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Lost my desktop environment - help!

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tagal4
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Lost my desktop environment - help!

#1 Post by tagal4 »

For some reason I don't have a desktop environment (which was Mate) any more; I only have a terminal when I start the computer, and I don't know the first thing about running a computer just from the terminal. I suspect this happened when I was removing some packages that the computer said I didn't need to try to free up some more disk space. I'm thinking some package got deleted that is necessary for the desktop to work as it should. I tried reinstalling Mate but that didn't solve the problem. Right now I'm running the computer from the install disk and the computer works fine that way. I suppose the quick and dirty way to fix this would be to just reinstall the operating system, but there are some files that I didn't get a chance to back up to a flash drive before this happened so I would like to at least get them back. I tried using the terminal to get at these files but couldn't figure out how to navigate my file system from the terminal.

I would greatly appreciate any help solving this problem. I was wondering if one option would be to try installing a different desktop environment. Originally when I upgraded from Debian Jessie to Stretch I had an issue with the computer constantly logging me out without any warning that I solved by switching the desktop to Mate: this is how I got the idea to try to solve this problem be switching to a different desktop. Unless someone knows which package I'm missing to make the Mate desktop work this would be the next thing I would try.

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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#2 Post by Dai_trying »

This seems to have occurred a few times recently and is usually the result of using autoremove "blindly".

I think it would be best to perform a re-install to be sure that everything is setup correctly (especially as this was an upgraded OS).

The easiest way to get your required files backed up would be to use a Live-Cd (it sounds like you already have one "the install disk") and mount the partition with the data and simply copy the files onto a spare storage device. after confirming you have everything copied over you can re-install and replace data files with your backup and everything should be as it was before.

Note 1: frequent backups should be considered essential not optional.
Note 2: ALWAYS check what autoremove is going to do before pressing "y"
Note 3: remember Notes 1&2 :D

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stevepusser
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#3 Post by stevepusser »

It still might be fixable--exactly how did you try and reinstall the Mate desktop? Maybe you left something off there.
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#4 Post by kedaha »

Is lightdm still installed?
DebianStable

Code: Select all

$ vrms

No non-free or contrib packages installed on debian!  rms would be proud.

tagal4
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#5 Post by tagal4 »

stevepusser wrote:It still might be fixable--exactly how did you try and reinstall the Mate desktop? Maybe you left something off there.
I removed it with the the "remove" command then installed it from scratch with the "install" command.

tagal4
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#6 Post by tagal4 »

kedaha wrote:Is lightdm still installed?
Let me check after I eat supper.

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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#7 Post by tagal4 »

I WAS missing lightdm so I went ahead and installed it which got my desktop back. Now my problem is that I don't have an internet connection for some reason (I'm typing this from a different computer). Any ideas how to fix this? Thanks.

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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#8 Post by stevepusser »

tagal4 wrote:
stevepusser wrote:It still might be fixable--exactly how did you try and reinstall the Mate desktop? Maybe you left something off there.
I removed it with the the "remove" command then installed it from scratch with the "install" command.
Please, the full and exact command you used...
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#9 Post by stevepusser »

tagal4 wrote:I WAS missing lightdm so I went ahead and installed it which got my desktop back. Now my problem is that I don't have an internet connection for some reason (I'm typing this from a different computer). Any ideas how to fix this? Thanks.
Did you have a little network connection widget on your taskbar before?
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tagal4
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#10 Post by tagal4 »

Yes, now it's missing. I was having trouble with the network connection symbol saying I didn't have a connection any more before this whole mess started and I messed up my desktop. The internet works fine when I run my computer from an install disk so it can't be a problem with my hardware or the network itself.

tagal4
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#11 Post by tagal4 »

Evidently my network manager got removed somehow, so I installed again it and everything seems to be working again (I hope).

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debiman
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#12 Post by debiman »

lesson learned:
don't press Enter blindly, esp. not with autoremove.
never use apt with the '-y' option.
look in /var/log/apt/history.log* to find out what actually happened.

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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#13 Post by stevepusser »

Happens all the time here:

User installs GNOME with the recommends, which pulls in an enormous number of packages as the metapackage dependencies.
User removes one of those packages they don't want.
The GNOME metapackage then is missing a dependency, and is also removed.
The rest of GNOME then becomes autoremovable orphans since the parent metapackage is gone.
User says "remove 500 packages? Seems legit to me--go ahead!"
User somehow can longer start GNOME, comes here and asks why.
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tagal4
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#14 Post by tagal4 »

stevepusser wrote:Happens all the time here:

User installs GNOME with the recommends, which pulls in an enormous number of packages as the metapackage dependencies.
User removes one of those packages they don't want.
The GNOME metapackage then is missing a dependency, and is also removed.
The rest of GNOME then becomes autoremovable orphans since the parent metapackage is gone.
User says "remove 500 packages? Seems legit to me--go ahead!"
User somehow can longer start GNOME, comes here and asks why.
I find this comment insulting. Not everyone grew up with computers (it wasn't that many years ago when I didn't even have a computer): some of us are older people and we got along just fine without computers until our society suddenly became obsessed with them and made it so it's hard to do without them. Because not all of us are computer whizzes we don't know the things you mentioned intuitively, and there's no way to learn unless you actually experience these issues and have to learn the process of solving them, which is what I understand this forum is for. I wish people would be more considerate of other's before sitting at their computers typing such comments: I suspect cowards that use these forums to disrespect others wouldn't say such things directly to other's faces - they just like to hide behind their computers trying to make others look bad. In my opinion it just makes themselves look like arrogant jerks.

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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#15 Post by bw123 »

tagal4 wrote:
...and there's no way to learn unless you actually experience these issues and have to learn the process of solving them, which is what I understand this forum is for.
...
But there is a way to learn without experience, it's another use for the forum, you can learn from previous mistakes made and documented here. You just read the forum.

I understand why you feel insulted, but I doubt that anybody here tried to make you feel that way. Don't be thin skinned, I make mistakes daily and you can jump in and make me feel dumb next time, ok?
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#16 Post by dilberts_left_nut »

tagal4 wrote:I find this comment insulting.
Then I think you have misread Steve's (the guy that just helped you out) tone.

That is a concise summary of your (common) issue for future viewers of this thread.
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GarryRicketson
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#17 Post by GarryRicketson »

Well that is true,
Not everyone grew up with computers
in fact
when I was very young, and then even a teenager, (young adult) all though some of the earliest computers did exist, there still were not any PC's for home use, I was about 26 when they started to become available. Pretty much grown up, and working, living on my own, ...
How ever, I don't see anything insulting in Steves post, at all.
I find this comment insulting
If you are insulted by what he says, then you are extremely insecure and overly sensitive, I honestly do not think Steve intended to insult you or any body else. He had no way of knowing you are overly sensitive and get insulted for no reason.
The forum does have a report button, that makes it easy to report any post
that you feel is insulting, or spam, or if you have any problem with a post, you should have used that, instead of derailing your own topic. See this for details:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php? ... 18#p680018
So now you are trying to get back at us, by insulting everyone ?
comments: I suspect cowards that use these forums to disrespect others wouldn't say such things directly to other's faces
Steve happens to be one of the most knowledgeable members here, and has been a great help to 1000s of members, answering the same questions over and over, ..........
I am not a coward that uses these forums in the way you describe, but you definitely would not want to meet me face to face, Face to Face, in person I usually tell people the truth, and all to often it is not what they want to hear.
A coward will not do that, a coward does not speak the truth, because they fear what the reaction might be,...
But if they just tell me they don' want to hear it, I respect that, and leave them alone, I am not normally a violent person, but if and when someone gets so upset that they resort to violence, and become a threat to me, I can handle it,... any way, ....
I find this very interesting:
some of us are older people and we got along just fine without computers until our society suddenly became obsessed with them and made it so it's hard to do without them. Because not all of us are computer whizzes we don't know the things you mentioned intuitively, and there's no way to learn unless you actually experience these issues and have to learn the process of solving them, which is what I understand this forum is for.
I got along just fine without computers, agreed there,....but I certainly can not blame society, for my interest and desire to use computers, I could do just fine with out them, just like I did just fine before they existed.... Society is not responsible for my, or your personal problems, if you have made your self so dependent on computers that it is hard to do without them, that is your own fault, not mine, nor society,... Maybe you need to take a closer look at your lifestyle, and stop blaming society, and everyone else.
So , the truth is , nothing Steve wrote is insulting, all he wrote is just the plain truth. If , instead of getting all puffed up and huffy, throwing a hissy fit, if you read carefully what he said, you would see it is just the plain truth, and it is significant, of something important:
User somehow can longer start GNOME, comes here and asks why.
This indicates, the same question has been asked many times, they come here and ask why, Steve has helped them many times, if you look at the many posts he made, you will find many with the solution to your computer problem.
How is that insulting ?
Like wise, even if you did not see anything useful in steves post, the one before it, :
look in /var/log/apt/history.log* to find out what actually happened.
Do that, and if you do not understand what you see in the log, post a copy of it, and some one,might have been able to explain, quite likely it would have been Steve that explained about the log contents,...one more time.
But instead, you derail your own topic , with this :
I find this comment insulting.
I apologize if you find what I say here insulting, in fact I am sure you will, but I am not a coward hiding behind a computer, I would tell you the same thing face to face, and when you asked me where the bathroom is, and I showed you the back door, and said "Out there",.... you would be insulted as well,.. some people are just that way, they even get insulted when they see some poor homeless person sitting on the street corner asking for a handout, ... that's life,
sometimes someone does not smell the way you prefer, and it insults you.
To bad. Life is tuff sometimes. No intention to insult, my apology if it does, but after all said and done, I honestly hope a lesson is learned, and your future is better. Have a good day :D
Last edited by GarryRicketson on 2018-09-03 20:13, edited 1 time in total.

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debiman
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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#18 Post by debiman »

^ i find garyricketson's wall of words insulting.
tagal4 wrote:I find this comment insulting.
you better grow a skin then.
i could go into a long winded explanation about why stevepusser didn't exactly insult you - or i could say "c'mon, we're just messing with you" with my best southern accent & grin.
:mrgreen:
I suspect cowards that use these forums to disrespect others wouldn't say such things directly to other's faces - they just like to hide behind their computers trying to make others look bad. In my opinion it just makes themselves look like arrogant jerks.
see, you're learning our ways already!
:)

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Re: Lost my desktop environment - help!

#19 Post by None1975 »

Discussions in "Help" should still be in the spirit of this board, that is related to Linux/ Computers/ Software/Help etc.
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