Can I recover a previous DE configuration that got replaced by default?

[RLynwood]

Earlier today my Kubuntu froze, totally. The only way I could get out of it was to hard reboot, which I did. But when it came up, the default DE came up not *any* of my previous settings. Is it possible to recover my previously configured DE?

[SteveRiley]

the default DE came up not *any* of my previous settings

That would generally require the deletion of several files in ~/.kde and ~/.config.

Is it possible to recover my previously configured DE?

If the configuration files that hold this information are truly gone, then recovery is unlikely. Google can help you find ways to "undelete" files on EXT4 file systems -- I'm assuming that's what you have, given it's the default. Such efforts are not always successful.

[RLynwood]

That would generally require the deletion of several files in ~/.kde and ~/.config.

I'm having a twitchy mouse pointer, seeming to indicate that something's interfering with its normal functioning. I suspect that whatever that is is what caused the freezing of the session. Ctl-Alt-Del did nothing, even repeatedly. That's why I finally pressed the power button to turn it off. Apparently, something screwed up the modified DE because, when it came back up again, it displayed the default DE. Anyway, I guess it's all gone forever.

If the configuration files that hold this information are truly gone, then recovery is unlikely. Google can help you find ways to "undelete" files on EXT4 file systems -- I'm assuming that's what you have, given it's the default. Such efforts are not always successful.

Sigh. I installed Kub with JFS, not ext4 because I didn't see ext4 as an option (couldn't figure out whether to use JFS or XFS). In an earlier post, someone said that there was a scroll bar that I could have used to see ext4. Later I installed Mint 17.1 KDE in another partition and saw that scroll bar and installed it with ext4. Oh, well, thank heavens this Kubuntu isn't my final one; that one, 15.04, I'll install in the SSD, when I'm satisfied that I understand enough of it to set it up the way I want it.

[Qqmike]

... yes, and as we discussed, and I hope you agree , please consider doing ALL you partitioning ahead of time before installing Kubuntu; consider running GParted Live CD 64-bit (for UEFI etc.) to accomplish this work, setting up all your partitions: ("root") /, /home, swap, etc., as ext4, say. The Kubuntu installer will see your work and use your partitions. No need to let the installer re-format any of your partitions that you already formatted as ext4 using GParetd Live CD.

[RLynwood]

... yes, and as we discussed, and I hope you agree , please consider doing ALL you partitioning ahead of time before installing Kubuntu;

On the Momentus, I've already done this, and I did use Gparted. So far, it looks a little better, more featured, than KDE's partition editor.

consider running GParted Live CD 64-bit (for UEFI etc.) to accomplish this work, setting up all your partitions: ("root") /, /home, swap, etc., as ext4, say. The Kubuntu installer will see your work and use your partitions. No need to let the installer re-format any of your partitions that you already formatted as ext4 using GParetd Live CD.

If I understand you right, I didn't know that I could make different partitions for the different parts of the OS, that is, root and /home. (Of course I had a separate partition for swap.) That's pretty neat.

Now I have all my data in a separate partition that isn't Kub's home. I simply have Dolphin directed to that partition's Documents folder for routine file browsing/work (I also have that partition's other folders (Downloads, Pictures, Music, Videos, etc.) bookmarked so I can get to them easily. Since I'm still not 100% sure that I want to use Kubuntu, though I'm 99.999....% sure that I will (I really like almost everything about it), I want to keep my "data" (I call it information) in a separate, dedicated location.

[Qqmike]

I think KDE Partition Editor is fine.

Yet, many of us consider GParted (Live CD/USB) to be a/the gold standard.

I didn't know that I could make different partitions for the different parts of the OS, that is, root and /home. (Of course I had a separate partition for swap.) That's pretty neat.

Yes, you can. (Using GParted Live CD) you can make any partitions you want, any formats, and you can keep your data anywhere you wish. Most people make a separate partition for their /home. Some people make separate Data partition(s) and point to them (by links), accessing all their data/information that way, from one or from more than one of their OSs (including sharing such data with a Windows OS). Sounds like you have a good system. You can also, at any time, start a new thread on this Data-partition issue and get some good ideas from people who do it. (I simply use a separate /home partition for EACH of my OSs -- but then, I have a simple setup with simple data needs: for each OS, I make two partitions: (root) / and /home; I make one swap partition on the HDD to share among any/several of my Kubuntu OSs.))

[RLynwood]

I think KDE Partition Editor is fine. Yet, many of us consider GParted (Live CD/USB) to be a/the gold standard.

KDE Partition Editor seems fine to me, too. But I didn't know that you, KDE people, considered Gparted that highly. I have had virtually no experience with the KDE one, just looked at it and used it to look at my hdd and survey its features. And I've had pretty good experience with Gparted and become pretty confident of it. But, as I said, I had no idea that it was held in such high regard.

Yes, you can. (Using GParted Live CD) you can make any partitions you want, any formats, and you can keep your data anywhere you wish. Most people make a separate partition for their /home. Some people make separate Data partition(s) and point to them (by links), accessing all their data/information that way, from one or from more than one of their OSs (including sharing such data with a Windows OS).

These things would have to be among such people as you, who know enough to answer all these technical questions. But I don't know a single person except one or two in our local LUG who'd even want to do that. Normal people, of course, take what they're given and use it and in case of a problem look for a shop to take it to.

Sounds like you have a good system. You can also, at any time, start a new thread on this Data-partition issue and get some good ideas from people who do it. (I simply use a separate /home partition for EACH of my OSs -- but then, I have a simple setup with simple data needs: for each OS, I make two partitions: (root) / and /home; I make one swap partition on the HDD to share among any/several of my Kubuntu OSs.))

I think I do have a pretty good system--now that I've finally decided to pony up the money for it. I think I will start a new thread on this partitioning as well as a couple of others. Each will be entire issues, especially this partitioning and system structuring stuff. Your comments have alerted me to possibilities I hadn't thought of. I really appreciate this way of learning.

[Qqmike]

The GParted website has all sorts of good stuff, how-to's, FAQ. An often overlooked page is the Features -- actually, the capabilities, nice summary table:
http://gparted.org/features.php
http://gparted.org/livecd.php

[RLynwood]

More good information. I'll look into that. And, of course, I realize that I can do that with all other programs/utilities that I'll need/use. Thanks.

[SteveRiley]

KDE Partition Editor seems fine to me, too. But I didn't know that you, KDE people, considered Gparted that highly.

People here will have differing preferences. KDE's partition editor received some updates a while back that enable it to work with GPT disks, so feature wise, it's equivalent to Gparted. I don't use either of them; I prefer the command line for managing disks and partitions.

Qqmike's advice about partitioning before installing is the more important bit of good advice here. Parted, the partitioning tool incorporated in the *buntu installer, is really rather poor. It has trouble handing anything beyond the basics.

[vinnywright]

People here will have differing preferences. KDE's partition editor received some updates a while back that enable it to work with GPT disks, so feature wise, it's equivalent to Gparted. I don't use either of them; I prefer the command line for managing disks and partitions.

Qqmike's advice about partitioning before installing is the more important bit of good advice here. Parted, the partitioning tool incorporated in the *buntu installer, is really rather poor. It has trouble handing anything beyond the basics.

I think it is more the ,,,,,,,handling of parted by the *buntu installer than parted it's self.

after all both Gparted and Partitionmanager(KDE's partition manager) are based on libparted2 ,,,,,,,,,,,I think

VINNY

[SteveRiley]

after all both Gparted and Partitionmanager(KDE's partition manager) are based on libparted2 ,,,,,,,,,,,I think

Yup:

steve@t520:~$ [B]apt-cache rdepends libparted2[/B]
libparted2
Reverse Depends:
  libvirt-bin
  libvirt-bin
  libparted2:i386
  libparted2:i386
  udisks
  python3-parted-dbg
  python3-parted
  python-parted-dbg
  python-parted
  [COLOR="#B22222"]partitionmanager[/COLOR]
  nwipe
  libparted-i18n
  libparted-i18n
  kvpm
  gnu-fdisk
  fatresize
  ubiquity
  parted
  libvirt-bin
  libparted2-dbg
  libparted-fs-resize0
  libparted-dev
  [COLOR="#B22222"]gparted[/COLOR]

I think it is more the ,,,,,,,handling of parted by the *buntu installer than parted it's self.

That's a better way to put it.

[vinnywright]

That's a better way to put it.

and to that I would hole heartedly agree

VINNY