Ok so i wanted to run a KDE desktop as an alternative interface to the unity interface. I ran the KDE upgrade as per instructions for a standard gnome-version Ubuntu and it seemed to work well...
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
downloaded the package and installed. When i rebooted it showed the blue Kubuntu screens and the login screen was Kubuntu, but there was however no options menu where I could choose the KDE or gnome session options... furthermore, logging into the desktop brought me to a black desktop page with only the wallpaper and nothing else... no menus anywhere and only the option to right-click add launcher. So i added the launcher for terminal and nautilus and went in search of an answer. I came across a command that would remove the entire KDE package, and ran it.
sudo apt-get remove akonadi-server akregator amarok amarok-common amarok-utils appmenu-qt apport-kde apturl-kde ark bluedevil cdparanoia cdrdao docbook-xsl dolphin dragonplayer freespacenotifier gdebi-core gdebi-kde gnupg-agent gnupg2 gpgsm gtk2-engines-oxygen gwenview ibus-qt4 icoutils jockey-kde k3b k3b-data kaddressbook kamera kate kcalc kde-config-gtk kde-config-touchpad kde-window-manager kde-zeroconf kdebase-bin kdebase-data kdebase-runtime kdebase-runtime-data kdebase-workspace kdebase-workspace-bin kdebase-workspace-data kdebase-workspace-kgreet-plugins kdegames-card-data kdegraphics-libs-data kdegraphics-strigi-plugins kdelibs-bin kdelibs5-data kdelibs5-plugins kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdenetwork-filesharing kdepasswd kdepim-groupware kdepim-kresources kdepim-runtime kdepim-strigi-plugins kdepim-wizards kdepimlibs-kio-plugins kdesudo kdm kdoctools kfind khelpcenter4 kinfocenter klipper kmag kmail kmix kmousetool knm-runtime knotes konsole kontact kopete kopete-message-indicator korganizer kpackagekit kpat kppp krdc krfb krosspython ksnapshot ksysguard ksysguardd ksystemlog ktimetracker ktorrent ktorrent-data kubuntu-debug-installer kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-docs kubuntu-firefox-installer kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kubuntu-netbook-default-settings kubuntu-notification-helper kvkbd kwalletmanager language-selector-kde libakonadi-contact4 libakonadi-kabc4 libakonadi-kcal4 libakonadi-kde4 libakonadi-kmime4 libakonadiprotocolinternals1 libao-common libao4 libasyncns0 libattica0 libaudio2 libbluedevil1 libboost-program-options1.42.0 libcln6 libclucene0ldbl libdbusmenu-qt2 libdebconf-kde0 libdiscid0 libdmtx0a libepub0 libflac++6 libgif4 libgpgme++2 libgps19 libibus-qt1 libilmbase6 libindicate-qt1 libiodbc2 libk3b6 libkabc4 libkatepartinterfaces4 libkblog4 libkcal4 libkcalcore4 libkcalutils4 libkcddb4 libkcmutils4 libkdcraw9 libkde3support4 libkdecorations4 libkdecore5 libkdegames5 libkdepim4 libkdesu5 libkdeui5 libkdewebkit5 libkdnssd4 libkemoticons4 libkephal4a libkexiv2-9 libkfile4 libkholidays4 libkhtml5 libkidletime4 libkimap4 libkimproxy4 libkio5 libkipi8 libkjsapi4 libkjsembed4 libkldap4 libkleo4 libkmediaplayer4 libkmime4 libknewstuff2-4 libknewstuff3-4 libknotifyconfig4 libkntlm4 libkonq5-templates libkonq5a libkontactinterface4 libkopete4 libkparts4 libkpgp4 libkpimidentities4 libkpimtextedit4 libkpimutils4 libkprintutils4 libkpty4 libkresources4 libkrosscore4 libksba8 libkscreensaver5 libksgrd4 libksieve4 libksignalplotter4 libktexteditor4 libktnef4 libktorrent-l10n libktorrent2 libkunitconversion4 libkutils4 libkwineffects1a libkworkspace4 libkxmlrpcclient4 liblastfm0 libloudmouth1-0 libmailtransport4 libmessagecore4 libmessagelist4 libmicroblog4 libmimelib4 libmng1 libmpcdec6 libmsn0.3 libmusicbrainz3-6 libmysqlclient16 libnepomuk4 libnepomukquery4a libnepomukutils4 libntrack-qt4-1 libntrack0 libokularcore1 libopenexr6 libotr2 libpackagekit-glib2-14 libpackagekit-qt14 libphonon4 libplasma-geolocation-interface4 libplasma3 libplasmaclock4b libplasmagenericshell4 libpolkit-qt-1-1 libpoppler-qt4-3 libpowerdevilcore0 libprocesscore4b libprocessui4a libqalculate5 libqapt-runtime libqapt1 libqca2 libqca2-plugin-ossl libqgpgme1 libqimageblitz4 libqjson0 libqt4-dbus libqt4-declarative libqt4-designer libqt4-help libqt4-network libqt4-opengl libqt4-qt3support libqt4-script libqt4-scripttools libqt4-sql libqt4-sql-mysql libqt4-sql-sqlite libqt4-svg libqt4-test libqt4-xml libqt4-xmlpatterns libqtassistantclient4 libqtcore4 libqtgui4 libqtscript4-core libqtscript4-gui libqtscript4-network libqtscript4-sql libqtscript4-uitools libqtscript4-xml libqtwebkit4 libreadline5 libreoffice-kde libreoffice-style-oxygen libsolid4 libsolidcontrol4a libsolidcontrolifaces4a libsoprano4 libssh-4 libstreamanalyzer0 libstreams0 libsyndication4 libtag-extras1 libtaskmanager4b libthreadweaver4 libvirtodbc0 libvncserver0 libweather-ion6 libzip1 mysql-client-core-5.1 mysql-common mysql-server-core-5.1 nepomukcontroller network-manager-pptp-kde ntrack-module-libnl-0 odbcinst odbcinst1debian2 okular okular-extra-backends oxygen-cursor-theme oxygen-icon-theme oxygen-icon-theme-complete packagekit packagekit-backend-aptcc partitionmanager phonon phonon-backend-gstreamer pinentry-gtk2 pinentry-qt4 plasma-dataengines-addons plasma-dataengines-workspace plasma-desktop plasma-netbook plasma-scriptengine-declarative plasma-scriptengine-javascript plasma-scriptengine-python plasma-widget-facebook plasma-widget-folderview plasma-widget-kimpanel plasma-widget-kimpanel-backend-ibus plasma-widget-menubar plasma-widget-message-indicator plasma-widget-networkmanagement plasma-widget-quickaccess plasma-widgets-addons plasma-widgets-workspace plymouth-theme-kubuntu-logo plymouth-theme-kubuntu-text polkit-kde-1 printer-applet python-kde4 python-packagekit python-pyudev python-qt4 python-qt4-dbus python-sip qapt-batch quassel quassel-data rekonq shared-desktop-ontologies software-properties-kde soprano-daemon system-config-printer-kde systemsettings update-manager-kde usb-creator-kde userconfig virtuoso-minimal virtuoso-opensource-6.1-bin virtuoso-opensource-6.1-common && sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
It seemed to work, but when I rebooted, the KDE boot screens where still present, however this time it went to the ubuntu login prompt, and after login dropped me into Unity again. All was saved and all was well, and then I tried adding a gnome menu panel at the bottom of the desktop screen... which I managed to do, but after trying to remove the top one which installs along with the bottom when I executed the gnome-panel command, things seemed profusely screwed up... so i logged out and rebooted. kubuntu bootscreens again and ubuntu login page, and then once logged in the unity desktop had disappeared again as well as the gnome-panel menus... running gnome-panel from terminal now brings up the menu panels but the command never completes, leaving the terminal open and once you close it, the menu panels also disappear...
weird. I think i might just re-install 11.04 fresh, but thought i might share my tremendously roundabout way of finding out that kde and unity desktops are aparently not compatible...
If there is a quick solution to restoring the unity desktop by means of terminal command, it would be frikin nice to know what it is, but i don't expect things to be that simple... this is linux after all, and if it was easy to figure out it probably wouldn't be a free OS... :-) not that i mind - i love fiddling under the hood, even if it means a nice re-install every now and then!
george
