[tlug] Well now I'm hosed - Dapper/Edgy died

["Dave Gutteridge" <ebisudave@example.com>]

TLUG,

Usually I'm subscribed to this list via martin@example.com, but I'm now writing to you via my gmail account. And I'm using my girlfriend's laptop.

This is because my main computer, as described in an earlier thread, got stuck halfway between Dapper and Edgy, it started acting a little weird. The last thing it did before crashing was not be able to read CDs or DVDs. Something got hung, and I rebooted it.

As I feared, I can't get back on. Well, actually, I can log in, but only at a command prompt. Gnome complains of some theme being unavailable, and gives me this old-school looking username entry field, which is greyed out and I can't find any way of un-greying it.

Bottom line is that I can basically only get on my computer via command prompt. I tried running the system upgrade commands again, but they complained of the same broken dependancies.

Before Ubuntu died, I made a backup of my important files, and I also burned a copy of the Edgy install CD. I tried to install from the CD, but it only gives me the option of making a completely fresh install, in a new partition. I can't use it to repair or overwrite my previous installaion. I could complain about that, but I'm not, since all I really care about at this point is getting my computer to work again.

Can I repair these broken dependancies and get my system back? I really, really don't want to have to do a fresh install, and all the moving of files and configuring of settings and resizing of partitions and the inevitable one thing you forgot to backup or copy that you don't realize isn't there anymore until weeks later.

Help. Please.

Dave M G