I've broken KDE - how to get it back?

**stukennedyuk** · 10-27-2003, 01:37 PM

Right. The idea was to get transcode working by installing an earlier version of limlcms (1.08-3 rather than the currently installed 1.10-1). I couldn't do this so I attempted to remove the current version.

Can't that option 'automatically assume yes' - be dangerous!!!! It stripped all of the K desktop apps out, everything. I'm left with some basic desktop application that is letting me run this (fast without KDE isn't it?)

Any idea how I can get back to what I had? - I think personal files are still present as some directories were flagged as 'not empty' and not removed....

Meantime I'll try whatever I can.....

Ta very much, Stu.....

**stukennedyuk** · 10-27-2003, 02:56 PM

The default basic desktop I have running is Window Maker.

I miss Kmail!!!!

Stu.....

**stukennedyuk** · 10-27-2003, 03:25 PM

Great, I even managed to let dselect overwrite my /etc/apt/sources.list - lucky the system keeps a backup as 'sources.list~'

Everything is working without KDE running, does this mean that KDE really is just an 'application launcher'??????

Stu.....

**stukennedyuk** · 10-27-2003, 08:59 PM

In the first post I think I should have referred to 'liblcms'

I'm currently downloading KDE 3.1.4 (unstable) but using plain 'dpkg -i' to try and get this loaded (kdelibs et al). comes back with conflicts with the previous version (stable).

At the moment 'apt-get -f install' seems to be fixing this problem.

Crikey, wish I knew what I was doing! Stu.....

**rneff** · 10-27-2003, 10:04 PM

I am not sure what you did to kill KDE, but getting it back should NOT include using FORCE/OVERRIDE options on package tools. These options should not even exist in my opinion. I am thinking that your rpm/apt/dpkg database is so screwed up by now that it might just be worth a re-install.

**Stephen** · 10-27-2003, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by stukennedyuk

In the first post I think I should have referred to 'liblcms'

I'm currently downloading KDE 3.1.4 (unstable) but using plain 'dpkg -i' to try and get this loaded (kdelibs et al). comes back with conflicts with the previous version (stable).

At the moment 'apt-get -f install' seems to be fixing this problem.

Crikey, wish I knew what I was doing! Stu.....

You may find this link usefull.

**stukennedyuk** · 10-28-2003, 09:30 AM

The kde-core meta package from the unstable distribution would have helped. I followed the instruction on the kde website for installion, and doenloaded the kde libs etc, etc.

It's clear to me that Linux is working fine and that everything is as it should be to at least the bootmisc.sh script which runs as late as 'S55' in rcS.d (confirmation is I added a firewall script to this which loads okay).

But..... I now get dropped to a login prompt and have to use 'startx' to load kde.....

I cannot seems to find where I should be logged in and Xwindows/KDE start automatically.....

This is in effect a standard Debian install now, not Knoppix. I expect I could find and fix the broken parts of kde, but I'm stuck with the missing debian bits at the moment.

I'll try some more googling if not success then backup my personal stuff, the extra scripts in init.d and re-install...... doh!

Stu.....

**stukennedyuk** · 10-28-2003, 12:19 PM

Nuts! I backed up the contents of my /home/ folder (particularly the mail directory) and some of my modified scripts in /etc/init.d and did a fresh install!

I noticed when Knoppix was booting the the Xwindows is invoked by:-

/etc/init.d/xsession start

-but not which script issued this command.

.....well, all good experience.....!

I'm back, but transcode still will not install because of dependancies!!!!!

Thanks for the help! Stuart.....