Ubuntu
ubiquity package

Bad install of Virtual CD/DVD in Ubuntu 11.10

Asked by P J Reil

I'm new to Ubuntu 11.10 and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.

I don't now how but, in downloading and fooling around with a virtual cd/dvd program, I seem to have inadvertently installed it. I had to shut down my computer for a while and when I re booted it all my files and my setup was gone.

I now have a brand new 11.10 setup with all the programs installed that I originally had but no files or bookmarks etc.. I had just finished downloading all my photos and documents from an older desktop and they are now gone.

I'm not sure but, I think I'm running in a virtual cd/dvd. I don't know how to determine if I am or not and can't boot up in my original setup. Can you help me restore my laptop to mit's former state?

My install history for the time of loss is:

Commit Log for Wed Mar 21 13:06:30 2012

Removed the following packages:
libgd2-noxpm

Installed the following packages:
libgd2-xpm (2.0.36~rc1~dfsg-5.1ubuntu1)

Commit Log for Wed Mar 21 13:04:55 2012

Removed the following packages:
libgd2-xpm
ubuntu-desktop

Installed the following packages:
libgd2-noxpm (2.0.36~rc1~dfsg-5.1ubuntu1)
libxpm-dev (1:3.5.9-1ubuntu1)
libxpm4-dbg (1:3.5.9-1ubuntu1)

Commit Log for Wed Mar 21 12:58:20 2012

Installed the following packages:
inkscape (0.48.2-0ubuntu1)
libatlas3gf-base:i386 (3.8.4-3build1)
libgc1c2 (1:7.1-8)
libgfortran3:i386 (4.6.1-9ubuntu3)
libgsl0ldbl (1.15+dfsg-1)
libmagick++3 (8:6.6.0.4-3ubuntu1)
libopenblas-base:i386 (0.1alpha2.2-3)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SUDO MOUNT RESULTS

patrick@patrick-HP-Pavilion-dv6700-Notebook-PC:~$ mount
/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro,commit=0)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
fusectl on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
udev on /dev type devtmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
tmpfs on /run type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,size=10%,mode=0755)
none on /run/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,size=5242880)
none on /run/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)

gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/patrick/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=patrick)
patrick@patrick-HP-Pavilion-dv6700-Notebook-PC:~$

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Ubuntu ubiquity Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

how did you reinstall?
where were the documents held originally?

Revision history for this message
P J Reil (preil65) said : 		#2

Andrew, I don't understand your question. Where were which document originally held?

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

Well you said you copied them over? Are they from a backup or a previous install or another system.... etc

Revision history for this message
P J Reil (preil65) said : 		#4

No, I didn't make myself clear, I guess.

I was looking at some info on virtual cd/dvd programs, thinking they might be a good way to speed up the burning of videos. I was reading an article that suggested expanding the software repositories on my pc and in doing so, must had inadvertantly cut and pasted the wrong command into the terminal. I continued on using my setup at the time and eventually shut down for a while. When I booted back up I had an entirely new setup. My desktop setup was gone and network info were all gone and I was back to the original ubuntu desktop. While all the programs I had enstalled in my original setup (when I typed in the wrong command) were still showing in the Gnome applications menu, all my folders are empty (document, videos and photos gone) and many of the folders I had made were also gone.

In looking back at my history in the Ubuntu Software Center and Synaptic Software Center I think that I had inadvertantly typed in and installed the virtualbox-fuse program. Now, I'm apparently booting up into that program and can't figure out how to turn it off without doing any more damage to my previous file (if they still exist). I used the KDE Partition manager to look at my apartitions. It shows my primary (boot) partition as "sda 1, mounted at /". I don't know exatly what that means but the partition manager give the option of unmounting that partition. I don't know if I should do that and/or if, given the choice, I should select another partition as the boot partition or what(?).

I sure would like to have all my files show back up. I had just finished downloading them from an old desktop and would hate to lose them all. I'm just looking for some guidence with what my next move should be. I also see that when I typed in that wrong command it removed my ubuntu desktop and I assume that is where my file info went. f I restore those removed programs will that replace my file structure?

Revision history for this message
Larry Priest (ltpriest) said : 		#5

I have no help at the moment but a reminder to Backup -backup - and Test Backups before trying/downloading anything.
Sadly from experience.

good luck.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask P J Reil for more information if necessary.

To post a message you must log in.