My system, dedicated Ubuntu Studio 22.04 with a KDE Desktop, seems to have become corrupted when I tried to install a beta version of a CLI transcoding utility called REDline for RED cameras. I can't seem to start the xserver any more and just get a useless graphic when I get to where I'd expect my sddm login screen to be. It has a sad face and says something went wrong. Entire screen is black with a big mouse cursor floating on it. The mouse is responsive but there's nothing for it to click on so it seems useless also.
After trying a lot of things I've found in searching the intertubes, I'm thinking it may be time to try a reinstall. I have a lot of specialized configurations, though, in addition to applications not standard to the Ubuntu Studio install. I don't want to lose that.
I understand that a lot of the configurations will be retained if I reinstall without formatting my /home partition (yes, I do have it on its own partition). So far so good. Problem seems to be that I can't find a way to retain the existing / directory and just overwrite the files that come with the Ubuntu Studio installation. I was hoping that would be a way of retaining the apllications and such that I've added since the initial install. When I run the installer (from a USB stick), though, there are buttons at the bottom of the manual partitioning page that say "Back," "Next," and "Cancel." Back and Cancel are active but Next seems to remain grayed out, as though I have to do something like delete or reformat a partition, in this case /, before it will allow me to proceed. Obviously, that's exactly what I don't want to do.
How do I do a reinstall of the Ubuntu Studio / partition without reformatting it?
thanks,
babag
