Re: [tlug] Kubuntu 8.04->8.10 Upgrade: Two for Two

[Nick Bikkal <nickbikkal@example.com>]

I have installed Kubuntu 8.04. It was an upgrade from Ubuntu but believe 
it was not worth it. Too many problems, including the fact I don't know 
enough how to use Linux products. I hate Windows but I know it well. 
Pity; I was hoping I could succeed. I can't even get it to read my drives.

Nick



CL wrote:
> Regular readers may recall my adventures trying to upgrade a basic 
> Kubuntu v.8.04 (Horny Hamster) installation on my ThinkPad to v.8.10 
> (Irritating Idiot).  At that time, the first reboot produced no login 
> combobox and all attempts to correct the problem failed.  Well, idiot 
> that I am, I decided to upgrade my desktop to 8.10 after stabilizing 
> my laptop.  There are enough useful changes to make it desirable.
> This is my first post from the new desktop.
> -  Upgrade failed again.  No combobox on the login screen.  Kubuntu 
> Forums (KF) discussion had advice to manually reinstall the headers 
> for the new kernel from the repair console ... except I found myself 
> locked out of my files and none of the KF instructions on how to 
> unlock the files by typing instructions from the command line worked.
>
> -  All attempts to use apt-get and dpkg commands resulted in error 
> messages that files were locked.
>
> -  Tried to access and edit files using both a v.8.10 installation 
> disk and Knoppix 5.3.1 but nothing saved to disk permanently.  Found 
> the temp files and attempted to replace the locked files but was 
> refused access.
> -  The solution, as recommended by KF as the Official Act of Last 
> Resort (tm) was to do a clean install from a virgin HDD (my HDD has 
> now been a virgin at least 25 times and is probably eligible for 
> permanent residence in Thailand).
>
> -  Because  I backed up the key files from v.8.04, I was back up and 
> running in about 30 minutes after giving up and doing the clean 
> reinstall.
> -  Like my laptop, the desktop install still does not like my Python 
> development files, but runs Python-based programs and processes just 
> fine.
>
> -  I still have to figure out:
>    a.  Why the system sees and loads data CDs but not audio CDs.
>    b.  Where the hardware setup permissions are stored as they are no 
> longer conveniently stored in System Settings.
>    c.  Why all windows display a scrambled signal (horizontal lines) 
> for almost a second on opening before resolving into the proper image. 
>    d.  Why the optional video players -- M-Player and Kaffein -- do 
> not install on the system.
>    e.  Why it does not appear as though my line length settings for 
> T-Bird are working (sorry about that, but it seems to be a problem all 
> of my PCs are currently having despite being set to 72).
>
> All-in-all this upgrade seems to be about as big a PITA as the upgrade 
> from WIN3.1 to W2K was ... but that was a long time ago, now ...