Trying to install software have broken system

**Budgie2** · 22-Feb-2013, 17:01

My fault entirely but in trying to install software on my main openSUSE 12.1 KDE system I have broken it. Am on laptop now so cannot give details. Purpose of this post is to ask if it is worth spending time repairing 12.1 system or is it time I did a new installation of 12.2? I have separate system and home partitions and recall reading some advice on issues when installing new system but keeping home partition intact but cannot find the thread. Please could somebody point me in the right direction.

**robin_listas** · 22-Feb-2013, 17:33

On 2013-02-23 01:06, Budgie2 wrote:
>
> My fault entirely but in trying to install software on my main openSUSE
> 12.1 KDE system I have broken it.

What did you install, and how?

> Am on laptop now so cannot give
> details. Purpose of this post is to ask if it is worth spending time
> repairing 12.1 system or is it time I did a new installation of 12.2?

It is very difficult to say from this far.

> I
> have separate system and home partitions and recall reading some advice
> on issues when installing new system but keeping home partition intact
> but cannot find the thread. Please could somebody point me in the right
> direction.

Yes, when home is a separate partition you can just install any new
system as long as you don't format the home partition.

Another possibility that sometimes works is to boot the DVD and choose
"upgrade" instead of install.

But it is impossible to recommend a course of action without knowing
what happened.

--
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 "Asparagus" at Telcontar)

**jdmcdaniel3** · 22-Feb-2013, 20:08

Originally Posted by Budgie2

My fault entirely but in trying to install software on my main openSUSE 12.1 KDE system I have broken it. Am on laptop now so cannot give details. Purpose of this post is to ask if it is worth spending time repairing 12.1 system or is it time I did a new installation of 12.2? I have separate system and home partitions and recall reading some advice on issues when installing new system but keeping home partition intact but cannot find the thread. Please could somebody point me in the right direction.

To keep your entire partition setup and keep your /home intact, boot from and Install openSUSE as normal, but you select a custom partition for experts only. Now, you will mount your root / partition just the same as before, but you elect to reformat it. You mount the same /home as before, but you only mount it and you do not format it. SWAP partitions get selected for mounting automatically. Mount any other existing partitions with the same name as before, electing to only mount and to not format them.You can always come back later and mount anything outside of root /, /home and SWAP after the reinstall is complete that you don't remember. Make sure to use the same user name as before as included in your /home area when you are asked for it in the installation. You must reinstall all system applications, make all system settings over such as for SAMBA, hosts setting, system fonts and so forth. All personnel settings will be maintained, but any application that used them must be reloaded. This is normally how I "upgrade" to the next version of openSUSE.

Thank You,

**Budgie2** · 23-Feb-2013, 09:30

Hi and thanks for the prompt replies. I broke the system trying to install gtk+-2.0 latest version, which look like a development version. It was late and that is my only excuse. I have been happy with 12.1 and see quite a few issues with 12.2. How long will 12.1 still be supported I wonder? I too tend to re format and install new, keeping my home directory intact. I know it is a chore installing applications butI use so few it will be quicker than reversing the damage. It was not just the gtk but went on from there until I went round in circles. You don't need to know more! Thanks again. Will reinstall 12.1 for a start and then take a view.Bets wishes and thanks again.Budgie2

**jdmcdaniel3** · 23-Feb-2013, 13:25

Originally Posted by Budgie2

Hi and thanks for the prompt replies. I broke the system trying to install gtk+-2.0 latest version, which look like a development version. It was late and that is my only excuse. I have been happy with 12.1 and see quite a few issues with 12.2. How long will 12.1 still be supported I wonder? I too tend to re format and install new, keeping my home directory intact. I know it is a chore installing applications butI use so few it will be quicker than reversing the damage. It was not just the gtk but went on from there until I went round in circles. You don't need to know more! Thanks again. Will reinstall 12.1 for a start and then take a view.Bets wishes and thanks again.Budgie2

For openSUSE 12.1, you have only till the end of April, 2013. For openSUSE 12.2, the current, you have till January 1st or so of 2014. Since the only big difference from 12.1 to 12.2 was the inclusion of Grub 2, the fact that video was sped up in 12.2 and the fact that 12.1 lasts only till April, would cause me to suggest going with openSUSE 12.2. Bugs that existed at the start of 12.2 have been fixed if you can get past the install. Don't for get to just hit the ESC key if Plymouth does not produce a display and that for big video issues you can always switch to Text Mode, before the install is started. The Linux kernel is much more compatible than our Installer is it would seem, you just got to get it installed and once done, video works nearly 100 % of the time and after the first update, all of those bugs you heard of will be gone.

Thank You,

**Budgie2** · 24-Feb-2013, 09:19

Hi James,
So soon!!! Exactly what I needed to know. Many thanks.
There remains one question and that is I am thinking of trying Gnome desktop but have become used to KDE so want option of either. If I keep /home on different volume, is it possible/sensible to boot either to KDE or Gnome by having two installations on different volumes or is there an easier and better way of doing this please?
Regards,
Budgie2

**robin_listas** · 24-Feb-2013, 10:08

On 2013-02-24 17:26, Budgie2 wrote:
>
> Hi James,
> So soon!!! Exactly what I needed to know. Many thanks.
> There remains one question and that is I am thinking of trying Gnome
> desktop but have become used to KDE so want option of either. If I keep
> /home on different volume, is it possible/sensible to boot either to KDE
> or Gnome by having two installations on different volumes or is there an
> easier and better way of doing this please?

Linux is not Windows. You can have several desktops installed
simultaneously. You can have several users, each using a different
desktop. You can start with one desktop, log out, and log back in using
a different desktop without rebooting. Or you can use a desktop, and
tools from a different desktop.

--
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 "Asparagus" at Telcontar)

**jdmcdaniel3** · 24-Feb-2013, 12:14

Originally Posted by Budgie2

Hi James,
So soon!!! Exactly what I needed to know. Many thanks.
There remains one question and that is I am thinking of trying Gnome desktop but have become used to KDE so want option of either. If I keep /home on different volume, is it possible/sensible to boot either to KDE or Gnome by having two installations on different volumes or is there an easier and better way of doing this please?
Regards,
Budgie2

I normally load all of the desktops into the same copy of openSUSE, using the same root / partition and using the same /home partition. You select which desktop to use at the login screen, so you must disable or not use auto-login to change the desktop that you use. I use KDE all of the time, but having gnome and KDE allows all the GNOME apps that make any sense to use in KDE available to you. Being able to switch over and see how the other half of the openSUSE desktop crowd makes it is just icing on the cake. In addition, you keep extra options should you manage to crash you main desktop somehow.

Thank You,

**Budgie2** · 24-Feb-2013, 14:51

Hi and thanks again. I now have 12.2 installed and up to date. Took advantage of new installation to sort out hardware RAID so nearly there. Will sort out Gnome when I have KDE complete. A multimedia problem has come up but will start new thread in correct forum.
Thanks again,
Budgie2

**jdmcdaniel3** · 24-Feb-2013, 15:35

Originally Posted by Budgie2

Hi and thanks again. I now have 12.2 installed and up to date. Took advantage of new installation to sort out hardware RAID so nearly there. Will sort out Gnome when I have KDE complete. A multimedia problem has come up but will start new thread in correct forum.
Thanks again,
Budgie2

Please do ask for more help, if you have not already. Make sure to look at this next link before you do anything else with sound: https://forums.opensuse.org/blogs/ol...avucontrol-96/, if for any reason you feel compelled to uninstall PulseAudio, resist and just disable it instead. Its one of the functions in my bash script START: https://forums.opensuse.org/blogs/jd...rsion-1-11-61/

Thank You,