Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

[casperboy77]

Ok here it goes... I downloaded the Kubuntu CD and thought I could just upgrade my current Kubuntu 9.04 from that CD. Well I followed the upgrade instructions on the site (The Alt-F2, and type kdesudo "/media....etc) well I got an error and it wouldn't allow me, is said something not found or invalid or something. So I just used the update notifier and it took a couple of hours. It downloaded like 1700+ files. Well eventually the update notifier screen went blank and stayed that way for an hour or so. Well I licked to close it and it said not responding and to force it closed. Well I closed it out, and checked my e-mail and surfed the web a bit on Kubuntu. Then I decided to reboot and well now it won't start up. It says a bunch of stuff and says to panic on the screen. I can hit escape and bring up a menu and I tried every option on the list and all the recovery mode ones and it will not boot. It stops at something like waiting on /host/ubuntu/disks/boot and it won't go any further. I have a lot of files and programs installed on there and I don't want to wipe it out because that will be really hard to get all my stuff back on there. If I boot off from the Kubuntu 9.10 CD can I just do a normal install or will that wipe out what I have on there now? I didn't realize an upgrade could be so devastating. I am new to Linux and know very little about Linux. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I really want to get this working again.

-Jim

[Teunis]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

It' ll be very difficult to give any directions to recovering your present install unless you precisely report the experienced errors.

Have you tried to boot into the rescue mode?

Doing a new install will wipe the / partition.
Only when you have set up /home as a separate partition it will be safe.

But you say the Live CD works, with it and an external (USB) drive you can make a back-up of /home.
Providing there is enough space on your HD you could even repartiton it and make a separate /home partaion on which to copy the present /home and then do a new install.

[casperboy77]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

Ok, I need a little bit of help comprehending this. Your saying that all I need to do it copy the /home to lets say another hard drive. The freshly install Kubuntu and cope the /home back and I'll have all my programs, files, settings and everything? That's awesome! I hope I am not misunderstanding all of this. I don't want to lose all the programs because some of them were not in the repositories and I had to manually install them. I can't understand how a simple upgrade went so wrong? Lastly, Linux is pretty advanced and has come a long way..... you would think there would be a repair install or something similar to what can be done in Windows? Again I am new to Linux and Kubuntu seems to be a very nice system up untill I upgraded to 9.10 and now it don't work. I haven't really tried any of the other Distros except for RedHat, Lycoris, and Mandrake. I have learned that I like KDE over gnome. So is there a better more advanced Linux distro other than Kubuntu that I should try? Thank you for all of your help! Please let me know about the /home folder. Thank you.

[pansz]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

Doing a new install will wipe the / partition.

Only when you have set up /home as a separate partition it will be safe.

doing a new install will *not* wipe the / partition unless you explicitely choose to format the / partition.

if you don't know what youself are doing, you may choose to format any of your partitions, then nothing would be safe even if you have a separate /home partition.

if you know what you're doing you will never choose to format the / partition, and all contents in your /home will be safe anyway. choose to "use existing / partition without format it" will wipe all contents except the /home directory.

[The Liquidator]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

First things first, I recommend that you boot a live CD and copy everything that is in your home directory (or partition) before you do anything else.

On the question of home, have you set this up on a separate partition (highly recommended) or is the whole installation one partition a la Windows? If the latter an installation will wipe your data. If the former, you can generally install a new version whilst leaving home untouched (but back it up anyway!).

If you got the live cd that will not work as an "upgrade" source. You need the "alternate" CD. With the live CD you can only do an install although if you have a separate home partition that is as good as (some say better than) an upgrade i.e at system level it is a fresh start.

So the questions are:

Have you got a separate home partition (or just a folder)
What 9.10 disk did you download? From what you say I suspect it is the live one which is why you were forced down the "downloaded" route. As a million things could go wrong this is the most risky option available I think.

Solution?

Obviously you could reinstall and if you do you need to backup as stated above and consider setting up a separate home partition in the process.

I'm not sure about this but I'm wondering whether the message you are getting is either a grub (bootloader) error or something within fstab . Either way it's possible that the system is simply looking in the wrong place for the data to load. I'm sure that someone far more knowledgeable than me will be along soon with advice on this so before launching into a reinstall with all that entails it I think there is quite possibly a fix for this. I would suggest that if you are patient you might be rewarded for that.

[casperboy77]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

Ok I just want to get this 100% right before I go off and do something stupid. First to answer the questions of how I have the /home setup. I have Windows XP Installed on that particular computer. I put in the Kubuntu 9.04 CD while in windows and installed that way. So I think it might all be on the same partition but I am uncertain. Now I know I can easily copy the /home directory. So If I copy the /home to lets say a USB hard drive and set it aside. Then if I wipe out Kubuntu and then install a fresh copy. If after I get the fresh copy of Kubuntu up and running then copy the save /home directory into the new one, then all my files, settings and programs will be installed and ready to use? It sounds too good to be true. Could this also be done lets say to copy the /home from kubuntu and copy it to Lets just say opensuse or some other linux distro would that work too?

I don't want to sound unintelligent so let me explain how this all came to be. I had a computer business from 2000 to 2003 which did well. It closed due to problems I had with a business partner. I recently opened a Print Shop doing Dye Sublimation printing. When first opening the business I was on a limited budget, so I was thinking of running the shop using Linux only. So I installed Kubuntu 9.04 and loved it. In the end I couldn't use Kubuntu in my business. I needed Photoshop and Wine wasn't going to cut it. I did buy a program called Pixel and what junk that was. I also bought a copy of Corel Draw 9 for Linux and couldn't even get that to install. I have been using Photoshop since version 1.5, I am very good with Photoshop. I have used Gimp but I stumble, I know Photoshop perfectly. I also have a Metaza Printer and that software just isn't going to run on Linux (well maybe with wine?). In my Print Shop I mainly use a Mac and I use PC for the Metaza printer. Anyways I use Kubuntu to learn Linux and also it is fun to use something different. I am only saddened that I couldn't fully get it integrated with my business. I could have saved alot of money! Oh well it is over now, I have spent thousands on just the computers and software alone.

Thank you for all the help. I will wait before I wipe out Kubuntu so that I am 100% sure I won't lose all my programs and files. Thanks!

-Jim

[casperboy77]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

New information. Ok I cannot copy my /home. It appears that Kubuntu installed into image files. So I copied all of those files to an external hard drive for backup. The file I am guessing is the main Kubuntu "drive" is called root.disk. I have searched and tried every tool google suggested to open and/or mount the root.disk and can't do it. I need a simple program or procedure. Here is what I need to do:

1: I am going to fully wipe out my Kubuntu install via wubi and freshly install Kubuntu 9.10 with the wubi.

2: I then want to format a USB hard drive as a linux drive (if possible??).

3: I then want to open root.disk (from a Windows USB drive) and extract or copy the /home from within the image to the Linux USB hard drive.

4: I then want to just hook up the Linux USB hard drive and copy the /home and overwrite the /home on the new Kubuntu 9.10 install.

Ok so is this at all possible? If not how can I convert the root.disk to a partition on a hard drive? Because if I can do that then the Alternative Install CD should be able to work in recovery mode?

What I want to do seems like it should be simple and it probably is if you know all of the Linux commands to do so. Are there any good GUI point and click utilities that will help me? Thanks again!

[mudlark]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

be careful with your saving./home tactic.

When I do this i keep all my files but lose all other installed programs and settings. A lot of the settings are stored in hidden files on the ./home files structure and I have never successfully retained all those settings files. thus i lost my firefox bookmarks and the cookies.

if you have a modified etc/fstab file I have learned to keep a copy of that.

if I am doing something wrong here then please feel free to contradict.

[vinnywright]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

first your added programs will not be saved by saving /home just your setings for things !!!

and sence it's wubi install in windows it's not gowing to act like a normal install !!

I personaley dont have eney expereance with wubi so im wating to see how you fare so pleas keep us up on how it goes

VINNY

[casperboy77]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

Thank you both for your advice and input. Ok well I don't want to loose my bookmarks or settings so the whole copy /home won't work then. I guess I just need something very simple if anyone can help me out here?: I need either a wubi repair utility or need to know how to do a wubi repair/recovery install? Thanks!

-Jim

[vinnywright]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

your bookmarks and setings are in /home/you in the hiden DIR's

trying to restor them is the hard part hear as as youv sead thar in .IMG format in wubi install and I am not shure how it will reackt .

you MAY be abell to move the respectiv .IMG's around im not sure

VINNY

[casperboy77]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

How do you open open and extract or copy files from root.disk? What Windows or Mac program can I use to do this? I can't seem to find any program to open it.

[vinnywright]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

hear found ya this (on my first googeling)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1037874

now this is done in ubuntu (gnome) so you may half to use a live cd sence I get the impreshon your stuck in window&mac land........

if you do kubuntu change the
gksu nautilus /media/root.disk
to
kdesudo dolphin /media/root.disk

of corse you dont half to make a shell script just the mkdir's and mount's by hand for the one time youll be mounting it to retreve your setings.

VINNY

[casperboy77]

Re: Upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 and Kubuntu no longer works.

I thought I would update everyone on my progress and this can be marked as solved. Before I go any further I want to thank all of the kind people on this forum for their help! Also I don't want anyone to take my solution in a negative way, but here is my story:

If you have been reading this thread you will see that I simply allowed the notifier in Kubuntu 9.04 to upgrade to Kubuntu 9.10. Which in turn failed and wouldn't allow my to fix it. After a few days I was finally able to figure out how to mount the wubi root.disk using a kubuntu boot cd. I copied all of my important files onto a USB hard drive. I then rebooted the computer and started up in Windows XP and uninstalled Kubuntu and erased any traces. I'm never going to look back. Maybe in a few years when they have advanced the system more I'll install it and check it out again.

Please see from my point of view. It was a nice user friendly system for the most part. I was looking for something to use for my small business, but never was able to any programs that I could use. I needed Photoshop and not GIMP. I also needed to run METAZA software for my photo impact printer which is windows only. But I was persistent and tried to learn and work with Kubuntu. Then one day if goes to update and totally destroys itself. Look my business uses a Mac and that has updated it's self a lot of times it is now OS X 10.4.11. Also I run 3 PC's 2 with XP and one with Vista Ultimate, I cannot could how many times they have updated them selves. I think the XP computers are on Service Pack 3, and Vista is at Service Pack 2. I would never imagine that when they update them selves that when I walk back into the room that they wouldn't operate. I only installed Kubuntu 9.04 and only once attempted 1 update to 9.10. Untill they can perfect updates/upgrades it is just way to risky to us Kubuntu. I will admit Kubuntu is a hell of a system for free.

Just to update anyone who didn't read this thread. I did download the Kubuntu 9.10 CD and was going to try to update with the CD. It turns out that I couldn't do that. So I didn't alter or change anything. I then went to the Update Notifier which alerted me of the 9.10 update. I followed the prompts and it went all the way through the update/upgrade which took a couple of hours. Then the program appeard to freeze and never worked since. After that upgrade Kubuntu wouldn't boot.

Thank you everyone for your help! My particular situation is solved and I am happy that I at least didn't loose my important files.

-Jim