[ubuntu-uk] Help gnome 3 broke my laptop!

[Pete]

On 11/21/2011 08:21 PM, Pete wrote:
> On 11/21/2011 02:41 AM, Liam Proven wrote:
>> On 20 November 2011 20:05, Pete<psmouty at live.com>
>> wrote:
>>> hi all,
>>>
>>> I was playing around trying to install gnome 3 onto my Ubuntu 11.04
>>> system,
>>> this was done via synaptic, since then I have been given the choice of
>>> 'gnome classic, KDE (plasma workspace), Arios (my original system
>>> based on
>>> Ubuntu), recovery console, unity 2d, user defined session' at login
>>> but none
>>> of them are my original desktop session and most give the error
>>> 'unable to
>>> load session' with the option to logout.
>>>
>>> I have since got the KDE desktop working to write this post.
>>>
>>> I have 'completely removed' gnome 3 in synaptic but it only removed 1
>>> package not the 139 it installed when I installed it!
>>>
>>> My question(s) are
>>>
>>> 1/ most important how do I recover my original desktop session?
>>> 2/ why did it install the KDE desktop environment without me even
>>> trying?
>>> 3/ is there a way of listing the packages installed on a certain
>>> date/time
>>> to ensure I can manually remove them with the hope of restoring my
>>> system to
>>> it's previous state?
>>>
>>> thanks in advance (and no I will not be trying to install extra
>>> desktops on
>>> an existing system again, I will dual boot in future!!)
>>
>> You shouldn't have done that on 11.04. GNOME 3 breaks Unity in 11.04 -
>> this is lavishly documented and when you added the PPA you have been
>> presented with multiple warnings which you have chosen to ignore or
>> skip.
>>
>> I suggest you upgrade to 11.10. This is perfectly doable from the
>> command-line. It will get you Unity back and working /and/ GNOME 3 if
>> you wish. Both at once, which 11.04 cannot do.
>>
>>
> Hi,
>
> Of course your correct, really should read those things :)
>
> I have since managed to install the xfce desktop environment and am
> currently typing this on my own laptop via the very same t-bird as before.
>
> Running upgrade to 11.10 now will report back if my original system
> returns, if not at least I can work on it! Having been spreading the
> Ubuntu / LINUX / UNIX word saying all is fixable if you have enough
> patience reinstalling would be hurtful!
>
> Thanks to all who responded especially Ivan who got me thinking along
> the correct lines!
>
> Regards
>
>
> Pete
>
>
Hi all,
Just a quick update (or upgrade!) on my self induced situation, the 
upgrade did not go smoothly, again prob my fault as the system was arios 
(based on 11.04) to begin with and several PPA's were enabled but I got 
there in the end.

I now have a fully functioning system with Unity, Gnome 3, XFce, Ubuntu 
& user defined options at login.

Unfortunately my AWN is no longer functioning but as support for this 
great window manager is soon to end, I guess I better embrace progress.

First impressions for what my opinion counts for:

Gnome 3: early days but not impressed so far, little niggles that I'm 
sure will be solved in the future, these include package installers, 
lack of screen saver, and I think due to the familiarity of the layout 
the changes I find frustrating at the moment, but I will get there!

Unity: Very flashy, seems stable and has become my first choice however 
I am aware of stability issues all over google but I have yet to 
experience any!

Xfce & Ubuntu: Can be made to very closely resemble old GNOME 2 and has 
very similar functionality and will become the destination for all those 
die hard Gnome 2 fans out there! I will keep on here and no doubt play 
around from time to time.

Regards

Pete