unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

[tomcloyd]

I'm new to Gutsy, and to Linux - this is day 3 for me. I've had a working version of the jEdit editor [http://jedit.org/] until today, installed from a Debian installation module. I use it heavily. Today I changed a font in the interface, something I've previously done a number of times before on my WinSP OS, then restarted the program as instructed. It wouldn't restart. I removed it and reinstalled it. It still won't start. I'm very unsure how to resolve this.

Any suggestions? It may be relevant that this is a java program (for those unfamiliar with it).

Thank you for your assistance.

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

How did you remove it?

[tomcloyd]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

How did you remove it?

I was a little unsure how to do this, since it wasn't installed via Adept or Synaptic. I did find it showing up as installed, in Adept, and removed it that way. But that left "/home/tom/.jedit/" intact, which didn't seem right, as that appears to be where all sorts of program parameters are stored (but...I'm still rather lost, in the Gutsy file system). So, I moved that to a temporary location, and reinstalled jEdit a second time. It made no difference in the what happened when I tried to launch jEdit. It still appeared to get hung up on loading its GUI (or so it reads in a status line displayed on a little modal splash screen).

Suspecting maybe a java VM problem, I attempted to execute Aptana Studio, which is another java program. This produced an error I'd never seen before - something about a problem with an Eclipse plugin.

Next, I went into Synaptic, removed all evidence of java which I could find (I had loaded Sun java 5), and loaded in Sun java 6. It made no difference in Aptana (which I'm now going to try to reinstall, if I can figure out how to remove it). jEdit, however, got considerably further into it's launch before it hung. As before, however, it didn't get past it's splash screen.

I'm feeling very ignorant at this point - which seems realistic. I'd hoped to get a bunch of work done today, but instead I'm chasing ghosts.

I'm open to any suggestions.

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

First, based on the content of your reply, you appear to be knowledgeable and seem to understand the basics. That is, of course, a good thing.

The folder you located in your /home directory (under .kde I'm assuming) is where 'user' configuration settings would be kept.

You can consider running, from a console:

sudo dpkg purge jedit_4.3pre12_all

(assuming that is the name of the deb package you installed).

dpkg purge:
The package is selected to be purged (i.e. we want to remove
everything, even configuration files).

[tomcloyd]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

I ran the command you gave in a console. I was told that 'it' needed an action option, along with something about it generating a lot of output and needing to be piped through 'less' or 'more'. I'm running smack into my ignorance here, and my great rush. I NEED to get some work out, but....

I found a purge option for the "installed" jedit package showing up in adept, and went with that. It appeared to work, except that that that dir I mentioned previously was unaffected.

I'm not sure where all this leaves me.

Reinstalling jEdit yet again, I find that it still hangs upon launch. As before, java is left running - visible in KDE system guard's process table. Relaunching jEdit load another java instance, repeatedly. I just killed three of them.

Something is still very wrong somewhere.

BTW, it appears that packages modules won't install unless they're sitting in my desktop - /home/tom/Desktop/ - is this correct?

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

BTW, it appears that packages modules won't install unless they're sitting in my desktop - /home/tom/Desktop/ - is this correct?

If you downloaded the deb package from the jEdit home page, you should just click it and the GDebi Installer will open and you click to install it.

Also, my bad on the dpkg purge command. It needed to be:

sudo dpkg --purge jedit_4.3pre12_all

[tomcloyd]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

Using the deb package to install was the first thing I tried. Haven't tried to install it any other way. It's not working now, whereas it did before - installing this way.

I tried your new purge command, and got exactly the same result as before - a complaint about wanting and "action plan", which means nothing to me. Looking at the command Help is simply overwhelming. Do I really have to take out a day to study up to do this thing? Maybe so, but I sure hope not. This is getting expensive.

What about my use of the purge option in Adept - as mentioned before? Is that good enough?

Any more ideas?

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

These are the jEdit unique directory/file entries that are installed, as shown in the Included Files tab of GDebi.

usr/bin/[b]jedit[/b] ..............................binary/executable file
usr/lib/menu/[b]jedit[/b] .........................menu configuration file?
usr/share/applications/[b]jedit.desktop[/b] .......desktop configuration file
usr/share/doc/[b]jEdit/[/b] .......................this directory contains documentation
usr/share/java/[b]LatestVersion.jar[/b] ...........self explanatory
usr/share/java/[b]QuickNotepad.jar[/b] ............self explanatory
usr/share/[b]jEdit/[/b] ...........................directory containing only jEdit files
usr/share/man/man1/[b]jedit.1.gz[/b] ..............compressed jedit manual

ONLY IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE (and I'm not completely sure I am), you could use Konqueror (DO NOT USE DOLPHIN), navigate to each unique directory and/or file and as root, delete them. The remaining folder (hidden) in your user home directory would also need to be deleted/renamed. A clean reboot and you should then be able to reinstall the application.

[tomcloyd]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

Hey - thanks! That looks helpful. I AM comfortable doing this - I was unable to find all the stuff you list (I WILL study up on the file system - it's just that I'm really pressured to get some work out ASAP). I understand why you say Konqueror and not Dolphin - have already discovered the difference - each has its uses. Thanks for your specific and thoughtful directions. Now I'm off to apply them.

I'm still worried about why Aptana won't run right - it may be coincidence, but for it to go bad right after problems with jEdit makes me think the problem is more than something about jEdit's little world. I'd be delighted to be proven wrong. I really cannot find another editor that will do what jEdit does for me. I gotta get it back.

Onward....

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

The specific issue with using Dolphin is what it does when you use it in root user mode. It changes ownership of files to root, even those that belong to the user!!!!

Let me know how things work out.

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

For your benefit, I'm attaching the complete included files listing for jedit.

A final note: Once you have completed 'manually' removing jedit, you should, from the console, run:

sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get update

This removes downloaded packages from the apt-cache and forces an update to Adept. This ensures that Adept no longer shows that jedit is installed. Otherwise, you could run into problems reinstalling.

[tomcloyd]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

The specific issue with using Dolphin is what it does when you use it in root user mode. It changes ownership of files to root, even those that belong to the user!!!!

Let me know how things work out.

Oh...didn't know that. That sounds like a bug - an unexpected, unasked for behavior.

I'm being refused access to /usr/lib/menu/jedit - I presume I need root access, but I don't know how to make this happen. Can you help with this

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

How are you trying to delete the directories/files - via the console or through Konqueror?

[tomcloyd]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

Konqueror - it didn't occur to me that I could use the console. Come to think of it, I'm so new to Linux that I don't really know how to use the console to do this. One of the things I need to learn, after I stop this flat out sprint I'm in right now.

Is THAT the way to get root access?

[Snowhog]

Re: unable to re-install previously working jEdit editor

Okay. Console 'as root' Dangerous waters here IF YOU MAKE A TYPO!

You will be using the rm -r command:

rm - remove files or directories
-r, -R, --recursive
remove directories and their contents recursively

I'll illustrate two examples, one removing a single file, and the other removing a directory and its contents recursively.

Open a console.

To remove a single file as root type:

cd /
sudo rm usr/bin/jedit

To remove a directory and all it's contents recursively type:

cd /
sudo rm -r usr/share/doc/jEdit

I'm using in this illustration, the fist listed unique file in the unique installed files I posted, and the first unique directory.

I have to stress again, IF YOU AREN'T COMFORTABLE DOING THIS, DON'T! I'm not a paid 'expert' and I am only providing suggestions that only you can decide is both reasonable and prudent in your estimation and worth following.

Hey, we all have to have our disclaimer.