Major Crash Here

[dibl]

Re: Major Crash Here

The root user is not permitted to run the X server, by design -- that's probably why you have no mouse or keyboard.

Hmmm -- about how many operations have you done while logged in as root? If you've done enough of 'em, especially with data and your user /home directory, about all you're going to be able to do is get your data off (which may have its file permissions now set to root-only) and then reinstall the OS.

[lmilano]

Re: Major Crash Here

Dibl: he's basically dropped to a root shell in a broken system.

I really think ... doing startx will probably not do much, you don't even have a keyboard working. I would try to sanitize the system, as suggested above (try the apt-get update/upgrade and pdkg--reconfigure suggestions). Once the system is clean we'll get you going ... try also the ping thing I suggested to see if you have a network ...

[dibl]

Re: Major Crash Here

Dibl: he's basically dropped to a root shell in a broken system.

OK. But, in 8.10, the recovery mode root console offers a recovery menu with "Fix X" -- is that not available?

[lmilano]

Re: Major Crash Here

Dibl: he's basically dropped to a root shell in a broken system.

OK. But, in 8.10, the recovery mode root console offers a recovery menu with "Fix X" -- is that not available?

Yes, it is, and according to his first post he ran that and didn't help! I think the reason is that his previous massive upgrade got interrupted/corrupted.

[hatman]

Re: Major Crash Here

ok i have let it run through
i cant bring screen back as you know my keyboard ad mouse will not work
should i try the alt+sysrq+commands r,e,i,s,u,b
i guess nothing can hurt nowright?

if this doesnt work what can i try next?
hat

[hatman]

Re: Major Crash Here

i think i will try the dkg -reconfigure-a and see if i have any luck with that
hat

[dibl]

Re: Major Crash Here

That's

dpkg --configure -a

Personal opinion -- I'd be looking for my Live CD and a USB stick or something to back my data up on. :P

[hatman]

Re: Major Crash Here

i ran
pico /etc/apt/sources.list and got the following

#deb cdrom:[ubuntu 8.04_hardy heron
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/intrepid main restricted

deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/intrepid restricted main multiverse u/$

also i tried ping www.google.com
no reply

i beleive the problem is my xserver?

should i try the reconfigure?
hat

[dibl]

Re: Major Crash Here

You've got multiple problems. X server is one. Mangled sources is another. Sounds like no networking might be a third.

For the X server, you can try (at the root prompt)

dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver.xorg

Then, if it appears to finish the script, you can enter

/etc/init.d/kdm start

and possibly start the login GUI.

[hatman]

Re: Major Crash Here

i tried the first one and return
conflicting actions -e(--control) and -r(remove)

tried /etc/init.d/kdm start

returns not starting k display manager not the default

what if i remove my xserver?
if so how do i do that
hat

[dibl]

Re: Major Crash Here

Removing gdm and kdm won't improve the situation.

From the error message, perhaps GDM is the default display manager, so try

/etc/init.d/gdm start

although you said you were upgrading to Kubuntu 8.10? If so, I dunno why GDM would still be the default display manager -- but give it a try.

[hatman]

Re: Major Crash Here

when i run that it starts my ubuntu screen but wont go any further

what next?
hat

[dibl]

Re: Major Crash Here

Honestly, realizing that it is a borked upgrade from Ubuntu 8.04 to Kubuntu 8.10, with broken X, broken source list, and broken networking, I think you'd be better off rescuing your data and doing a clean installation of Kubuntu 8.10, if that's what you want. There's no way to know how deep the damage goes, and what unforeseen problems remain to be discovered there.

Do you have a lot of your data on the same partition where the OS is installed?

[lmilano]

Re: Major Crash Here

I agree with everything said by dibl. You'll be up and running much faster with a data backup and clean install.

[hatman]

Re: Major Crash Here

ok i had to switch over to windows now..
can you give me some step by step to back up data..
will i be able to save at least my emails from evolution?

once back up is done what system do you recommend i put back on?
i do have a ubuntu cd but just find the desktop boring..that is why i switched over to the kde but when i had to install my via drivers i began having the problems..
what do you guys think is best to do and give me a faster system with some good desktop?

thanks again for all your support