How to verify install

Thanks to all. It was a good suggestion to install the Kubuntu-Desktop, because that's what I feel I uninstalled by accident. I was not getting a GUI, and just had to log in, and manually StartX. Little by little I cobbled it together, but, I could tell there were chunks missing...

Like I said, what started this all was how awful Kmail was running. Constantly syncing folders every 10 seconds. Then, I broke Akonadi, and while I was futzing with multiple machines, and multiple mice, I clicked on one screen, while looking at another, while I was in Synaptic...

Anyway, the machine's been running, but, I could tell there were some missing parts.

Let me check this out for a day or so..

Thanks much!

I installed it, kubuntu-desktop, just to see if it might result in better performance of subtle things (like notifications or something like that). Cabell64, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread, but you are getting a free lesson in many things here! (along with me) Those commands I gave you are safe, a good set to use if you think some installation (of packages) got messed up, but you can read claydoh's comments in Posts #3 & #5 about the importance of having what you need present -- the kubuntu-desktop package, which you will find in Muon Package Manager.

[Qqmike]

I installed it, kubuntu-desktop, just to see if it might result in better performance of subtle things (like notifications or something like that). Cabell64, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread, but you are getting a free lesson in many things here! (along with me) Those commands I gave you are safe, a good set to use if you think some installation (of packages) got messed up, but you can read claydoh's comments in Posts #3 & #5 about the importance of having what you need present -- the kubuntu-desktop package, which you will find in Muon Package Manager.

[Qqmike]

I see, thanks for the info on that, claydoh. Bookmarked!

[claydoh]

it is a meta-package, it's sole purpose is to depend on things, in this case KDE and Kubuntu bits. It does not have to be present, and can be removed, as it does not cause anything to be removed with it. It is removed when some parts of Kubuntu are uninstalled, which prevents them from being reinstalled with package updates, as kubuntu-desktop would depend on them and pull them in again.

It definitely is present on my 14.04.


it is one thing to try if one is not sure if everything is present. It is also how one would install a full kubuntu setup on Ubuntu, Xubuntu, et al.

[Qqmike]

claydoh, in my 14.04, I do not have kubuntu-desktop installed-- I have only kubuntu-settings-desktop (and kubuntu-docs, of course) ... all is well here, though

[claydoh]

the meta-package kubuntu-desktop is designed to pull in much of what makes up the stock Kubuntu in terms of KDE/Kubuntu software packages. Check if that package is installed. If not, install it and see what it brings along with it.

[Qqmike]

Perhaps you could run these commands ...

sudo dpkg --configure -a
then
sudo apt-get update
then
sudo apt-get -f install

to check and complete package installations

Long story short, I'm running 14.04.3... In a flurry of trying to fix a Kmail problem, and an Akonadi issue, I inadvertently uninstalled a bunch of things. It was a slow rebuild, but, I know there are still things missing because I had to manually install Baloo since I was unable to search.

is there a way to verify that everything that should be there - is there?

I don't know how to ask the question any better... I know I've installed apps, but, is there some command that would tell me that any key components that should be there, are not there?

TIA.