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I have a problem with my ubuntu install. After I get the log in prompt, the screen goes black and never comes back. But I know the system is running because I can ssh into the box and my websites that I built still run. I think the problem is related to the fact that a few days ago, I had serious problems with mysql and I couldn't install or uninstall mysql-server-5.5. THe only way I could get around it was to run a purge on mysql*. While that allowed me to then reinstall a clean copy of mysql... this is the first time I've rebooted since running that command.

The other behavior I noticed before rebooting was that the gui no longer knew about different apps like firefox. So the way i had to launch was to find where the exe was stored and then add my own shortcut to the desktop.

I don't know ubuntu well at all - just a linux newbie. But it seems like the o/s uses mysql for it's own information... and somehow by blowing away mysql*, I've managed to mess up the GUI part of ubuntu. The exact command I ran was :

 sudo apt-get purge mysql* 

I still have a log of what it removed... here's the list:

 Purging configuration files for libmuonprivate1 ...
 Removing apturl-kde ...
 Removing software-properties-kde ...
 Removing plasma-widget-facebook ...
 Removing plasma-scriptengine-python ...
 Removing apport-kde ...
 Removing userconfig ...
 Removing usb-creator-kde ...
 Removing printer-applet ...
 Removing language-selector-kde ...
 Removing kde-config-touchpad ...
 Purging configuration files for kde-config-touchpad ...
 Removing jockey-kde ...
 Purging configuration files for jockey-kde ...
 Removing python-kde4 ...
 Removing plasma-widgets-addons ...
 Removing plasma-dataengines-workspace ...
 Removing kmail ...
 Purging configuration files for kmail ...
 Removing libmessagelist4 ...
 Purging configuration files for libmessagelist4 ...
 Removing libksieveui4 ...
 Purging configuration files for libksieveui4 ...
 Removing kopete ...
 Purging configuration files for kopete ...
 Removing kopete-message-indicator ...
 Removing libkopete4 ...
 Purging configuration files for libkopete4 ...
 Removing korganizer ...
 Purging configuration files for korganizer ...
 Removing libeventviews4 ...
 Purging configuration files for libeventviews4 ...
 Removing kontact ...
 Purging configuration files for kontact ...
 Removing ktimetracker ...
 Removing knotes ...
 Purging configuration files for knotes ...
 Removing kdepim-kresources ...
 Purging configuration files for kdepim-kresources ...
 Removing kaddressbook ...
 Purging configuration files for kaddressbook ...
 Removing akregator ...
 Purging configuration files for akregator ...
 Removing kdepim-strigi-plugins ...
 Removing amarok ...
 Purging configuration files for amarok ...
 Removing mysql-client ...
 Removing mysql-client-5.5 ...
 Removing libdbd-mysql-perl ...
 Removing php5-mysql ...
 Purging configuration files for php5-mysql ...
 Removing libmessagecomposer4 ...
 Purging configuration files for libmessagecomposer4 ...

Any suggestions on how I can get my screen back?

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  • What exactly is a "purge on mysql*"? What command did you run?
    – mellamokb
    Aug 21, 2012 at 13:37
  • sudo apt-get purge mysql*
    – dot
    Aug 21, 2012 at 13:38

1 Answer 1

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The logs you posted shows that a lot of KDE applications are removed. I've tried finding some KDE-apps starting with "mysql" that could have been removed when you removed everything that started with "mysql" (by calling apt-cache search kde | grep ^mysql) but I couldn't find any.

So there were probably some bigger problems (maybe also causing your issues with mysql) and when you removed mysql apt fixed these errors by removing all problematic applications.

Anyway, to reinstall your kde-desktop, try the following:

apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
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  • hey... thanks for that. just checking though... does it matter which version of Ubuntu I'm running? I didn't mention that in my original post. Running 12.04.
    – dot
    Aug 21, 2012 at 14:33
  • just tried it and went well
    – dot
    Aug 21, 2012 at 15:00
  • Doesn't really matter what version in this case. kubuntu-desktop or other *buntu-desktop packages have been around for quite a while now so they should work even for older versions of (*)ubuntu. I did search on my 12.04 machine.
    – Joost
    Aug 21, 2012 at 15:01

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