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    #1

    Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

    Like so many, I stupidly clicked the UPGRADE button in Adept and now Fiesty is hopelessly screwed up. I downloaded the ALT CD for 7.10 and tried to install it, but there are problems with that too, and now I have several KDE versions in multiple partitions, although it wasn't my intent to do so. Grub is confused and my password doesn't work in some versions.

    I'm not a total dunce, but not someone who spends a lot of time fooling with computers for fun, so much less adroit than you veteran users. I'm thinking that I want to just remove all versions of KDE and their partitions, and begin a fresh install. Unfortunately, since all versions of KDE are corrupted to some degree or another (root access denied, many apps won't work, etc.), I don't know how to accomplish the task of a new, clean installation that overwrites all previous (I thought that happened automatically, stupid me).

    All help is appreciated, but please be specific, especially if you're suggesting terminal commands.
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    #2
    Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

    Question #1: Is it your intent to reinstall Feisty 'fresh' or are you wanting to install Gutsy?
    Question #2: Did you have a separate /home partition?
    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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      #3
      Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

      Yeah, I think my head might "flame-on" soon also.

      #1. I would re-install Fiesty if I could, but I couldn't find a link to that download on the Kubuntu site (couldn't find my old CD). I downloaded Gutsy instead and burned a proper CD. Takes about 1/2 day for the download, so it is a considerable commitment. I would go ahead and try Gutsy if I could get a good installation, even if it had some minor bugs.

      #2. I really don't remember specifying a HOME partition, so I would say not. MY original installation was Dapper, then upgraded without incident through Edgy and Fiesty. I have Windows XP on the other side of the wall. I think Gutsy id now partition #8. I tried to install it twice and it gave me no indication that I was creating a separate partition each time. I assumed that I was just updating previous versions.
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        #4
        Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

        As to Feisty downloads, you can get them from this Forums Downloads section.

        Can you still get to at least a command line prompt with what you still have?? If you can still get a boot menu, choose recovery mode. At the prompt type:
        Code:
        pg /etc/fstab
        Write it down, then post back with it. Will be able to tell what's what.
        Windows no longer obstructs my view.
        Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
        "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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          #5
          Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

          Yes, I can get to a prompt. I can even get into the Fiesty desktop sometimes, but it is crippled. I will do as you suggest. Perhaps I can even get a browser working in Linux so I don't have to boot into windows to post the results. Thanks!
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            #6
            Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

            Okay, I entered the command you suggested (in recovery mode of the latest install attempt) and got the following result. I hope you can make sense of this:

            /dev/sda8
            UID=2a4d2f02-f21b-4f56-b251-f60becdfd7d4/
            ext3 defaults, error=remount-ro01

            /dev/sda9
            UID=fa97ae0a-2185-44d9-8a2d-0ce90167de92
            none swap sw

            There were a couple of other lines concerning the CD and floppy drives too- I didn't include that.
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              #7
              Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

              From what little there is in your /etc/fstab file (excluding the non-HD items you omitted), you only have two partitions - /dev/sda8 which is for root "/" and /dev/sda9 for swap. You don't have a /home directory, or at least if you did, it isn't present any more.

              So, are you willing/wanting to just 'redo everything' on this HD? Simple enough if that's what you want. Do you have the GParted LiveCD? If not, you can download and burn the .iso file. It isn't nearly as large as a Linux distro .iso. This would be the preferred way to setup your HD.
              Windows no longer obstructs my view.
              Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
              "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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                #8
                Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                One other command I'd like you to run:
                Code:
                df -h -T
                Copy and paste the results.
                Windows no longer obstructs my view.
                Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
                "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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                  #9
                  Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                  Yes, I'm guessing that the wise choice is to clean everything up and start from scratch. I do want to preserve my windows installation. Are you suggesting that I might successfully install Gutsy from the CD I have, or download a Feisty CD?

                  Where will I find the file for the Gparted CD?

                  I can try the other command you specified, but no cut/paste convenience. I'm connected to the forum through another machine. I can write it down again and then hand -enter the info if it is useful.
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                    #10
                    Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                    Originally posted by spyder79
                    I can try the other command you specified, but no cut/paste convenience. I'm connected to the forum through another machine. I can write it down again and then hand -enter the info if it is useful.
                    And also run this command:
                    Code:
                    sudo fdisk -l
                    Write down and post the results.

                    These commands are going to provide valuable information concerning the disks and useage on your system. As to preserving Windows, yes, that is easy.
                    Windows no longer obstructs my view.
                    Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
                    "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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                      #11
                      Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                      I hope this is sufficiently useful. Grub now has a fairly extensive list of system versions to choose from. I ran the command from recovery of the latest Gutsy install (dev/sda8) and it says the partition is only 2.1GB with 100% usage and no available free space.

                      The same command ran from the Feisty install shows size= 31GB, 13GB used, 40% available.

                      There's another entry for Gutsy install (dev/sda6) which shows similar numbers to the sda8 information.

                      In both cases, I chose the maximum allowed partition size when prompted during install.

                      I'll try the other command and report...
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                        #12
                        Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                        Originally posted by Snowhog
                        Originally posted by spyder79
                        I can try the other command you specified, but no cut/paste convenience. I'm connected to the forum through another machine. I can write it down again and then hand -enter the info if it is useful.
                        And also run this command:
                        Code:
                        sudo fdisk -l
                        Write down and post the results.

                        These commands are going to provide valuable information concerning the disks and useage on your system. As to preserving Windows, yes, that is easy.
                        Okay, here are the results:

                        sda1 1(start) to 975(end) 7363408+ (blocks) b (ID) w95 fat32 (system)
                        sda2 975 to 5141 31502520 7 hpfs/ntfs
                        sda3 5142 to 9508 33014520 83 linux
                        sda4 9509 to 10337 6267240 5 extended
                        sda5 10123 to 10337 1625368+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                        sda6 9818 to 10100 2139417 83 linux
                        sda7 10101 to 10122 166288+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                        sda8 9509 to 9795 2169657 83 linux
                        sda9 9796 to 9817 166288+ 82 linux swap/solaris
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                          #13
                          Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                          Originally posted by spyder79
                          sda5 10123 to 10337 1625368+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                          sda6 9818 to 10100 2139417 83 linux
                          sda7 10101 to 10122 166288+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                          sda8 9509 to 9795 2169657 83 linux
                          sda9 9796 to 9817 166288+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                          These are the partitions that you will be wiping out with GParted. sda4 is the extended partition that sda5 through sda9 were created in. sda1 through sda3 are what your Windows system is installed on. You don't want to mess with these!

                          You can get the latest GParted release (.iso file) here.
                          Windows no longer obstructs my view.
                          Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
                          "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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                            #14
                            Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                            Originally posted by Snowhog
                            Originally posted by spyder79
                            sda5 10123 to 10337 1625368+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                            sda6 9818 to 10100 2139417 83 linux
                            sda7 10101 to 10122 166288+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                            sda8 9509 to 9795 2169657 83 linux
                            sda9 9796 to 9817 166288+ 82 linux swap/solaris
                            These are the partitions that you will be wiping out with GParted. sda4 is the extended partition that sda5 through sda9 were created in. sda1 through sda3 are what your Windows system is installed on. You don't want to mess with these!

                            You can get the latest GParted release (.iso file) here.
                            Understood. I already got the Gparted file and burned it. So would I be correct in my assumption that Gutsy made a small partition for each attempted install (just hoping to understand it a bit better)? Do you recommend abandoning the idea of installing Gutsy from my CD and downloading the Feisty distro? Just your opinion. Since my browser, burner and torrent apps still work in Linux, I'm better off getting any downloaded files before I clean up the disk. Windows is a pain for these operations.
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                              #15
                              Re: Need help to untangle upgrade mess!

                              Originally posted by spyder79
                              So would I be correct in my assumption that Gutsy made a small partition for each attempted install (just hoping to understand it a bit better)?
                              Possible.

                              Do you recommend abandoning the idea of installing Gutsy from my CD and downloading the Feisty distro? Just your opinion.
                              My 'opinion' would be yes, stick with Feisty - at this time.
                              Windows no longer obstructs my view.
                              Using Kubuntu Linux since March 23, 2007.
                              "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." - Sherlock Holmes​
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