Checking system stability

[susanpenter]

After doing a routine package get updates I installed KDE4 however lots of the packages were all saying broken so I told it to uninstall them (I noticed the system had automatically uninstalled KDE4. Is there any software I can run to double check the current system is stable before powering down. I'd hate to find that it was unstable and wouldn't run so I had to reinstall it all from a live CD.

Thanks
Susan

[jacatone]

Re: Checking system stability

Yeah, I hear you. Linux is not nearly as stable and reliable as the linux faithful make it out to be.

[v_override]

Re: Checking system stability

@ jacatone:

Neither is windblows , or ANY OS for that matter

@ susanpenter:
Can't give you an exacte solution to the problem you have right now, but I can give you something to prevent it in the future.

a) Keep a virtual machine running (such as VirtualBox or VMWare) and inthere, keep an exact copy of your installed system.
So whenever you're thinking about doing something to your "real" configuration, try it out on the Virtual installed system first. I know in VirtualBox (so I guess in VMWare as well) you can go back to a previous configuration whenever something goes wrong. Then don't install it or try it out on your "real" configuration. :-)

b)
Or....You might wanne perform "apt-get --simulate <package>". That way, the package won't be installed...but it will perform a test-run. For more info....check out:

info apt-get

-s, --simulate, --just-print, --dry-run, --recon, --no-act
No action; perform a simulation of events that would occur but do
not actually change the system. Configuration Item:
APT::Get::Simulate.

Simulate prints out a series of lines each one representing a dpkg
operation, Configure (Conf), Remove (Remv), Unpack (Inst). Square
brackets indicate broken packages with and empty set of square
brackets meaning breaks that are of no consequence (rare).

[Fintan]

Re: Checking system stability

Yeah, I hear you. Linux is not nearly as stable and reliable as the linux faithful make it out to be.

Any OS is only as stable as the person sitting in front of it.

I know out of my own painfull experience :P

@suan:
Check in adept/synapic and make sure that:
- kubuntu-desktop
- adept
- kdm
are still there.

Trashing kde4 can trash those as well.

If they are still there good

If not just install them

If for any reason you have booted down and can't get back in do this:
Boot into recovery mode then at the prompt type:

apt-get install kubuntu-desktop adept kdm

then reboot and you should be fine

[dibl]

Re: Checking system stability

Linux is not nearly as stable and reliable as the linux faithful make it out to be.

I know the kind of "learning experiences" that lead to that sentiment. I have them often, myself -- I guess Fintan likes to break his setup occasionally, as well.

However, to my personal knowledge, there are Linux OS versions used in embedded applications to run such complex, and mission-critical systems as networked military data radios, where stability and 100% error-free operation are absolute requirements. The software engineers who design such systems would roll on the floor giggling if you ever suggested it could be done with an OS from Redmond. Of course they'd also roll on the floor giggling if you suggested it be done on an Intel or AMD consumer-grade CPU.

Just so you know how wrong such generalizations can be .....

[susanpenter]

Re: Checking system stability

Check in adept/synapic and make sure that:
- kubuntu-desktop
- adept
- kdm
are still there.

Well I've done this Kubuntu -desktop was missing but I've reinstalled this so does that mean it will be safe to reboot?

By the way for all concerned I do not endorse the view of the first reply, although i do have hiccups being new to this I consider it to be far more stable that XP (and loads in 10% of the time) it's true when things go wrong they are down to my lack of knowledge!

[Snowhog]

Re: Checking system stability

kubuntu-desktop is a metapackage. It installs (everything) needed for the Kubuntu (KDE) desktop.

[Fredh]

Re: Checking system stability

Be sure you have kdm and adept as well

[dibl]

Re: Checking system stability

Right -- install kde4-core, kde4, and kdm-kde4 and you should be able to restart and login to KDE4 (he says boldly) ....

[susanpenter]

Re: Checking system stability

Ok i shall give this one last go, but maybe wait until the morning. Every time I've tried it before it has said that various files are broken, but then looking at your list I didn't install KDM KDE4 just the others, maybe that will make the difference. When I have insalled them do I then need to reboot? also shall I just ignore it if adept says there are broken items (in red text) will these resolve at reboot?

[susanpenter]

Re: Checking system stability

OK I decided to be brave and go for it but once I had selected the three packages you stated Dibl (and Adept manager had selected a load of other) I ticked the apply changes box and it started doing something and then told me that it couldn't commit changes because it failed to download or committing changes would break other packages and then when I said ok it closed down Adept manager!

Where do I go from here?

[Snowhog]

Re: Checking system stability

To fix Adept errors:

Open a console and type:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

should fix it, else continue with

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install

See if you don't get any reported errors after this. Please post back.

[susanpenter]

Re: Checking system stability

Just to let you know I haven't forgotten to post back I've just been engrossed with my genealogy and haven't had chance to try playing with the OS,will do it soon I hope.

Thanks
Susan

[dibl]

Re: Checking system stability

I've just been engrossed with my genealogy

What -- a genealogist using Linux? OMG, stand by for a PM!

[susanpenter]

Re: Checking system stability

Here is the report back as promised:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
You might want to run ‘apt-get -f install’ to correct these.
The following packages have unmet dependencies.
amor-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
ark-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
blinken-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
juk-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
kalgebra-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
kalzium-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
kcalc-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
kcharselect-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
kcron-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
kdebase-bin: Depends: kdebase-bin-kde3 but it is not installed or
kdebase-runtime-bin-kde4 but it is not installed
kdebase-kde4: Depends: dolphin-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it i
s not installed
Depends: kappfinder-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but i
t is not installed
Depends: kdebase-bin-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but
it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-data-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it is not installed
Depends: kdepasswd-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it is not installed
Depends: kfind-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it is not installed
Depends: konqueror-nsplugins-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~pp a1) but it is not installed
Depends: konqueror-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it is not installed
Depends: konsole-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it i s not installed
Depends: kwrite-kde4 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it is not installed
Depends: libkonq5 (>= 4:4.0.3-0ubuntu1~gutsy1~ppa1) but it is no t installed
kdm-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
libkdeedu4-kde4: Depends: kde-icons-oxygen but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime but it is not installed
Depends: kdebase-runtime-data but it is not installed
E: Unmet dependencies. Try using -f.

Also having tried to log out and use Ubuntu instead the only option I have is KDE (referring to page 110 Linux Format May 2008 issue) so I guess the Gnome Meta packages are missing. I'll try opening adept again as I see I have the notifier in my system tray I shall respond to that first.