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Ubuntu

How to restore Lubuntu desktop from command line

DanW58

8/5/24, 3:57 AM

I have an old machine, dual core intel HP, that I was running 22.04 with Lubuntu desktop. I decided to upgrade to 23.04, and there were problems during the upgrade, broken files and whatnot. The software upgrade offered me to do a "partial upgrade" and I said yes. The upgrade failed, but I managed to do a full upgrade inside Muon that seemed to fix everything. Tried software update and told me all was up to date. After reboot the screen was unrecognizable, but I figured it was a matter of logging out and back in and choosing the lubuntu desktop. Unfortunately, there was no lubuntu among the options, but the first option mentioned lxqt, and I assumed that meant lubuntu. After logging in I recognized my normal desktop and was relieved. The only problem was that applications did not have top bars and so they did not have the [X] icon at the top right, and could only be closed from File -> Exit. But anyways, I had managed to upgrade to 23.04. I should have stopped there...

I tried a sudo apt-upgrade -d, and it offered me I could upgrade to 23.10, and I said yes. The upgrade went perfectly well, but after rebooting my desktop was again unrecognizable, clearly not Lubuntu, but to make things worse, I do not have a bar at the bottom of the screen, or anywhere for that matter, no main menu, networking is disabled, so I can't access the internet; but I can ctrl-alt-t to get a command window, and I can double-click a folder icon on the desktop and go to Applications on the left pane, to access some apps. However, without internet, synaptic won't do much for me; and the Applications in file explorer do not include things like suspend, shutdown, logout... The only way I know I can shutdown is with the power switch. I can edit files, though, by calling featherpad filename from command line. Is there a way to edit some file to bring back the Lubuntu desktop after reboot? And any idea why networking might be disabled, or how to try and enable it? TIA

0 + 13

upgrade

lubuntu

logout

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:04 AM

It's unclear what you actually did; you mention for example "*decided to upgrade to 23.04, and there were problems during the upgrade, broken files and whatnot*" but gave no details as to commands used etc. nor specifics as to problem packages. I'd have assumed your system was *broken* at that point rather than try & continue, as subsequent 'upgrades' or 'movements' will be to your correctly installed packages & not what you had earlier (ie. your initial Lubuntu system won't be treated as Lubuntu anymore, but part of Lubuntu).

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:08 AM

You mention *power button* which you should **never** need to use except for kernel panic (ie. linux kernel crash) though I suspect you've not experienced this. You should be able to login to text terminal OR issue SysRq commands direct to kernel (*bypassing any UI/GUI issues if you have any*) thus cleanly shutdown/reboot your system not potentially add more file-system breakage etc. I don't know your issue (*lack of clear details*), but in your case i'd consider a *Install using existing partition* to correct (https://discourse.lubuntu.me/t/testing-checklist-understanding-the-testcases/2743)

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:11 AM

Many things are unclear in what you describe.. but Lubuntu installs with a number of sessions; Lubuntu = the full Lubuntu experience; LXQt = closer to upstream LXQt experience without some Lubuntu unique features; Openbox = the WM alone. As LXQt is WM agnostic; Lubuntu uses openbox which can be run on it's own; thus the openbox session is what allows that. To provide specifics on fixing where you are; I'd need to know where you exactly are - and that is very unclear (to me anyway).

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:13 AM

Ubuntu 23.10 (mantic) doesn't yet exist; it's currently the development release Ubuntu mantic and remains that until it reaches RC state which isn't expected until after 5 October 2023, and isn't on-topic here until release on 13 October 2023. https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/mantic-minotaur-release-schedule/34989 Please refer https://askubuntu.com/help/on-topic. For support issues with Ubuntu mantic you'll need to use a #ubuntu-next or #ubuntu+1 site (IRC, UF etc

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:15 AM

The moment you used the `do-release-upgrade -d` and moved to Ubuntu *mantic*, you put yourself *off-topic* on this & many other support sites, as you're no longer using a *stable* system that is supported; but a *development* system that is intended for experienced users who can thus discover & report bugs. That system is currently still in *alpha* and thus off-topic here. Your issue doesn't relate to *mantic* I suspect - but your system isn't supported here sorry.

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:17 AM

If you wish to report bugs, firstly thank you for helping test the release, but please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs and use a #ubuntu+1 site such as IRC, https://ubuntuforums.org/ etc. *This site isn't tracked for ubuntu+1 or #ubuntu-next issues* Please note: I'm not encouraging you to report any issues; your issue is a support issue I'm 99% sure of (*even if I don't understand it due to lack of specific detail*), but *mantic* issues on this site are to be encouraged to report as bugs (*ie. site specific response*). Your issue is *user-procedural* as I see it.

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:22 AM

the easiest thing to try would likely be a `sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop` (*closely matching your initial request*), but if it was me I'd explore your *apt* logs and re-read the messages you ignore & go from there... which was many steps before where you are now.... thus the *re-install* option I alluded to earlier (*upgrade using existing partition*) maybe safer if you don't want to review & adjust for your circumstances (*which as stated I don't understand due to lack of detail*).

guiverc

8/5/24, 4:30 AM

the above would be easier to read written as an 'answer', but posted this way ^ as the question is off-topic due to being now a Ubuntu *mantic* question.... thus many comments.

Archisman Panigrahi

8/5/24, 5:49 AM

Try `sudo apt install lubuntu-desktop^`

guiverc

8/5/24, 5:51 AM

yeah sorry; my `sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop` was meant to say `sudo apt install --reinstall lubuntu-desktop` :(

DanW58

8/5/24, 12:14 PM

I apollogize for the lack of details; I should have been writing notes as things happened, but adrenaline doesn't help rational behavior, and what I describe is as much as I remember at each stage of this shipwreck. I tried sudo apt install --reinstall lubuntu-desktop, and it tried to do it, but without internet working it failed to reach us.archive.ubuntu.com. Looks like a reinstaller at this point. Unless there is a way to 1) re-enable networking, and 2a) reinstalling lubuntu, or 2b) reverting to 23.04.

guiverc

8/5/24, 12:48 PM

As already stated; by moving yourself to Ubuntu *mantic* (*sorry I'm using Lubuntu now; but I still consider it a Ubuntu system, thus my wording*) you've put yourself off-topic on this site in the move to 23.10 so we can't help with fixing internet here (*only supported releases are on-topic*). I've already said what I'd do anyway, though https://askubuntu.com/questions/446102/how-to-reinstall-ubuntu-in-the-easiest-way/1451533#1451533 maybe easier to follow (ie. *same detail presented in another way.. where as the Lubuntu specific instruction was intended for QA-testers & not end-users*)

guiverc

8/5/24, 12:53 PM

Being specific with details really helps, eg. `sudo apt-upgrade -d` you specifically mention should only result in a "*command not found*" error.. but I took your command as being `sudo do-release-upgrade -d` which is very different as that'll upgrade a 23.04 or *lunar* system that is on-topic here, to *mantic* or what **will become** 23.10 in October and will only become on-topic on this site on 12-October-2023 here. If you can login you can view history using `history`; view *apt* logs with `view /var/log/apt/history.log` (scroll using POSIX commands etc)

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