[SOLVED] Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

[Reurbo]

almost a year ago i made the switch from Windows XP to Kubuntu 8.10 and, while it's taken some getting use to, i've always felt relieved to finally leave Windows behind. Kubuntu has been great... until recently. while adjusting a couple files so my computer would have a static IP address (using wicd), i got a list of things that were ready for updates. this was the first update i'd seen since first installing the new operating system. i went ahead and got the updates, they installed, and that's when things started going from great to bad to worse.

first, the file browser crapped out on me. everything started opening in Konqueror.. i hate Konqueror, but the settings i had made for Dolphin had been messed up too. the window settings were nothing like i'd every seen before, shortcut links weren't there anymore, and everything responded to single-clicks rather than double-clicks.

second, the Places menu on the panel doesn't work... i click on Home Folder and the link doesn't work (same with connecting to my other internal hard drives). it brings up "Home > 'file: > home > reurbo'" in Dolphin.

third, i'm use to just after logging in having to open Konsole and run a sudo command to mount my My Documents hard drive because after rebooting, it doesn't mount with my other hard drive (the primary is a 750GB, a spare 160GB, and the My Documents which is a 1.5TB). after sudo mounting the drive, my wallpaper shows up, but not anymore. the drive is mounted but no wallpaper. i can't even get a menu from right-clicking and changing the wallpaper isn't in the System Settings.

fourth, i'm very proud of my computer cause i built it to be very powerful. an Intel 3.6GHz dual-core processor, 4GB or memory/RAM, and a GeForce 7950 GX2 1GB VRAM graphics card... yet after the update... my computer is crawling like Windows Vista with 1GB of memory trying to run the latest Photoshop.
it's pissing me off.

all my settings are screwed up or gone, links aren't working, it's slower than any computer i've built or owned, and for the first time in my life... i actually considered "decommissioning" my computer permanently.

any help from these forums which is where i normally go to find answers, turns up no results about others having the same problems.

below are the updates that were done from anyone can help me.
Upgraded the following packages:
acpi-support (0.114) to 0.114-0intrepid2
acpid (1.0.6-9ubuntu4) to 1.0.6-9ubuntu4.8.10.2
adept (3.0~beta4ubuntu5) to 3.0~beta4ubuntu5.1
alsa-utils (1.0.17-0ubuntu2) to 1.0.17-0ubuntu3
amarok (2:1.4.10-0ubuntu3) to 2:1.4.10-0ubuntu3.1
amarok-common (2:1.4.10-0ubuntu3) to 2:1.4.10-0ubuntu3.1
amarok-engine-xine (2:1.4.10-0ubuntu3) to 2:1.4.10-0ubuntu3.1
apparmor (2.3+1289-0ubuntu4) to 2.3+1289-0ubuntu4.2
apparmor-utils (2.3+1289-0ubuntu4) to 2.3+1289-0ubuntu4.2
apport (0.119) to 0.119.2
apport-qt (0.119) to 0.119.2
apt (0.7.14ubuntu6) to 0.7.14ubuntu6.1
apt-utils (0.7.14ubuntu6) to 0.7.14ubuntu6.1
ark (4:4.1.2-0ubuntu5) to 4:4.1.4-0ubuntu1~intrepid2
avahi-autoipd (0.6.23-2ubuntu2) to 0.6.23-2ubuntu2.1
avahi-daemon (0.6.23-2ubuntu2) to 0.6.23-2ubuntu2.1
avahi-utils (0.6.23-2ubuntu2) to 0.6.23-2ubuntu2.1
banshee (1.2.1-3ubuntu1) to 1.2.1-3ubuntu1.1
bind9-host (1:9.5.0.dfsg.P2-1ubuntu2) to 1:9.5.0.dfsg.P2-1ubuntu3.1
blender (2.46+dfsg-4) to 2.46+dfsg-4ubuntu0.1
busybox-initramfs (1:1.10.2-1ubuntu6) to 1:1.10.2-1ubuntu7
ca-certificates (20080514-0ubuntu1) to 20080514-0ubuntu1.1
capplets-data (1:2.24.0.1-0ubuntu7) to 1:2.24.0.1-0ubuntu7.1
command-not-found (0.2.26ubuntu1) to 0.2.26ubuntu1.1
command-not-found-data (0.2.26ubuntu1) to 0.2.26ubuntu1.1
compiz-wrapper (1:0.7.8-0ubuntu4) to 1:0.7.8-0ubuntu4.1
console-setup (1.25ubuntu3) to 1.25ubuntu4
consolekit (0.2.10-1ubuntu9) to 0.2.10-1ubuntu10
cpp-4.3 (4.3.2-1ubuntu11) to 4.3.2-1ubuntu12
cron (3.0pl1-104+ubuntu5) to 3.0pl1-104+ubuntu5.1
cups (1.3.9-2) to 1.3.9-2ubuntu9.2
cups-bsd (1.3.9-2) to 1.3.9-2ubuntu9.2
cups-client (1.3.9-2) to 1.3.9-2ubuntu9.2
cups-common (1.3.9-2) to 1.3.9-2ubuntu9.2
curl (7.18.2-1ubuntu4) to 7.18.2-1ubuntu4.3
dash (0.5.4-9ubuntu1) to 0.5.4-9ubuntu1.1
devscripts (2.10.26ubuntu15) to 2.10.26ubuntu15.1
dkms (2.0.20.4-0ubuntu2) to 2.0.20.4-0ubuntu2.1
dnsutils (1:9.5.0.dfsg.P2-1ubuntu2) to 1:9.5.0.dfsg.P2-1ubuntu3.1
doc-base (0.8.16) to 0.8.16ubuntu1
dpkg (1.14.20ubuntu6) to 1.14.20ubuntu6.2
dpkg-dev (1.14.20ubuntu6) to 1.14.20ubuntu6.2
evolution-data-server (2.24.1-0ubuntu1) to 2.24.3-0ubuntu1
evolution-data-server-common (2.24.1-0ubuntu1) to 2.24.3-0ubuntu1
fakeroot (1.9.5ubuntu1) to 1.9.5ubuntu1.1
ffmpeg (3:0.svn20080206-12ubuntu3) to 3:0.svn20080206-12ubuntu3.1
fglrx-modaliases (2:8.543-0ubuntu4) to 2:8.543-0ubuntu4.1
firefox (3.0.3+nobinonly-0ubuntu2) to 3.0.11+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.10.1
firefox-3.0 (3.0.3+nobinonly-0ubuntu2) to 3.0.11+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.10.1
firefox-3.0-branding (3.0.3+nobinonly-0ubuntu2) to 3.0.11+build2+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.8.10.1
foo2zjs (200

[dibl]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

That's quite a list of issues ... probably there is not a single "fix" that will simultaneously cure the entire list.

Probably the best approach is to start troubleshooting the basics -- you have a great hardware platform there (sounds like mine) so why should it be slow?

Check cpu and memory usage with free, top, etc. and see what is sucking the resources. I'll speculate that it is mostly X.org and your GF7950 fighting each other. I had a GF 7900GS and it was a great card, but I do believe we've seen quite a history of problems with the 7950, and I don't know why. What driver are you using?

[liberalist]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

As dibl said, it will be hard to solve all your issues. All we can do is make your life a little more pleasant with Kubuntu. It is disconcerting to hear you find the system like Vista, because I have no speed issue on a significantly less powered machine (AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2.8 GHz, 3 GB RAM, 256 MB VRAM).

First, to assign Dolphin as default file manager, go to K Menu > System Settings (this might also be placed in the tab Computer in the Kicker). There, click on Default Applications. In the list, select File Manager and choose Dolphin. I have KDE 4.2 (Kubuntu 9.04), so it might be a little different on your computer. Report back if so.

Secondly, have you considered upgrading to 9.04 Jaunty? Sure, it might have some issues, but IMHO it is a whole lot better than 8.10 Intrepid Ibex. Of course, upgrading has its risks, but other members might advice you on that (on my computer I never had major upgrade problems). Jaunty contains KDE 4.2, which has more speed and has better stability.

As regards to Photoshop, I assume you are running this from Wine? Have you considered Krita or The GIMP? These are more memory efficient on Linux systems.

[Telengard]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

Secondly, have you considered upgrading to 9.04 Jaunty? Sure, it might have some issues, but IMHO it is a whole lot better than 8.10 Intrepid Ibex. Of course, upgrading has its risks, but other members might advice you on that (on my computer I never had major upgrade problems). Jaunty contains KDE 4.2, which has more speed and has better stability.

Indeed, Jaunty should run like a dream on a system with those specs. It may also be worthwhile to download the Kubuntu Hardy Heron 8.04.2 CD and give it a try.

Disclaimer: My experiences with Intrepid have all been very, very bad. IMHO it would be better to use a release that is known to work better for more people.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

almost a year ago i made the switch from Windows XP to Kubuntu 8.10 and . . . i got a list of things that were ready for updates. this was the first update i'd seen since first installing the new operating system.

Are you saying that you have not updated your system in nearly a year, until now? If so, it's not surprising that a few things have broken.

First thing you need to do is backup your home directory.
Then, you need to find out what the status of your updates is.
You didn't mention how you did the update; one way to do it is the following (from konsole):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Once those commands complete (it may take a while), note whether there are any errors.
You will likely have to reboot, as there have been kernel updates during the last year.

If the update/upgrade process went without errors, then you need to look at what might be wrong in your .kde directory. Specifically, you need to make sure that none of the files in there got changed to root ownership. That can happen. Assuming you have backed up your home directory:

sudo chown -R yourusername:yourusername ~/.kde

If that doesn't get things moving, you might also try starting off with a clean .kde directory AS AN EXPERIMENT, not as a final solution. Move your .kde directory to a backup, then log out and back in, and see how kde behaves.

[Reurbo]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

i'd like to thank all of you who have replied... it has been great to finally hear various forms of support as i use to being more in control of my computer (EVERYTHING has to be tweaked to suit what i want from an operating system).
so i'll begin:

dilb,
true there most likely isn't an easy fix to right all these wrongs.
as for the graphics card, i wasn't having any problems with it before. i do have a monitor for my CPU percentage but not for my memory usage. i'll look into it though and check on the driver as well.
thank you.

liberalist,
i refuse to even touch a computer with Vista on it.. yes, i hate that OS platform THAT much.
i got Dolphin back as the primary file browser but haven't started to work on changing the view settings back to look like a "plain" file browser with no theme appearance modifications... i'll start that later.
i use to think "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" so i didn't feel the need to upgrade to the latest Kubuntu.. until now. i have started considering though.
as for the comment referring to Photoshop, i was implying that as part of the whole sentence... that running that demanding of a program on an already slow Vista computer was the equivalent of how my computer is running without anything open/running. after re-reading the sentence, i could see how you'd come to the conclusion you did.
if i do use Photoshop (or a few other favorite Windows photo editing softwares) it's in a Windows XP VirtualBox, but i do occasionally use GIMP.
thank you.

Telengard,
i will seriously consider upgrading to Jaunty and also make a Hardy os disk as well.. just in case.
like i said, until now, i've haven't had any mojor problems with Intrepid and have been pushing others still fighting with Vista to switch over.. even offering to show them around the system and get comfortable with it. while this latest experience has ben frustrating to say the least,.. i can always smile knowing i don't have to deal with Windows anymore (excluding the one in my VirtualBox used for certain programs).
thank you.

doctordruidphd,
i have done small updates to various programs but left any update to anything that would affect the operating systems function alone.. as mentioned to liberalist, everything was working fine so i didn't see a need to update. the only system update i did do was right after installing the new operating system.
while i do use konsole for many things (DOS command line born and raised), i used synaptic for the updates listed in my original post. it took several minutes to complete the install.
i just checked several of my video file properties and they are all under root ownership.
i will try your experiment with the .kde directory and let you know later what happens.
thank you.


once again, thank you all for your advice and ideas.. it's good to know more experienced users still care to help those of us who are still learning Kubuntu.


/Reurbo

[Telengard]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

The reason I would recommend Hardy 8.04.2 is because I've been running it trouble free on multiple machines since its release. If you need the eye candy of KDE 4, then Jaunty is probably a better choice.

. . . i use to being more in control of my computer (EVERYTHING has to be tweaked to suit what i want from an operating system).
. . .
i have done small updates to various programs but left any update to anything that would affect the operating systems function alone . . .

It might be my own obsessiveness getting the better of me, but my eyes locked right in on those words. Maybe Kubuntu isn't really the perfect distro for you then. After all, if you demand total control to the extent that you don't even apply updates as they come then it seems to me that you must be prepared to deal with updating everything manually.

If that is the case, then perhaps you'd be happier with a distro like Slackware, or maybe even Linux From Scratch. I'm not to be considered an expert on Linux, so please do decide for yourself what suits you best.

If I've misunderstood you, then please forgive me and feel free to stick with Kubuntu. It is a great distro

[Reurbo]

Re: Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid is about to make me lose it!!

thank you VERY much Telengard.
i have burned a Kubuntu 8.04.2 install disk to get things working again. while the KDE4 is nice to work with, i prefer speedy gui over a "pretty" gui. though i don't know what to expect out of the KDE3.5, i'm sure it'll be just fine.

and thank you for suggesting the Linux From Scratch. i make a livecd of it to work with... after getting Kubuntu 8.04.2 up and running i'll create a virtualbox machine on my little 60GB hard drive to start creating my own operating system. that way i'll be able to create and test it in the virtual machine before trying jumping head first into that kind of project. funny thing was when i first read that suggestion i laughed thinking i was that picky, but after thinking it over, it is something im really interested in doing... want something done right, do it yourself... right? LOL


thanks again to everyone for all the help!