poleguy looking for lost tools

Checked on my machine after five days of vacation. It had booted up to a KDE neon text login screen. Weird that it didn't boot to xfce4 as usual...

Weirder still because the os installed was Ubuntu not KDE...

I've never used KDE in my life!

#Linux
#microfiction except it is real.
#cliffhanger #macgyver #live
#KDE
#Ubuntu #xfce #kde

Grab your #popcorn while I try to fix this... :-)

1/n?

Apr 10 at 3:16amTusky
Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago

I had decided to install the latest version of kdeconnect because Ubuntu ships a very old version. I was able to get the latest version installed and running nicely, but in the process I had added the KDE neon repo to apt. I then forgot about it for a week or so.

I then ran update/upgrade, and somehow thought it wouldn't grab random KDE packages and drop them over top of my Ubuntu versions.

I'm not yet sure what all has been mucked to. So far the boot selector screen now shows KDE only.

2/n

Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago

I was able to boot into the second kernel and it mercifully was able to pull up xfce. However the error messages now say KDE which is pretty weird to experience.

Also it couldn't seem to get DNS with my usual dnsmasq and NetworkManager settings. I was able to use the network panel icon to add 1.1.1.1 so I could use a browser.

I then disabled the offending kde apt source.

Next step... Apt rollback?

3/n

Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago
A very mixed up login screen. KDE neon User Edition mashed up with ubutun.com references.
4/n
Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago

Trying to pin and then upgrade...

Created file /etc/apt/preferences.d/ubuntu containing:

Package: *
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: 1001

Then trying:
sudo apt full-upgrade --allow-downgrades

Tried with -s first to see if it looked sane. Didn't over-analyze it...

Running now... cross fingers.

5/n

Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago

Well, it finished. Now I wonder if I need to do something special for the kernel or not.

6/n

Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago

Decided to just:

sudo reboot now

And see what happens.

And now I'm maybe getting ahead of myself, but am thinking what the right way to install the latest kdeconnect might be.

Should I re-enable the kde apt source, update just that one package, and then disable it? The thought of it updating dependent things that aren't going to be compatible in subtle ways seems inelegant.

Recompile from source?

Is there a flatpak or appimage version?

Hmmm..

7/n

Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago

I haven't checked the graphical environment, but at least ssh'ing in I see a sane splash screen again:

8/n

Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools21h ago

Lingering side effect... #obs-studio was no longer installed for my Monday morning #teams call.

Fixed with:
sudo apt remove qt6-base
sudo apt install obs-studio

I suspect my machine still has some lingering kde stuff... But eh... whatever... this is "pet, not cattle." :-)

9/n

Show threadJohn4d ago
@poleguy I haven't played with it, but supposedly apt does rollbacks now.
Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago
@buckfiftyseven good to know.
Show threadpoleguy looking for lost tools4d ago
@buckfiftyseven I did not have a new-enough version of APT to have that installed. It seems rather fresh.
Show threadJohn4d ago
@poleguy 
Show threadSebastiaan4d ago
@poleguy so somebody reinstalled your machine in your absence?