Ubuntu 12.04 Archives - Complete, Concrete, Concise

Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Run a Shell / Command Line / Terminal with root Privilege / Access

richardsplanet — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:41:20 +0000

This tutorial is for Ubuntu 12.04.

It should be the same for other versions of Ubuntu and (probably) most other Linux distributions, but no guarantee is made./p>

Detailed instructions for opening a command line / terminal can be found here.

When you open a terminal in Ubuntu, you do not have administrative privileges. This means that there are some operations you cannot perform at the terminal.

Ubuntu provides the sudo command which temporarily grants you administrative privilege. However, you still have to type sudo before each administrative command you want to perform.

If you want to live dangerously and have full root access while at the terminal, enter the following command in the terminal:

sudo bash

After entering your password, you now be running with full root privilege at the command line:

Note: in order for this to work, you need to be a user who has the right to run sudo. In general, most users of Ubuntu have this right. However, user accounts can be created that do not have this right.

How it Works

Because some commands are potentially dangerous, unless you are root you are not allowed to run them. Using the sudo command temporarily elevates your status to root and allows you to run these commands.

When you run a terminal, it has the same privilege as the current user.

By running sudo bash you start another copy of the bash shell. However, you because you started it with sudo it runs with root privilege.

What is commonly called a terminal or command line is, in fact, a shell. There are many types of shells, bash is the default one with Ubuntu.

WARNING: running as root is a good way to mess up your system if you are not careful because there are no checks in place to prevent you from making catastrophic changes to your system.

I grant that by using the sudo command you can also irretrievably damage your system, but at least you had to type sudo (and possibly a password) before doing anything.

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Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Change the Timeout Period for sudo

richardsplanet — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:25:43 +0000

This tutorial is for Ubuntu 12.04.

It should be the same for other versions of Ubuntu and (probably) most other Linux distributions, but no guarantee is made.

Detailed instructions for opening a command line / terminal can be found here.

By default, sudo temporarily grants administrative privileges for 15 minutes. This means the first time you run sudo you will be prompted for your password. For the next 15 minutes, you can run sudo without having to enter a password.

This should be fine for most users because the average user is likely to drop down to a command line to run an administrative command or two rarely.

1) Open a terminal using Ctrl + Alt + T

2) Enter the following command:

sudo visudo

3) Enter your password:

Note: when you type your password, nothing will happen on the screen. This is normal. As a security feature, Linux does not echo back any indication of the characters you are typing in.

This will bring up the sudo configuration file in the nano editor. Note: in other versions of Linux (or if Ubuntu has been modified), the configuration file may be opened with a different editor – in which case, you will need to Google for instructions on using that editor.

The command visudo does more than just open the sudo configuration file with the nano editor. It also checks to ensure the configuration file is correct (i.e. it will not let you edit the file and make it invalid). Note: you can still edit the file, so sudo becomes unusable, but the configuration file is valid.

4) Locate the line Defaults (highlighted in yellow) and navigate to the end of it using the arrow / cursor keys on your keyboard. Add the following:

,timestamp_timeout=0

The number tells sudo the number of minutes it should grant administrator privileges in this session.

A value of 0 tells sudo to always prompt for a password. Personally, this is the only setting that makes sense for me because if you are momentarily away from your computer, no one else can accidentally (or intentionally) run an administrative command while your sudo privilege is still active.

A positive number tells sudo to grant administrative privileges that that number of minutes. The number must be a whole number: 5, 15, 42, etc. Number like 3.1415 are not valid.

A negative number tells sudo to permanently grant administrative privileges during that session. The only use I see for this is if you want to have to type sudo before administrative commands, but not have to enter the password for subsequent commands.

5) Save your changes by pressing Ctrl + O:

You will be prompted to save the file as /etc/sudoers.tmp.

6) Press Enter to write the changes.

7) Observe that the changes were written:

8) Exit visudo by pressing Ctrl + X.

Starting a new command line session should pick up the changes you just made.

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Ubuntu 12.04 – Command Line Basics: Editing Files

richardsplanet — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:06:57 +0000

This tutorial is for Ubuntu 12.04.

It should be the same for other versions of Ubuntu and (probably) most other Linux distributions, but no guarantee is made.

Detailed instructions for opening a command line / terminal can be found here.

When you work at the command line, from time to time, it may be necessary to edit files.

Normally, you can use an editor like gedit (the GUI based editor that comes with Ubuntu), however, by default, it will not permit you to edit system configuration files (which are likely the files you are trying to edit if you happen to be at the command line).

Starting gedit with Administrator Privileges

Enter the following command to start gedit with administrator privileges:

sudo gedit

Note: when you type your password, nothing will happen on the screen. This is normal. As a security feature, Linux does not echo back any indication of the characters you are typing in.

You should only be prompted to enter a password if you have not used the sudo command in the last 15 minutes or so.

You can also append the file you wish to open to the command. This will cause gedit to automatically open the file. For example:

sudo gedit history.log

Note: this will only work if the file is in the current directory. However, if you are at the command line, then you probably have navigated to the directory in question.

Editing with nano

Sometimes, you cannot use gedit because you have no graphical interface (GUI) – for example, you need to edit some x-server settings because you can’t get a graphical display, so you are exclusively at a command line.

While vi or one of its clones (vim, elvis, nvi, and vile to name some) tend to be the preferred text editor among Unix / Linux geeks – it is not the friendliest for casual (or one-off) users. The other major editor is emacs, but it is not installed by default in Ubuntu and it is not user friendly either.

nano is a clone of the pico editor.

To launch nano enter the command:

sudo nano

Note: It will also launch if you type in pico

As with gedit you can append the name of the file you want to edit to the command.

Using nano

nano is a simple editor that allows you to navigate through the text using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

At the bottom of the screen, there are two lines (highlighted in blue) that display a number of common commands.

The caret (^) symbol means Ctrl, as in, Ctrl + X. This means that while holding down the Ctrl key, you press the other key as though you intend to type it.

DO NOT press the Shift key because Ctrl + Shift + X is different from Ctrl + X.

It does NOT matter if your Caps Lock is on or off.

The most common commands you are likely to use are:

^X – (Ctrl + X) exit the editor
^O – (Ctrl + O) save / write the contents of the editor
^R – (Ctrl + R) open / read another file

If you decide to browse through the help (Ctrl + G), then be aware of the following:

^^ means Ctrl + ^ not Ctrl + Ctrl
M- means the Alt key. The Alt key is used the same way the Ctrl key is: it is held down while another key is typed. For example: M-\ means: while holding down the Alt key, press the \ key as though you intend to type it.
Some commands have parentheses around them, the parentheses are not to be typed. For example, (M-X) simply means Alt + X – the parentheses have nothing to do with it and should be ignored.

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Ubuntu 12.04 – Basic Command Line Techniques

richardsplanet — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:57:21 +0000

This tutorial is for Ubuntu 12.04.

It should be the same for every other version of Ubuntu and all other Linux distros, but I make no guarantee.

Linux (on which Ubuntu is based) is fundamentally a command line driven operating system. While there are graphical interfaces to many of the available commands, sometimes you need (or have no choice) to work at the command line.

There are five fundamental things everyone working at the command line should know (or at least be aware of):

man
pipes
redirection
more
ls

man

man is short for manual

man is the help file.

When you want to know more about a command, you enter man to display information about the command. For example:

man ls

will bring up the man page for the command ls. You could also enter man man to display information about the man command. The man page for ls looks something like this:

To navigate through a man you use the following commands:

q – exit (quit) the man page
SPACE or f – forward to the next page
b – backward to the previous page
e – forward one line
y – backward one line

For some reason, there is no man page for the command cd.

Pipes

Pipes allow you to send the displayed output from one command to another command.

In other words, when you enter a command that displays a bunch of information on the terminal (and maybe scrolls past the top of the terminal), you can use a pipe to send that information to another command.

The most common use of pipes is with the more command. This is especially true when information scrolls past the top of the terminal.

The pipe is the vertical bar (or broken bar) symbol: ‘|‘.

For example, any of the following commands is likely display information that will scroll past the top of the terminal:

ls /bin
ls /etc
ls /lib

If we pipe the output to the more command, then we can scroll through the output one display page at a time:

ls /etc | more

Another common use of pipes is with the grep command. (grep is often used to filter out unwanted information – but I won’t be covering grep here.)

You can pipe together as many commands as you like. The output from the command on the left of the pipe is sent to the command on the right of the pipe.

Redirection

Sometimes you need to capture the information displayed by a command. This is done using redirection.

The output displayed by a command can be sent to a file instead of the display.<./p>

The redirection operator is the greater than symbol: ‘&gt’.

For example, suppose I want to dump a man page to file, so I can later look at (or print that file). I can do so by redirecting the man output to a file (you choose the name of the file):

man ls > ls.txt

The above command will send the output of the man page for ls to a file called ls.txt. I can then handle ls.txt the same way I handle any text file.

Another example, I could send a directory listing to a file as well:

ls > directory_list

The above command will send the output of ls to a file called directory_list. Again, the file can be handled the same way any other text file is handled.

Redirection always send stores the file in the current directory (normally, this will be your /home/ directory). You can write the file to another directory by either (1) changing to a different directory (using the cd command), or (2) specifying the path along with the file name. Note: you may not have permission to write in other directories, so the operation will fail.

more is used to display information one page at a time.

Most often it is used in conjunction with pipes to prevent output from scrolling off the top of the terminal:

ls | more

more can be used to display the contents of a text file:

more

where is the name of the text file to display.

To navigate through text being displayed by more you use the following commands:

q – exit (quit) more
SPACE or f – forward to the next page
b – backward to the previous page (does not work if more is displaying text from a pipe)

There is a slightly more useful command called less that allows you to scroll forwards and backwards through piped information. Aside from that difference less behaves very much like more.

You can use man less to learn about the less command

ls

ls is short for list

ls is used to display the contents of a directory.

Directory contents are colour coded. Different files have different colours.

The default colours (in the default Ubuntu 12.04 terminal) for common file types are:

There are other colour combinations in use and some colours (notably purple) are reused for other file types.

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Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Remove / Uninstall Xubuntu Core Desktop

richardsplanet — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:06:27 +0000

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop on which the Lubuntu Core Desktop was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.

When the Xubuntu Core Desktop is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall Xubuntu Core Desktop. Several packages (like thunar) do not get uninstalled.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with Xubuntu Core Desktop. This may include packages you previously installed (such as thunar) or that were installed as dependencies for other packages.

Note: this uninstall command assumes Xubuntu Core Desktop was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get remove --auto-remove --purge desktop-base exo-utils fonts-droid gtk2-engines-xfce libexo-1-0 libexo-common libexo-helpers libgarcon-1-0 libgarcon-common libglade2-0 libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs libkeybinder0 libthunarx-2-0 libtumbler-1-0 liburi-perl libxfce4ui-1-0 libxfce4util-bin libxfce4util-common libxfce4util4 libxfconf-0-2 lightdm-gtk-greeter miscfiles orage plymouth-theme-xubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-xubuntu-text shimmer-themes tango-icon-theme thunar thunar-data thunar-volman ttf-droid tumbler tumbler-common xfce-keyboard-shortcuts xfce4 xfce4-appfinder xfce4-mixer xfce4-notifyd xfce4-panel xfce4-session xfce4-settings xfce4-utils xfce4-volumed xfconf xfdesktop4 xfdesktop4-data xfwm4 xscreensaver xscreensaver-data xubuntu-artwork xubuntu-default-settings xubuntu-icon-theme xubuntu-wallpapers

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page.

This will show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when Xubuntu Core Desktop was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

It involves:

identifying which packages were installed and
creating a command to uninstall only those packages

It leaves intact any packages you may have installed (like thunar) or that were installed as dependencies for other programs instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with Xubuntu Core Desktop.

Note: if Xubuntu Core Desktop was installed using the Ubuntu Software Center then there will be 3 separate installation entries you will need to find (since it was a 3 step process).

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Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Remove / Uninstall Lubuntu Core Desktop

richardsplanet — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:00:51 +0000

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop on which the Lubuntu Core Desktop was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.

When the Lubuntu Core Desktop is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall Lubuntu Core Desktop. Several packages (like galculator) do not get uninstalled.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with Lubuntu Core Desktop. This may include packages you previously installed (such as galculator) or that were installed as dependencies for other packages.

Note: this uninstall command assumes Lubuntu Core Desktop was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get remove --auto-remove --purge  elementary-icon-theme galculator giblib1 gnome-icon-theme-full libfm-data libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk1 libfm1 libgif4 libglade2-0 libid3tag0 libimlib2 libjpeg-progs libjpeg-turbo-progs libmenu-cache1 libobrender27 libobt0 lightdm-gtk-greeter lubuntu-artwork lubuntu-artwork-12-04 lubuntu-core lubuntu-default-settings lubuntu-icon-theme lxmenu-data lxpanel lxsession lxshortcut miscfiles obconf openbox openbox-themes pcmanfm plymouth-theme-lubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-lubuntu-text scrot xscreensaver xscreensaver-data

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page.

This will show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when Lubuntu Core Desktop was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

It involves:

identifying which packages were installed and
creating a command to uninstall only those packages

It leaves intact any packages you may have installed (like galculator) or that were installed as dependencies for other programs instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with Lubuntu Core Desktop.

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Ubuntu 12.04 – Installing the Xubuntu Core Desktop

richardsplanet — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:10:02 +0000

These instructions are for installing the Xubuntu Core Desktop in Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity Desktop.

Installation instructions may be the same or similar for other versions of Ubuntu or for other Linux distros, but no guarantee is made.

Installing Xubuntu Core Desktop installs only the GUI part of Xubuntu Desktop without all the extra applications that are part of the Xubuntu Desktop package (the only extra application it installs is the Thunar file manager)

The Xubuntu Desktop is a custom configured version of the Xfce Desktop.

Xfce is smaller than Xubuntu Core Desktop. Installation instructions can be found here.

An article listing alternative desktops for Ubuntu 12.04 can be found here.

If you are changing desktops because you are totally lost / confused by Unity, I suggest reading this tutorial and giving Unity a chance.

Of course, if you really hate Unity, then Xubuntu Desktop is an alternative desktop.

Xubuntu Core Desktop will install 111 MB of files and data to your hard disk.

Some images may be clicked for full sized versions.

What it Looks Like

The basic, straight-out-of-the-box, look of the desktop is:

Compared to the Xubuntu Desktop, there are some minor differences.

Installing From the Command Line

If you are comfortable with Linux and know how to use the command line and apt-get then the command is:

sudo apt-get install xfce4 xubuntu-artwork xubuntu-default-settings

Detailed instructions for accessing a command line can be found here.

Afterwards, restart your system. It should be enough to just log out and the log back in with the new desktop, but it doesn’t hurt to restart.

Installing From the Ubuntu Software Center

Some images may be clicked for full sized versions.

This requires you to install 3 separate packages, so a few more steps are required than usual.

1) Launch the Ubuntu Software Center by clicking the icon on the Launcher:

The following steps will install Xfce.

2) Enter xfce4 into the search field. This will bring up related entries.

3) Click on the entry Meta-package for the Xfce Lightweight Desktop Environment – this will highlight it in orange:

4) Click on Install:

5) Enter your password and click Authenticate:

The following steps will install the Xubuntu artwork (backgrounds, colours, etc).

6) After installation is finished, enter xubuntu-artwork into the Ubuntu Software Center search field. This will bring up related entries:

7) Click on the entry Xubuntu themes and artwork – this will highlight it in orange:

8) Click on Install:

You should not be asked to enter a password again, but if you are, then enter it and press Authenticate

The following steps will install the settings necessary for Xfce to look like Xubuntu.

9) After installation is finished, enter xubuntu-default-settings into the Ubuntu Software Center search field. This will bring up related entries:

10) Click on the entry Default settings for the Xubuntu desktop – this will highlight it in orange:

11) Click on Install:

You should not be asked to enter a password again, but if you are, then enter it and press Authenticate

12) After installation is finished, click on the System icon in the upper right corner of the desktop and select Shut Down… from the drop down menu:

Note: it may be enough to just log out and log back in using the new desktop, but it doesn’t hurt to restart either.

13) Click on Restart:

Selecting the Desktop

After the system has restarted, it is necessary to select the new desktop from the login screen.

It is only necessary to select the desktop the first time after installation. Ubuntu will remember your your desktop for future logins.

You can even install multiple desktops and switch between them.

14) Click the icon in the top right of the Login box:

15) Select Xubuntu Session:

Xubuntu is a customized version of Xfce. This is why an Xfce session appears as well.

If you select Xfce Session then you will get the standard Xfce desktop.

16) Login:

Notice the icon in the upper right hand corner has changed to a different icon. Some, not all, desktop environments will present an icon there.

If an icon is present, this provides a quick way to see which desktop environment you are logging into.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – Installing the Xubuntu Core Desktop appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Install the Lubuntu Core Desktop

richardsplanet — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:09:34 +0000

These instructions are for installing the Lubuntu Core Desktop in Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity Desktop.

Installation instructions may be the same or similar for other versions of Ubuntu or for other Linux distros, but no guarantee is made.

Installing Lubuntu Core Desktop installs the GUI part of Lubuntu Desktop without all the extra applications that are part of the Lubuntu Desktop package.

This is a good option for those who are happy with the applications provided with Ubuntu, but simply want to change their desktop.

The Lubuntu Core Desktop is a custom configured version of the LXDE Desktop.

To install a very basic LXDE desktop without additional applications, I recommend installing the LXDE Core desktop. Installation instructions can be found here.

There is also a version of the LXDE Desktop that includes a little more than the basic version. Installation instructions can be found here

An article listing alternative desktops for Ubuntu 12.04 can be found here.

If you are changing desktops because you are totally lost / confused by Unity, I suggest reading this tutorial and giving Unity a chance.

Of course, if you really hate Unity, then Lubuntu Core Desktop is an alternative desktop.

Lubuntu Core Desktop will install 66.3 MB of files and data to your hard disk.

Some images may be clicked for full sized versions.

What it Looks Like

The basic, straight-out-of-the-box, look of the desktop is:

From the Command Line

If you are comfortable with Linux and know how to use the command line and apt-get then the command is:

sudo apt-get install lubuntu-core

Detailed instructions for accessing a command line can be found here.

Afterwards, restart your system. It should be enough to just log out and the log back in with the new desktop, but it doesn’t hurt to restart.

From the Ubuntu Software Center

Some images may be clicked for full sized versions.

1) Launch the Ubuntu Software Center by clicking the icon on the Launcher:

2) Enter lubuntu-core into the search field. This will bring up related entries.

3) Click on the entry Lubuntu Desktop environment – minimal installation – this will highlight it in orange:

4) Click on Install:

5) Enter your password and click Authenticate:

6) After installation is finished, click on the System icon in the upper right corner of the desktop and select Shut Down… from the drop down menu:

Note: it may be enough to just log out and log back in using the new desktop, but it doesn’t hurt to restart either.

7) Click on Restart:

Selecting the Desktop

After the system has restarted, it is necessary to select the new desktop from the login screen.

It is only necessary to select the desktop the first time after installation. Ubuntu will remember your your desktop setting for future logins.

You can even install multiple desktops and switch between them.

8) Click the icon in the top right of the Login box:

9) Select Lubuntu Desktop:

Lubuntu is a custom configured version of LXDE which is built on top of Openbox and GNOME/Openbox – that is why their entries also appear in the desktop menu. It is best to ignore them since they give you a completely blank desktop.

Lubuntu Netbook is a desktop designed for Netbooks. It looks like this:

10) Login:

Notice the icon in the upper right hand corner has changed to an open circle. Some, not all, desktop environments will present an icon there.

If an icon is present, this provides a quick way to see which desktop environment you are logging into.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Install the Lubuntu Core Desktop appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove GNOME Shell

richardsplanet — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:21:55 +0000

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop on which GNOME Shell was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.

When GNOME Shell is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall GNOME Shell.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with GNOME Shell. This may include packages you previously installed or packages previously installed by other applications.

Note: this uninstall command assumes GNOME Shell was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove alacarte cups-pk-helper gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0 gir1.2-caribou-1.0  gir1.2-clutter-1.0 gir1.2-cogl-1.0 gir1.2-coglpango-1.0 gir1.2-folks-0.6  gir1.2-gdesktopenums-3.0 gir1.2-gee-1.0 gir1.2-gjsdbus-1.0 gir1.2-gkbd-3.0  gir1.2-json-1.0 gir1.2-mutter-3.0 gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0  gir1.2-panelapplet-4.0 gir1.2-polkit-1.0 gir1.2-telepathyglib-0.12  gir1.2-telepathylogger-0.2 gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0 gir1.2-xkl-1.0 gjs  gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-contacts gnome-icon-theme-full  gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-session-fallback gnome-shell  gnome-shell-common gnome-themes-standard indicator-applet-complete  libcaribou-common libcaribou0 libclutter-1.0-0 libclutter-1.0-common  libcogl-common libcogl-pango0 libcogl9 libgjs0c libmozjs185-1.0 libmutter0  libpanel-applet-4-0 mutter-common python-gmenu

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page.

This will show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when GNOME Shell was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

It involves:

identifying which packages were installed and
creating a command to uninstall only those packages

It leaves intact any packages you may have installed or that were installed by other packages instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with GNOME Shell.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove GNOME Shell appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove GNOME

richardsplanet — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:18:04 +0000

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop on which GNOME was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.

When GNOME is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall GNOME. Several packages (like epiphany-browser and gnuchess) do not get uninstalled.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with GNOME. This may include packages you previously installed (like epiphany-browser or gnuchess) or packages previously installed by other applications.

Note: this uninstall command assumes GNOME was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove alacarte bogofilter bogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common browser-plugin-gnash cheese  cheese-common cups-pk-helper dconf-tools desktop-base ekiga epiphany-browser  epiphany-browser-data epiphany-extensions evolution evolution-common  evolution-plugins evolution-webcal fonts-cantarell gdebi gdebi-core gdm  gedit-plugins gimp gimp-data gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0 gir1.2-caribou-1.0  gir1.2-clutter-1.0 gir1.2-cogl-1.0 gir1.2-coglpango-1.0 gir1.2-folks-0.6  gir1.2-gdesktopenums-3.0 gir1.2-gee-1.0 gir1.2-gjsdbus-1.0 gir1.2-gkbd-3.0  gir1.2-gucharmap-2.90 gir1.2-json-1.0 gir1.2-mutter-3.0  gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0 gir1.2-panelapplet-4.0 gir1.2-polkit-1.0  gir1.2-telepathyglib-0.12 gir1.2-telepathylogger-0.2 gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0  gir1.2-xkl-1.0 gjs glchess glines gnash gnash-common gnect gnibbles gnobots2  gnome gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-backgrounds gnome-contacts  gnome-core gnome-dictionary gnome-games gnome-games-extra-data  gnome-icon-theme-extras gnome-icon-theme-full gnome-js-common gnome-panel  gnome-panel-data gnome-session-fallback gnome-shell gnome-shell-common  gnome-themes-standard gnome-video-effects gnotravex gnotski gnuchess  gnuchess-book gtali hamster-applet iagno imagemagick imagemagick-common  indicator-applet-complete inkscape libbabl-0.0-0 libblas3gf libbonobo2-0  libbonobo2-common libbonoboui2-0 libbonoboui2-common libboost-iostreams1.46.1  libboost-program-options1.46.1 libboost-signals1.46.1 libboost-thread1.46.1  libcapi20-3 libcaribou-common libcaribou0 libcdt4 libcheese-gtk21 libcheese3  libclutter-1.0-0 libclutter-1.0-common libclutter-gst-1.0-0 libclutter-gtk-1.0-0  libclutter-imcontext-0.1-0 libcluttergesture-0.0.2-0 libcogl-common  libcogl-pango0 libcogl9 libept1.4.12 libevolution libgc1c2 libgdict-1.0-6  libgdict-common libgegl-0.0-0 libgfortran3 libgimp2.0 libgjs0c libglade2-0  libgnome2-0 libgnomecanvas2-0 libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomeui-0  libgnomeui-common libgnomevfs2-extra libgraph4 libgsl0ldbl libgtkhtml-4.0-0  libgtkhtml-4.0-common libgtkhtml-editor-4.0-0 libgtkmm-2.4-1c2a libgvc5  libilmbase6 liblapack3gf liblqr-1-0 libmagick++4 libmagickcore4  libmagickcore4-extra libmagickwand4 libmozjs185-1.0 libmusicbrainz4-3 libmutter0  libmx-1.0-2 libnetpbm10 libodbc1 libopal3.10.2 libopenexr6 libpanel-applet--0  libpathplan4 libpst4 libpt2.10.2 libseed-gtk3-0 libwmf-bin liferea liferea-data  lightsoff menu menu-xdg mutter-common netpbm notification-daemon odbcinst  odbcinst1debian2 perlmagick python-gmenu python-gnome2 python-lxml python-numpy  python-pyorbit python-uniconvertor quadrapassel sound-juicer swell-foop synaptic  unixodbc

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page.

This will show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when GNOME was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

It involves:

identifying which packages were installed and
creating a command to uninstall only those packages

It leaves intact any packages you may have installed (like epiphany-browser or gnuchess) or that were installed by other packages instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with GNOME.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove GNOME appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove gnome-session-fallback

richardsplanet — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:02:03 +0000

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop on which gnome-session-fallback was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.

When gnome-session-fallback is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall gnome-session-fallback.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with gnome-session-fallback. This may include packages you previously installed or were installed by other applications.

Note: this uninstall command assumes gnome-session-fallback was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove alacarte gir1.2-panelapplet-4.0 gnome-applets gnome-applets-data gnome-panel  gnome-panel-data gnome-session-fallback indicator-applet-complete  libpanel-applet-4-0 python-gmenu

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page.

This will show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when gnome-session-fallback was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

It involves:

identifying which packages were installed and
creating a command to uninstall only those packages

It leaves intact any packages you may have installed or were installed by other applications instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with gnome-session-fallback.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove gnome-session-fallback appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.

Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove kde-plasma-desktop

richardsplanet — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:57:11 +0000

These instructions are for Ubuntu 12.04 running the Unity desktop on which kde-plasma-desktop was installed using either the Ubuntu Software Center or sudo apt-get on the command line.

The instructions may be the same for other versions of Ubuntu, but no guarantee is made.

When kde-plasma-desktop is installed in Ubuntu 12.04, it installs several packages and libraries it requires as well as some optional packages. Not all these packages and libraries are uninstalled when you uninstall kde-plasma-desktop. Several packages (like dolphin and kwrite) do not get uninstalled.

Quick Uninstall

This is not recommended because it will remove all packages normally installed with kde-plasma-desktop. This may include packages you previously installed (like dolphin or kwrite) or packages previously installed by other applications.

Note: this uninstall command assumes kde-plasma-desktop was installed on a fresh Ubuntu 12.04.

1) Open a terminal (instructions can be found here).

2) Enter the following command (it is very long and a single line):

sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove akonadi-backend-mysql akonadi-server docbook-xsl dolphin freespacenotifier gpsd  icoutils kate-data katepart kde-baseapps kde-baseapps-bin kde-baseapps-data  kde-plasma-desktop kde-runtime kde-runtime-data kde-style-oxygen  kde-wallpapers-default kde-window-manager kde-window-manager-common  kde-workspace kde-workspace-bin kde-workspace-data kde-workspace-kgreet-plugins  kdelibs-bin kdelibs5-data kdelibs5-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-runtime  kdepimlibs-kio-plugins kdm kdoctools kfind kinfocenter klipper kmenuedit  konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konsole ksysguard ksysguardd  kubuntu-debug-installer kwrite libakonadi-calendar4 libakonadi-contact4  libakonadi-kabc4 libakonadi-kcal4 libakonadi-kde4 libakonadi-kmime4  libakonadi-notes4 libakonadiprotocolinternals1 libattica0.3  libboost-program-options1.46.1 libcln6 libclucene0ldbl libdlrestrictions1  libdmtx0a libencode-locale-perl libfile-listing-perl libfont-afm-perl libgps20  libhtml-form-perl libhtml-format-perl libhtml-parser-perl libhtml-tagset-perl  libhtml-tree-perl libhttp-cookies-perl libhttp-daemon-perl libhttp-date-perl  libhttp-message-perl libhttp-negotiate-perl libilmbase6 libio-socket-inet6-perl  libio-socket-ssl-perl libkabc4 libkactivities-bin libkactivities6 libkalarmcal2  libkatepartinterfaces4 libkcal4 libkcalcore4 libkcalutils4 libkcmutils4  libkde3support4 libkdeclarative5 libkdecorations4 libkdecore5 libkdesu5  libkdeui5 libkdewebkit5 libkdnssd4 libkemoticons4 libkephal4abi1 libkfile4  libkholidays4 libkhtml5 libkidletime4 libkimap4 libkio5 libkjsapi4 libkjsembed4  libkldap4 libkmbox4 libkmediaplayer4 libkmime4 libknewstuff3-4 libknotifyconfig4  libkntlm4 libkonq-common libkonq5-templates libkonq5abi1 libkonqsidebarplugin4a  libkparts4 libkpimidentities4 libkpimtextedit4 libkpimutils4 libkpty4  libkresources4 libkrosscore4 libkscreensaver5 libksgrd4 libksignalplotter4  libktexteditor4 libkunitconversion4 libkwineffects1abi3 libkwinglutils1  libkwinnvidiahack4 libkworkspace4abi1 liblwp-mediatypes-perl  liblwp-protocol-https-perl libmailtools-perl libmailtransport4 libmicroblog4  libnepomuk4 libnepomukdatamanagement4 libnepomukquery4a libnepomuksync4  libnepomukutils4 libnet-http-perl libnet-ssleay-perl libntrack-qt4-1 libntrack0  libopenexr6 libphonon4 libplasma-geolocation-interface4 libplasma3  libplasmaclock4abi3 libplasmagenericshell4 libpolkit-qt-1-1 libprison0  libprocesscore4abi1 libprocessui4a libqalculate5 libqapt-runtime libqapt1  libqca2 libqimageblitz4 libqrencode3 libqt4-qt3support libsocket6-perl libsolid4  libsolidcontrol4abi2 libsolidcontrolifaces4abi2 libsoprano4 libstreamanalyzer0  libstreams0 libsyndication4 libtaskmanager4abi3 libthreadweaver4  libtimedate-perl liburi-perl libvirtodbc0 libweather-ion6 libwww-perl  libwww-robotrules-perl libxml2-utils libxss1 mysql-client-core-5.5  mysql-server-core-5.5 ntrack-module-libnl-0 odbcinst odbcinst1debian2  oxygen-cursor-theme oxygen-icon-theme phonon phonon-backend-gstreamer  plasma-dataengines-workspace plasma-desktop plasma-scriptengine-javascript  plasma-widget-folderview plasma-widgets-workspace qapt-batch  shared-desktop-ontologies soprano-daemon systemsettings virtuoso-minimal  virtuoso-opensource-6.1-bin virtuoso-opensource-6.1-common

It is easiest to copy the line and paste it into the terminal (right-click on the terminal and select Paste from the popup menu).

Preferred Uninstall

The better way to uninstall it is to follow the directions on this page.

This will show you on how to uninstall only the packages that were installed when kde-plasma-desktop was installed. The instructions are generic and work for any installed package.

It involves:

identifying which packages were installed and
creating a command to uninstall only those packages

It leaves intact any packages you may have installed (like dolphin or kwrite) or that were installed by other packages instead of blindly assuming that they were installed along with kde-plasma-desktop.

The post Ubuntu 12.04 – How to Completely Uninstall / Remove kde-plasma-desktop appeared first on Complete, Concrete, Concise.