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In ubuntu 16.4, I cannot run "terminal". Searching, I find a suggestion of trying to launch it using xterm, but I do not have xterm installed. I cannot find a way of installing xterm without a commandline (sudu apt-get install -y xterm), and I do not have a commandline, because I cannot run terminal. This is a recent problem. terminal was working properly before.

I think that terminal is not working because it requires python, but I cannot find python in /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin. They seem to have disappeared. I have a version of python3.7 in an anaconda installation, but this is not in my path. I am not sure if python3.7 would work to run terminal. Anyway, I cannot copy or place a symbolic link to anaconda/bin/python in /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin because that requires su access, and I cannot execute a command such as sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python anaconda/bin/python, because I do not have a command line interface.

So, I need to do one of the following: - install python in /usr/bin without using a command line interface - install xterm without using a command line interface - add anaconda/bin to my path somehow, without a command line interface or terminal

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    Have you by chance tried to install it from a TTY by pressing like Ctrl+Alt+F2? – Terrance Mar 27 '20 at 0:52
  • OK, I seem to have (almost) found the solution myself. By using <ctrl><alt> F1 I got a login prompt, and commandline. Then, found out I do have xterm by trying "which xterm" . Then I can exit, using <ctrl><alt>F7, and login normally and start xterm using file manager. So, now I have xterm, and following instructions on the web as to how to roll-back to an earlier version of python. The trouble stems from the fact that I installed a newer version of python (3.8), and that is now not working to run terminal. – Richard Hartley Mar 27 '20 at 1:15
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OK, I have found the solution myself, also thanks to Terrance. By using F1 I got a login prompt, and commandline. Then, found out I do have xterm by trying "which xterm" . Then I can exit, using F7, login and start xterm using file manager. Now I have xterm, and roll-back to an earlier version of python. The trouble stems from the fact that I installed a newer version of python (3.8), and that is now not working to run terminal. The solution was to sudo vi /usr/bin/gnome-terminal and change the first line to specify a working version of python (in my case python2)

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