened.

As I recall, I'd first tried a package/security update - but not all the
packages could be installed because of bad signatures (I'd said 'no' to the
installation when prompted); Then I did a media update - which seemed to go
OK.  It was after the media update that I realised things had gone missing!

> It's no consolation to you now, but for future reference, package-update
> should not remove any packages during installation of the updates.  If it
> says it is going to, answer No because something is wrong.  What it does is
> write the necessary files and continue to use the existing ones until next
> time the file is read.  For some things that will mean next time X is
> started (which you can force with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace).
>
> > I tried a number of ways to try an recover but unfortunately nothing
> > worked.
>
> I can believe that, if it is similar to the problem I had 18 months ago
> when I lost X through an update mis-hap.  Many of us hit tried to solve the
> problem with single package downloads, but in the end it was easier and
> less time-consuming to re-install.
>
> Is your /home not on a separate partition?  If it is you should not have
> lost any work at all.  If it isn't, I'd recommend backing up any work you
> have on there and doing a complete re-install, with /home on a separate
> partition.

My partitions are / swap /home - they are the default settings from the
installation.   I couldn't see any work using Knoppix (it just looked empty -
using GUI).

It actually feels almost as if I have a new install - but this is impossible
surely?

> > Then yesterday I read that if you 'redo' KDE settings, this might recover
> > lost files etc.  I'm not sure about the definition of 'redo'!! hence my
> > post today.
> >
> >
> > I can't see that creating a new user account would work here - as the
> > apps/work were specific to my user account.
>
> Nor can I.  but -
>
> > Though somehow, someway, it
> > does seem that the users' config is definately borked.
> >
> > > Lost in what way?
> > >
> > > Try creating a new user account, logging in, and seeing if it works
> > > from there
> > >
> > >
> > > Otherwise, It's impossible to tell whether you've deleted stuff or just
> > > messed up a users' config
>
> What I think Alex is referring to can easily be cured.  In your home
> directory there is a directory/folder called .kde - in other words it is a
> hidden directory.  If you can't see it in Konqueror you will need to enable
> that in the View menu.  Rename that to .kdeold and reboot.  Kde will create
> a new copy of the folder.  You will have lost your settings, but you can
> explore the .kdeold folder for the relevant files to put them back.
>
> If Alex is on the right lines and it is just a user config issue, that
> should cure it.

Tried this last time - no joy  :(

> Anne

I had most of the older work backed up/printed copies - its not ideal, but
better than having everything completely lost.  I'm using another box and 9.2
at the minute -  I'm gonna have another look early next week at the /home
partition, maybe through the CLI of Knoppix - but I'm not holding my breath
for it - I think it's been fried!!

Chris.

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