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g33kb0ard3r
Jr. Member
Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 94
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
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 Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 10:13 pm Post subject: [solved]Well, boneheaded move on my part... Lost Gnome! |
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Don't ask me why (because I REALLY don't want to talk about why) but for some reason I did
| Code: | | sudo apt-get remove python |
Bad idea. I think it stemmed from me reading somewhere that python was a programming... program. It started removing all these files and next thing I know I can't get into the gui. So now I'm posting this from the live cd. I'm wondering what do I do from here?
I'm thinking these are my options:
1.Find all the files and replace them. I think it would take forever
2.Remove and do a fresh install. Only thing would be that I would have to figure out partitions because I have to leave XP alone on this 80GB drive. Also, I would lose my files, which honestly isn't that big of a deal, its not like I'll lose any money or anything.
3.sudo apt-get install python, but I'm pretty sure I tried that and it came up with an error.
Any ideas or advice?
After I post this, I'm going to reboot and try #3 just to see if it works, but I doubt it.
Last edited by g33kb0ard3r on Fri Sep 05, 2025 9:33 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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g33kb0ard3r
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Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 94
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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Yup, just like I thought, I tried to do
| Code: | | sudo apt-get install python |
but it just found python was already installed. That doesn't make any sense to me. |
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JP
Linux Guru
Joined: 07 Jul 2025
Posts: 6670
Location: Central Montana
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| g33kb0ard3r wrote: | Yup, just like I thought, I tried to do
| Code: | | sudo apt-get install python |
but it just found python was already installed. That doesn't make any sense to me. |
g33kb0ard3r I'm glad you posted this, because I wasn't aware that when you remove python, it would remove the python programming in the various apps that are installed. I too, have no use for python (or so I thought) so if I found that I had it I would also have wanted to remove it ..... Thanks 
As to your problem, I'm afraid I can't help you much, but I think the first thing I would do is | Code: | $su
$password ****** (your password)
#apt-get update && apt-get install python |
..... just in case what you still have on there is an older version, part of a version, etc. That's not necessarily going to fix anything, but if your database isn't updated to the latest python, that will update it and install (or not) the latest python  Hopefully, someone will come along soon and give you better guidance than I can give. One or more questions that may be asked (I don't use Ubuntu), does it have a failsafe or single user mode so you can access it that way? Can you get to a Command line? Can you rescue using the live CD?
BTW, I would also change the subject title of this thread to something more likely to get you some help ..... For instance: Ubuntu help needed ..... or ..... need to restore my Ubuntu ...... Ubuntu crashed , help needed ..... something that will let people know that you're using a Debian deriv, in essence you've crashed it, and help is needed to restore it so that you can at least back up your files ......... see what I mean?
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g33kb0ard3r
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Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 94
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2025 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, the CLI interface is still completely functional, it just seems I've lost Gnome.
Thanks for the help! |
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g33kb0ard3r
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Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 94
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Well, I tried
| Code: | | sudo apt-get update && get install python |
and all it gave me was a list of packages from us.archive.ubuntu.com and then gives me this:
-su: get: command not found |
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Lord.DragonFly.of.Dawn
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Joined: 18 Jul 2025
Posts: 607
Location: South Portland, Maine, USA, Earth, Sol System
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 12:14 am Post subject: |
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according to the apt-get man page the following will force a reinstall and fix any now broken packages ( i think. I don't have an ubuntu box ATM to test)
| Code: | | apt-get update && apt-get --reinstall --fix-broken install python |
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eriefisher
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Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 89
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 1:10 am Post subject: |
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You could use this misfortune as an opportunity and install Mepis or Antix. In my opinion, a superior OS.
eriefisher
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bdquick
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Location: Little north of DSM and south of Ames
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 1:51 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe try reinstalling gnome and let it sort out all the dependencies. Most likely just reinstalling python won't fix gnome.
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Lord.DragonFly.of.Dawn
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Joined: 18 Jul 2025
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Location: South Portland, Maine, USA, Earth, Sol System
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 3:08 am Post subject: |
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I guess that depends on the behavior of --fix-broken. If it only fixes dependencies then yes it won't fix Gnome.
If it acts more like revdep-rebuild does for gentoo (find all broken packages on the system and fix them) then it will (probably) fix gnome.
I am not sure about the behavior in this case
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masinick
Linux Guru
Joined: 03 Apr 2025
Posts: 8615
Location: Concord, NH
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:24 am Post subject: Try this |
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If GNOME is all you are missing, then reinstalling the metapackage gnome may at least get you back the main gnome desktop, then you can figure out what else you may be missing.
Just to cover things, you might try something like this,and it may get you surprisingly close to a usable system:
| Code: | | sudo apt-get install gnome gedit gdm python |
Alternatively, this may get it back for you in one shot:
| Code: | | sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop |
From there, you can figure out what else is missing, then decide if it is worth installing more stuff to get what you want, or if reinstalling is the better option. If it were me, I would try installing various key metapackages and major packages, both for the learning and the experience, but I would also decide just how much time to invest, then after that, chalk it up as a learning experience and install a new system image.
I like eriefisher's idea of installing SimplyMEPIS or antiX (and I would also add sidux to that list), but your needs and interests may be different than ours, so do what works best for you. Try installing the packages I suggest, and if that does not work, decide how much more time you want to invest before reinstalling. Good luck, and let us know what you decide to do and how it works out for you. |
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JP
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Joined: 07 Jul 2025
Posts: 6670
Location: Central Montana
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eriefisher
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Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 89
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| g33kb0ard3r wrote: | Well, I tried
| Code: | | sudo apt-get update && get install python |
and all it gave me was a list of packages from us.archive.ubuntu.com and then gives me this:
-su: get: command not found |
You missed "apt-" in the second half of the command and it's telling you with the message "get: command not found" because it should have been "apt-get".
eriefisher
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masinick
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Joined: 03 Apr 2025
Posts: 8615
Location: Concord, NH
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 1:10 pm Post subject: Likely to work |
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I really believe that | Code: | | sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop |
will solve your problem. That metapackage will install the Ubuntu desktop. If something is missing or needs to be updated, that will do it. Of course, you have to do a apt-get update first, so | Code: | | sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop |
will do the entire job. I give that a 98% chance of working for you, how's that? |
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g33kb0ard3r
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Joined: 12 Jul 2025
Posts: 94
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2025 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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Well, thanks everybody!
| Code: | | sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop |
Got everything back to normal!
I'm really happy that I didn't screw everything up for good.  |
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JP
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Joined: 07 Jul 2025
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Location: Central Montana
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