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

[Anne Wilson]

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On Saturday 29 Jan 2005 15:04, you wrote:
> >
> > 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.

Good.

> 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?
>
Impossible, I would say.  Installing anything - new or update - might
overwrite a config file in your home directory, but it wouldn't touch
anything else, and all your work should be in the home directory.

> > > 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  :(
>
In that case it's not your kde user configs.

> 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!!
>
Nothing you have said about the home partition makes any sense to me.  I can't
see how any install/upgrade could do what you have found.  If the work is
there you should be able to see it, in Mandrake, in Knoppix, in X or in CLI.
If you can't it's not there.

The loss of installed apps is from your upgrade gone wrong - though there
again it doesn't sound right.  If you refuse because of bad signatures all
that normally happens is that the downloaded packages remain
in /var/cache/urpmi/rpms, uninstalled.  If a dependency package can't be
installed, then the main package is not installed.  Again it would just stay
in the cache directory.  You can then go out and get the appropriate keys or
decide to install anyway if you know the source is good.

Whatever went wrong that day just does not fit the normal pattern.  I think it
is time to re-install.  Format your / partition but not /home.  If your files
are there you will find them - they will not be damaged by the install.  If
they are not there when you have finished they were not there when you
started.

Anne
- --
Registered Linux User No.293302 (http://counter.li.org/)
Have you visited http://twiki.mdklinuxfaq.org yet?  Mandrake at all levels
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