[Techtalk] I have broken my Libranet :(

[Wim De Smet]

On 7/17/06, aesop at fables.co.za <aesop at fables.co.za> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> First, hello, since I am new here although I had subscribed a few years back.
>
> I have been running Debian-based Libranet 2.8 for past year or so. I intended to update a package  via Synaptics but .....
>
> I got a huge download, like maybe all of the main, 2 hours on adsl. I was scared to cancel in the middle of this.

Maybe your sources are set to update to the latest version? I'm not
familiar with libranet. It is always fine to cancel in the middle of
downloading though. Apt is even good enough to handle an interruption
while installing (though that is much more dangerous).

>
> In the following config operations there were several packages that gave me the option of retaining the existing .config or using the one included by the package maintainer. Foolishly (?) I chose the latter.
>
> Where we are at now, is that when I choose (in Grub dual boot options) to go into Libranet I only get a terminal. I have to do
> $: startx to get into the (wrong) window (Ice).
>
> I want to get back to the default Libranet GUI operation. I just don't know how this works. Can anyone please put me on the right track as to what happens after grub and what may have been broken. I've looked, but maybe what I want is not there any more.

You normally have either gdm, kdm or xdm as you boot up. This is
apparently not being started automatically anymore. I'm not sure from
your description which one you have.
Try:
apt-cache policy kdm
apt-cache policy gdm
apt-cache policy xdm
The one that is installed will have a version number next to
"installed" (the others will have none)

Once you've figured this out, I'll assume gdm from now on, try:
apt-get install --reinstall gdm (note the double hyphen)

Be mindful of any questions it asks you. If none is installed, you can try:
apt-get install gdm

That should get a display manager set up again.

>
> As an alternative, I thought about a basic reinstall. This is a debian install, and I can get to where I see the existing partitions. If I select 'Write' with the existing partitions on view, will I lose existing data?  I seem to remember resizing partitions with existing data in before the original install (shrinking win partition, maybe with parted) and losing nothing. Otherwise I can't get past the partition stage.

I'm not familiar with the installer either, but be mindful that if
your /home directory is on the same partition as /usr you WILL lose
data. If it is not, be very careful when repartitioning. To find out
whether it is on a separate partition you can check /etc/fstab or run
the mount command without parameters. This will also tell you the
partition.

>
> Any ideas or help appreciated, thanks
>

Let us know what you get from this.

I hope that helps,
Wim