Kubuntu 13.10 Crashed-Need Help

[Bumpalot]

Have been running kubuntu 13.10 & on my 64bit, quad processor system very successfully since it was launched. Have installed every update with no problems.
Was running Gimp, editing a scanned doc when suddenly the screen changed to black & yellow images.
Could not read any of the screen mess, or get rid of it. Rebooted. Launched seemingly successfully.
But the Terminal would not open. Then all side bar & desktop short cuts were dead. Could not activate anything!
Rebooted several times, choosing Grub menu alternates. None worked. Using Alt + Ctrl can get to the terminal prompt, but unsure what to enter. Any suggestions ?
I know there is a series of commands to reinstall all that I had previously used once, including kubuntu desktop. Had stored the code previously in a file, but can't access it now. Am sending this message via stupid Windows -- very embarrassing !!!
Sure would appreciate your help.

[Buddlespit]

Can you check and see if you have kwin (kde-window-manager) installed? If you can boot to console, that is...

[Bumpalot]

I wish I could, but cannot open anything!
I could search by CTRL+ALT+F2 if you can tell me what to type in.

[vinnywright]

you can check for installed packages from a console with

dpkg -l | grep <package name>

like for kwin like so

vinny@vinny-HP-G62:~$ dpkg -l | grep kwin
ii  libkwinactiveeffects1abi4                4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         library used by effects for the KDE window manager Active
ii  libkwinactiveglesutils1                  4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         library used by accelleration for the KDE window manager Active
ii  libkwinactiveglutils1abi1                4:4.10.5-0ubuntu0.1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2               i386         library used by accellaration for the KDE window manager Active
ii  libkwinactiveglutils1abi2                4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         library used by accellaration for the KDE window manager Active
ii  libkwinactivenvidiahack4                 4:4.10.5-0ubuntu0.1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2               i386         library used by nvidia cards for the KDE window manager
ii  libkwineffects1abi4                      4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         library used by effects for the KDE window manager
ii  libkwinglesutils1                        4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         library used by accellaration for the KDE window manager
ii  libkwinglutils1abi1                      4:4.10.5-0ubuntu0.1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2               i386         library used by accellaration for the KDE window manager
ii  libkwinglutils1abi2                      4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         library with OpenGL utilities for the KDE window manager
ii  libkwinnvidiahack4                       4:4.10.5-0ubuntu0.1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2               i386         library used by nvidia cards for the KDE window manager

or

vinny@vinny-HP-G62:~$ dpkg -l | grep kde-window-manager
ii  kde-window-manager                       4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         K window manager (KWin)
ii  kde-window-manager-common                4:4.11.1-0ubuntu1~ubuntu12.10~ppa2                 i386         K window manager (KWin) Common Files

try this

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

if you get more updates/packages just reboot

sudo reboot now

if all is up to date try

sudo dpkg --reconfigure -a

VINNY

[Bumpalot]

Thanks for the codes.
ran sudo apt-get update..&&....etc
Result:
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove & 0 not upgraded
Ran sudo dpkg --reconfigure -a
dpkg: error: unknown option --reconfigure -a
use 'dselect' or 'aptitude' for user=friendly package management
Reboote
Logged in
messages:
0 packages can be updated
0 updates are are security updates
What now

[Buddlespit]

Try sudo dpkg --configure -a
and what did you get when you typed dpkg -l | grep kwin

[vinnywright]

Thanks for the codes.
ran sudo apt-get update..&&....etc
Result:
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove & 0 not upgraded
Ran sudo dpkg --reconfigure -a
dpkg: error: unknown option --reconfigure -a
use 'dselect' or 'aptitude' for user=friendly package management
Reboote
Logged in
messages:
0 packages can be updated
0 updates are are security updates
What now

ya you may half to adjust the spacing betwen the options like dpkg--reconfigure-a , or dpkg --reconfigur-a ,,,,,,can remember the exact syntax

Aaaa I think it's

sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a

it will reconfigur ALL instaled packages so watch it run as some will require user input

VINNY

[Buddlespit]

I don't think --reconfigure is a valid arguement. It won't work on mine. I have to use --configure.

[vinnywright]

I don't think --reconfigure is a valid arguement. It won't work on mine. I have to use --configure.

--reconfiguer is not -reconfigure is ,,,,,,,,,

as in dpkg-reconfigure

vinny@vinny-HP-G62:~$ dpkg-reconfigure
/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure must be run as root
vinny@vinny-HP-G62:~$

and it is not an argument of dpkg it is a separate program

VINNY

[vinnywright]

DPKG-RECONFIGURE(8)                                      Debconf                                      DPKG-RECONFIGURE(8)

NAME
       dpkg-reconfigure - reconfigure an already installed package

SYNOPSIS
        dpkg-reconfigure [options] packages

DESCRIPTION
       dpkg-reconfigure reconfigures packages after they have already been installed. Pass it the names of a package or
       packages to reconfigure. It will ask configuration questions, much like when the package was first installed.

       If you just want to see the current configuration of a package, see debconf-show(1) instead.

OPTIONS
       -ftype, --frontend=type
           Select the frontend to use. The default frontend can be permanently changed by:

            dpkg-reconfigure debconf

           Note that if you normally have debconf set to use the noninteractive frontend, dpkg-reconfigure will use the
           dialog frontend instead, so you actually get to reconfigure the package.

       -pvalue, --priority=value
           Specify the minimum priority of question that will be displayed.  dpkg-reconfigure normally shows low priority
           questions no matter what your default priority is. See debconf(7) for a list.

       --default-priority
           Use whatever the default priority of question is, instead of forcing the priority to low.

       -a, --all
           Reconfigure all installed packages that use debconf. Warning: this may take a long time.

VINNY

[Buddlespit]

There ya go, that works better

[vinnywright]

and as I sead it takes some time and requires some user input at a few points asking if you want to keep your old configs or take the new/default ones ,,,,,,,,at these points the default action is to keep your current ones and is usually safe to except .

VINNY

[Bumpalot]

sudo mv ~/.kde ~/.kde.old

Missing destination file operand after ~/.kde.old
Can't get passed this!

[vinnywright]

sudo mv ~/.kde ~/.kde.old

Missing destination file operand after ~/.kde.old
Can't get passed this!

you do not need to do that as sudo ,,,you own it all ready ,,,,if you use sudo it is trying to move roots ~/ <whatever>

VINNY

[Snowhog]

Open a console and type:

mv .kde  .kdeOLD