how do I start ubuntu from console?

To install Compiz, Metacity and Gnome-panel type in console:
sudo apt-get install compiz metacity gnome-panel
Then enter your password when it asks (there won't be any feedback, no asterisks - it's normal).

metacity is the gnome window manager, son when you removed it it can't now launch it.

To be sure reenablig al of ths you can use the following commands:

sudo aptitude install ubuntu-desktop

This meta-package bring all the Ubuntu Gnome desktop environment needed to work as when you installed it.

Many thanks Max. I'm breathing again!

Cheers,

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:01:45 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

    Status: Open => Answered

Max Schukin proposed the following answer:
To install Compiz, Metacity and Gnome-panel type in console:
sudo apt-get install compiz metacity gnome-panel
Then enter your password when it asks (there won't be any feedback, no asterisks - it's normal).

Thanks Léa. it worked fine and I'm back in the system. Much relieved!

Best,

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Léa GRIS <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:03:19 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Léa GRIS proposed the following answer:
metacity is the gnome window manager, son when you removed it it can't
now launch it.

To be sure reenablig al of ths you can use the following commands:

sudo aptitude install ubuntu-desktop

This meta-package bring all the Ubuntu Gnome desktop environment needed
to work as when you installed it.

Are you still having those problems with lost icons?

The icons reappeared on the main workscreen after following your instructions. However, workscreens 2 and 3 were empty, i.e. the upper and lower taskbars (the former with its icons) in both workscreens were there as was the wallpaper, but there were no icons on the latter. I thought I'd add them manually, but when I tried, the icons weren't placed on workspace 2 or 3 but again on workspace 1! Which means that I ended up with the same icon repeated on workspace 1.

But there just was another incident: before completing this message I wanted to make sure that there still weren't any icons on workspaces 2 and 3 (one never knows after starting up the cimputer) and when I did I discovered to my horror that not only there weren't any icons but no taskbars either, only the wallpaper, which means I couldn't come back to workspace 1 so I had to turn off the computer and of course lost the message that I'd written previously!

Your suggestions to solve this will be more than welcome!

Hi again Max,

After sending the message above I checked workspaces 2 and 3. This time the taskbars were there, so please ignore the "another incident" part of my message.

The problem that I cannot put any icons on Workspaces 2 and 3 remains.

Best,

Melvyn

Melvyn, try this:
1. Open System => Preferences => Appearance.
2. Under the Visual Effects tab choose None.
3. Try to switch to Desk 2 or 3.
4. If it still doesn't work properly switch to tty1 (Ctrl+Alt+F1) and type "ps aux | grep compiz".
5. Find the PIDs of the threads. It should be the numbers in the second column.
6. Type "kill -15 [PID you found]" for every PID except the last one.
7. Press Ctrl+Alt+F7 to switch back.
8. Try to switch to Desk 2 or 3.

If your desktop hangs up press Ctr+Alt+Backspace to restart it.

Hi max,

Your first suggestion (System => Preferences => Appearance) fixed it. Thanks.

However I reset Appearance =>Visual effects to Personalised. The three workscreens in themselves are OK but the cube feature, which I had selected, does not work. I can only change from one screen to the other by clicking on the workdesk selection icons. This feature worked OK previously. I haven't rebooted the computer though. Should I for the new settings to take place?

Cheers

Great. It worked. Everything's back to normal now. Many thanks again Max.

Thanks Max Schukin, that solved my question.

You are welcome, Melvyn! I'm glad I could help you.

I'm awfully sorry to come back on this, but I've just realised a problem
remains.

I'm on workspace one. I drag a window to workspace 2. The cube rotates
and I drop the window on what should be workspace 2. But when I look at
the workspace icons on the bottom right hand corner, the window still
appears on workspace 1 and workspace 2 is empty.

An additional bit of information: I am, say, on workspace 1 and I have
Evolution open. I switch to workspace 2 by clicking on the icon and the
new workspace opens. The workspace 1 icon goes grey when in fact the
miniature of the Evolution window should be visible.

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:04:11 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
You are welcome, Melvyn! I'm glad I could help you.

When in Visual Effects I choose None everything works properly, but if I choose Normal I can't drag any window on Desk 2 :(

The only way I found to move a window on the second workspace is to click right button on the window caption on the system panel and choose Move to Another Workspace => Desk 2.

Melvyn, I'm too sleepy right now, but tomorrow I'll look for the solution.

Best,
Max

Thanks a lot Max. There's no hurry. Sleep well!

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:26:30 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
When in Visual Effects I choose None everything works properly, but if I
choose Normal I can't drag any window on Desk 2 :(

The only way I found to move a window on the second workspace is to
click right button on the window caption on the system panel and choose
Move to Another Workspace => Desk 2.

Melvyn, I'm too sleepy right now, but tomorrow I'll look for the
solution.

Best,
Max

More info on this:

As I mentioned in a previous message, I switched on Visual effects,
first to Personalised then to Normal and once again the icons
disappeared on workspaces 2 & 3, so I switched back to None and
everything started working again, even the three workspace incomes on
the bottom taskbar, i.e. if I open workspace 2 or 3 I can see the
miniature icon of what's on the other two.

Perhaps I should point out that before I blew it uninstalling Compiz,
Metacity and Gnome-panel, everything worked well, so it isn't that the
computer can't handle the special effects.

Best,

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:26:30 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
When in Visual Effects I choose None everything works properly, but if I
choose Normal I can't drag any window on Desk 2 :(

The only way I found to move a window on the second workspace is to
click right button on the window caption on the system panel and choose
Move to Another Workspace => Desk 2.

Melvyn, I'm too sleepy right now, but tomorrow I'll look for the
solution.

Best,
Max

About my last post:
"When in Visual Effects I choose None everything works properly, but if I choose Normal I can't drag any window on Desk 2 :("

With Visual Effects off a window is moved by dragging on the virtual workspace area in system panel. This method doesn't work for Compiz (when Visual Effects are on). So it's not a bug but a usability problem.

I read at question #27559 that you have solved your problem. How did you solve the problem with workspaces?

Hi Max

Thanks for the clarification on how to drag a window from one workspace
to another when Visual Effects is off.

The problem that remains is twoflold:

1. When I change Visual Effects to "On" the three workspace icons on the
lower taskbar cease to work. They are there but if I have a window open
on, say, workspace one and I click on workspace 2, this workspace opens
but workspace 1 icon appears grey when I should see a miniature icon of
the window that's open on that workspace.

2. With Visual Effects "On" The rotate cube effect works only
apparently: If I'm on workspace 1 and drag e.g. the Evolution window to
the right edge, the cube rotates. I should then be in workspace 2. Not
so: I'm still on workspace 1. Workspace 2 and 3 are grey. In short, the
workspaces seem to be working in isolation, not interconnected to each
other.

Any ideas on how to solve this?

On question 27559, I followed Leandro Gomez's instructions:

"1. Open a terminal (ALT+F2) and type gconf-editor. Go to apps >
nautilus > preferences and check the box next to show desktop".

It worked OK for me.

Cheers,

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:49:45 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
About my last post:
"When in Visual Effects I choose None everything works properly, but if I choose Normal I can't drag any window on Desk 2 :("

With Visual Effects off a window is moved by dragging on the virtual
workspace area in system panel. This method doesn't work for Compiz
(when Visual Effects are on). So it's not a bug but a usability problem.

I read at question #27559 that you have solved your problem. How did you
solve the problem with workspaces?

Hi Melvyn.

Workspaces work normal when Visual Effects are off, don't they? And you had those problems with workspaces before you removed compiz, metacity and gnome-panel?

I think you should try to remove Compiz completely (with configuration files) and install it from scratch:
1. Make sure that your system is up-to-date (run Update Manger, check for all updates and install them).
2. Turn off Visual Effects.
3. Press Ctrl+Alt+F1.
4. Enter your username and password.
5. Type:
sudo apt-get purge compiz compiz-core
sudo apt-get install compiz
6. Press Ctrl+Aflt+F7.
7. Turn on Visual Effects.

Good morning Max,

Yes, workspaces work perfectly well with Visual Effects off.

I had been using the advanced settings -including the cube rotation
feature- with no problem at all for a couple of weeks. Then, all of a
sudden, the icons on workspaces 2 and 3 disappeared and that was when I
removed Compiz, Metacity and Gnome-panel.

What you say makes sense. I'll remove Compiz completely and reinstall
following the steps you indicate below.

And yes, the system is up to date.

Happy Easter!

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:49:36 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
Hi Melvyn.

Workspaces work normal when Visual Effects are off, don't they? And you
had those problems with workspaces before you removed compiz, metacity
and gnome-panel?

I think you should try to remove Compiz completely (with configuration files) and install it from scratch:
1. Make sure that your system is up-to-date (run Update Manger, check for all updates and install them).
2. Turn off Visual Effects.
3. Press Ctrl+Alt+F1.
4. Enter your username and password.
5. Type:
sudo apt-get purge compiz compiz-core
sudo apt-get install compiz
6. Press Ctrl+Aflt+F7.
7. Turn on Visual Effects.

Hi again Max,

Bad news. I followed your instructions but the problem persists. I have
three workspaces that work completely independently from each other. The
cube effect, for instance, spins upon itself in workspace one (i.e., it
doesn't move to workspace 2), the window I opened in workspace 2 isn't
visible in the workspace 2 icon until I click on it, but then workspace
1 icon goes grey so can't see the miniature window that should be there,
etc.

At this stage I think we could drop the issue. I can live with the
situation as it is. I enjoyed the cube rotation feature, but if it's not
working, too bad. Perhaps in the future some kind of fix will be found.

In any case, many thanks for your valuable time. I certainly learnt
quite a bit about consoles and commands.

Best,

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:49:36 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
Hi Melvyn.

Workspaces work normal when Visual Effects are off, don't they? And you
had those problems with workspaces before you removed compiz, metacity
and gnome-panel?

I think you should try to remove Compiz completely (with configuration files) and install it from scratch:
1. Make sure that your system is up-to-date (run Update Manger, check for all updates and install them).
2. Turn off Visual Effects.
3. Press Ctrl+Alt+F1.
4. Enter your username and password.
5. Type:
sudo apt-get purge compiz compiz-core
sudo apt-get install compiz
6. Press Ctrl+Aflt+F7.
7. Turn on Visual Effects.

I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Melvyn. I just don't know what else to try :(

Best,

Max

Ah! But you did help me sorting out some of the bugs. And I also learnt
a number of things about Linux which will make handling the system much
easier.

Best,

Melvyn

-------- Message initial --------
De: Max Schukin <email address hidden>
À: <email address hidden>
Sujet: Re: [Question #27536]: how do I start ubuntu from console?
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:02:50 +0000

Your question #27536 on kdebase in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+question/27536

Max Schukin posted a new comment:
I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Melvyn. I just don't know what else to
try :(

Best,

Max