Hi, I did something really really stupid. I did [code=xml]sudo apt-get remove rarian-compat[/code] because it was conflicting with another package. many applications are gone (ubuntu-desktop, gedit, the termianl, synaptic, I have the list of them) and I can only boot in the terminal mode. I do not have internet, only the live cd (ubuntu 8.10). How can have apt-get read from the live cd and do [code=xml]sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop[/code] ? in fact without internet and even if I do [code=xml]sudo apt-cdrom add[/code] it says that it cannot find the repositories. do I have to put cdrom in /etc/apt/source.list? how? Thanks, Regards Alex

Does your CD Boot up and give you a screen in Live mode?

I found this guide: http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-fix-broken-ubuntu-feisty-fawn.html It's for Feisty, but I don't see why it shouldn't work for Intrepid.

THANKS for the replies! yes my computer boots with the live cd, but I can also boot in the terminal mode: i let ubuntu boot and I see an empty screen. I press Ctrl+Alt+BackSpace . When it arrives to the loginscreen there is pop up window whining that the "Authentication Failed" I as soon as I press on Ok another one pops up: I cannot log in. But before this login window I can do Alt+F1 (or 2) and log in with tty and work witht he terminal. All my files and stuff are intact. Now I check the guide,thanks. Alex

in the guide I have to boot with the live cd,mount my hard disk, chroot and do apt-get update: [code=xml]su mkdir /media/ubuntu mount /dev/sda1 /media/ubuntu chroot /media/ubuntu su apt-get update [/code] But I still lines with: [code=xml]Failed to fetch http://.....ubuntu package....etc[/code] I think I cannot get the packages from the cd :( Alex

Worse case scenario you can reinstall. Do you know if you have a separate home partition? If so, on reinstall, you can just not format that partition, so you won't lose your settings and files. You'd still want to back up everything if possible. I believe the sources list should include a line for the cd that's only commented out. When you log in to the command line, you could try: sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list If it's there, uncomment (remove the #) the line for the cd, and add a # before all the lines connecting to ftp or http sites. Then apt-get update and try to reinstall the ubuntu-desktop package.

Ok I have commented all the htt and ftp sites, do sudo apt-cdrom add now in /etc/apt/sources.list there si only deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 8.10 _Intrepid Ibex_ - Release i386 (.....)]/ intrepid main restricted but then I get [code=xml]sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop Reading package lists... DOne Reading ..etc Done Package ubuntu-desktop is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source E: Package ubuntu-desktop has no installation candidate[/code] I do not have a separate home partition - btw it sounds very handy if I can save my settings, how do you do that? - would prefere not to reinstall because I have had loads of problems with the graphical interface and wireless.. cheers [Modified by: 80aless on January 15, 2009 07:19 AM] Maybe I can put the debians in a cd/usb, mount it and install them? but then I must chose the right ones and all of them.. [Modified by: 80aless on January 15, 2009 07:21 AM]

yeah!!! I fixed it! fortunately I had the list of all the stuff I had deleted, and I had to download the debians (they were 32!) and install them manually ! here below I write how, maybe it can be useful to someone. anyway what are the advantages of putting my home in a separate partition and could you give me a hint of how to do it? Thanks for the help! Alex What I did: downloaded this stuff to my usb: [quote]capplets-data_2.24.0.1-0ubuntu7_all.deb fast-user-switch-applet_2.24.0-0ubuntu6_i386.deb gedit_2.24.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb gnome-app-install_0.5.12-0ubuntu1_all.deb gnome-applets_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb gnome-applets-data_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb gnome-control-center_2.24.0.1-0ubuntu7_i386.deb gnome-panel_2.24.1-0ubuntu2_i386.deb gnome-panel-data_2.24.1-0ubuntu2_all.deb gnome-session_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb gnome-system-monitor_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb gnome-terminal_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb gnome-utils_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb gucharmap_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb jockey-common_0.5~beta3-0ubuntu5_all.deb jockey-gtk_0.5~beta3-0ubuntu5_all.deb language-selector_0.3.17_all.deb libgnome-window-settings1_2.24.0.1-0ubuntu7_i386.deb nautilus_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_i386.deb nautilus-cd-burner_2.24.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb nautilus-data_2.24.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb nautilus-share_0.7.2-0ubuntu7_i386.deb python-software-properties_0.68_all.deb rarian-compat_0.8.1-1ubuntu2_i386.deb scrollkeeper_0.3.14-16ubuntu1_i386.deb software-properties-gtk_0.68_all.deb synaptic_0.62.1ubuntu10_i386.deb ubuntu-desktop_1.124_i386.deb update-manager_0.93.32_all.deb update-manager-core_0.93.32_i386.deb update-notifier_0.71.8_i386.deb zenity_2.24.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb[/quote] mount the usb and copy somewhere [code=xml]su mkdir /media/usb mount /dev/sdb1 /media/usb cp /media/usb/*deb /somepath[/code] installed the debians one by one: [code=xml]dpkg -i debian_file.deb[/code]

During installation, you generally partition and format your harddrive. You can set it up so that all the system stuff goes in one partition, and all your user stuff goes in another. I think that Ubuntu does this as the default, though. If you open up a terminal and type: sudo fdisk -l It should list your drives and partitions. Mine looks like this: Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Disk identifier: 0x0008b607 Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 * 1 5 40162 83 Linux /dev/sda2 6 452 3590527+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/sda3 453 1574 9012465 83 Linux /dev/sda4 1575 30401 231552877+ 83 Linux So I have sda1 as a separate boot partition, sda2 as swap space, sda3 as my root directory where all the system stuff is, and sda4 as my home directory. I don't usually make a separate boot partition, but it's something arch linux does by default, and I didn't bother changing it. The benefit of having a separate home partition, is that when you install, you can just format the root partition, without touching the rest. http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/separatehome

nice, I will read the page you sent me. thank you all for the help, I am impressed by this forum Alex