[Installation] Moving personalised Desktop to new machine

[CharlieDaves]

Hi,
I know you can copy the home folder, as long as username and passwords are the same, and the home folder is not encrypted, but...

Is it possible to copy or sync personal desktop settings, like window positions, background?

IF not

How or Can I change my KDE installation to a minimal one. I have read a command like apt install kde-full, or similar, so is there one to uninstall full ?

Thanks

[Don B. Cilly]

But of course if you copy /home to the new machine it will keep your personal settings, including desktop ones.

The second question I just don't understand, I'm afraid.

[jglen490]

WRT your second question.

The difference between a minimal install and a full install is this. Minimal install: after the install, add in the apps you really want. Full install: after the install, remove the apps you really don't want.

[oshunluvr]

These questions pose other questions; like what exactly is your goal?

jglen490 described full vs. minimal rather well. AFAIK, there's no functional differences just less software pre-installed. KDEneon is an example of a minimal install. So much so there are things you would expect to be in any install that aren't there. Kubuntu is pretty much a full install but I've seen other distros, like Mint, that front-load even more stuff.

If your goal is other than just having less software installed, i.e. use less memory or reduce CPU load etc., you might want to describe that goal more clearly.

[Don B. Cilly]

Well, Neon may be a minimal install, but at least it doesn't have the gall to tell me silly things like: "gcc: command not found", which Kubuntu does.

[jglen490]

I don't know about Neon (not a user!), but there is a Minimal install option in the Kubuntu Live/Install image. I don't remember when it first showed up in the regular Live/Install image, but for sure it's in the 18.04.2 that I last used for my SSD update. All it does is install the OS plus a couple Kubuntu-standard apps (not sure of the list). It provides a minimal Kubuntu with Firefox, Cantata, Muon, maybe LibreOffice; from there you install whatever you want. IIRC KDEPIM is not included

[claydoh]

The minimal install leaves out KDEPIM (ie Kontact and Akonadi database server it needs), the music player ( and the MPD background server it requires), the kde games, and Libreoffice. I do not believe Muon is a default application in either the full or minimal setup.

Uninstalling the package kontact should get rid of most,m if not all of KDEPIM. One may have to run apt autoremove afterwards to remove some extra dependencies that are no longer required by Kontact

Same idea and process for libreoffice, and cantata


For the games, not sure if there is a package that will remove all of those in one swoop, probably kdegames *might* do it.

[chimak111]

Well, Neon may be a minimal install, but at least it doesn't have the gall to tell me silly things like: "gcc: command not found", which Kubuntu does.

Never had Kubuntu 16.04, 18.04, or 19.04 do that. For that matter, I've never had to run gcc. In what context did that appear?

[chimak111]

The minimal install option became available when Kubuntu 18.04 was first released. Here's a link detailing what would be removed relative to the normal (full) install: https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu...minimal-remove. I saw it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Kubuntu/com...stall_in_1804/

[Don B. Cilly]

It appeared the first time I tried to compile something.
Honestly. You type make and it says it can't find gcc.
So you have to sudo apt install it.
Linux? Without gcc? It's like... Windows without Blue Screens... or something

This has happened for the past... quite a few - distributions.
So I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that neon did not say anything of the sort.

So I just quipped about the fact that a Kubuntu full-install has games and stuff, but no gcc, and a neon minimal has it.

[jglen490]

The minimal install leaves out KDEPIM (ie Kontact and Akonadi database server it needs), the music player ( and the MPD background server it requires), the kde games, and Libreoffice. I do not believe Muon is a default application in either the full or minimal setup.

Uninstalling the package kontact should get rid of most,m if not all of KDEPIM. One may have to run apt autoremove afterwards to remove some extra dependencies that are no longer required by Kontact

Same idea and process for libreoffice, and cantata

For the games, not sure if there is a package that will remove all of those in one swoop, probably kdegames *might* do it.

Thanks for the reminder claydoh! That definition of "minimal install" makes sense. The point is that it will establish an, initially, smaller Kubuntu. However, that Kubuntu is not forever limited to that minimalist level. The user could take a minimal Kubuntu and build it back up to a full install - if desired. Just like a full install can be pared down to the size and content of a minimal install.

Just like Linux should be - CHOICES!

[chimak111]

It appeared the first time I tried to compile something.
Honestly. You type make and it says it can't find gcc.
So you have to sudo apt install it.
Linux? Without gcc? It's like... Windows without Blue Screens... or something

This has happened for the past... quite a few - distributions.
So I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that neon did not say anything of the sort.

So I just quipped about the fact that a Kubuntu full-install has games and stuff, but no gcc, and a neon minimal has it.

dkb@kudd:~$ inxi -SIxz
System:    Host: kudd Kernel: 5.0.0-20-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 8.3.0 Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.16.2 
          Distro: Ubuntu 19.04 (Disco Dingo) 
Info:      Processes: 127 Uptime: 36m Memory: 3.85 GiB used: 630.8 MiB (16.0%) Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: 
          gcc: 8.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.3 inxi: 3.0.33 
dkb@kudd:~$

There's "gcc: 8.3.0" on Kubuntu 19.04 minimal (with the backports ppa to get Plasma updates). I haven't tried to compile anything on this system but, on a previous version, when I did try I had to install several packages to get things going.

[CharlieDaves]

The minimal install option became available when Kubuntu 18.04 was first released. Here's a link detailing what would be removed relative to the normal (full) install: https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu...minimal-remove. I saw it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Kubuntu/com...stall_in_1804/

Yeah! This is sort of what I was asking.
As mentioned, a long time ago I installed Linux, then used a command to apt-update KDE-Full.
Q- Is there a command to from what my system is to
--- Uninstall Full, leaving just a minimal install
--- Install minimal and there for removing the Full or extra stuff? Sort of like re-installing WinXP.

As for my First Question

Hi,
I know you can copy the home folder, as long as username and passwords are the same, and the home folder is not encrypted, but...

Is it possible to copy or sync personal desktop settings, like window positions, background?

If I am forced to fully reinstall from normal USB Install, how do I save my personalized Desktop settings?
I have windows that open in certain places, not the normal random rubbish. I have windows that have been customized for easy access, not to mention the custom background, and other things, that I had difficult finding (themes, colour). It appears that as Linux KDE has progressed they change or forced changed themes. I like this one, but KDE appears (not forcing the issue, but sort of) don't care. Use a new one, that looks like garbage. EG (Not complaining against the person(s) who created it) I remember one similar to Star Wars theme, like the oldie Win98 themes, that changed everything. Might be great for people whom haven't suffered personal medical issues, and need and have customized things.
Thanks

[claydoh]

There is no way to convert to a minimal install, other than finding out which packages are involved exactly.

You can get close though
Minimal leaves out:
Libreoffice
Kepim (contact and akonadi)
Kde games
Cantata and the MPD daemon
And not terribly much more (if anything).

Uninstalling 'kdepim' and 'libreoffice' should remove much of these individual parts, but running 'sudo apt autoremove' will get rid of what may be left behind.

'kdegames' should do the same for the games, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Your /home/[username] folder has all your settings and data, as that includes window size position theme etc. Backing that up will preserve that. Many people keep the /home dir on its own partition, and do custom installs specifying this location. This allows for a reinstall without needing to restore one's data at all.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

[oshunluvr]

Your "Desktop" settings should copy over as they're all hidden in your home folder. Just make sure you get everything including all hidden files and folders.