It is looking like I will have to reinstall kubuntu because I am unable to resolve a log in problem. My question is can I reinstall the operating system while keeping my data files and folders? Another question I have is can I keep my installed programs while reinstalling the OS?
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If you reinstall it will over write (Erase) everything. Now you could boot onto your installation USB, and it will mount the drive you are fixing to over write, and then you could get your (home directory) data files off of that drive and move them onto another drive (USB). As for getting your programs, you could copy the profiles from those programs and save them onto a different drive (USB), then put the profile back into the freshly installed program. Of course you could tell the new install to dual boot with the other, but that doesn't sound right. Can you not get into the grub boot menu and select a different kernel to boot up on? Did you forget the password? Is there a little more info you could add about the log in problem? -
This is where I posted about the log in problem. It happened after I powered down to get out of a blank screen.Originally posted by TinyTim View Post
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forum/...-volume-groups
I have copied my data to another disk but did not think about copying the program profiles. Is there an easy way of finding them? I don't suppose they are all stored in one central folder. I don't know how to install different kernels or switch between them, so I have only the kubuntu 24.04 kernel installed. And I cannot log in to that.Comment
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Step one is to always backup all your data and config files to some external drive. Unless you use /opt for some apps, or are very "creative", all you data and all your app configs as they apply to your user will be under the /home directory. You can back up select directories to the external save drive/device.
Next, if you are reinstalling Kubuntu, create a partition that will be sued to mount /. Also, create a partition that will be used to mount /home. Install Kubuntu, then restore your backed up files. In general, you will be good to go from there. Once you have everything data and config-related on the separate /home partition, you should never have to worry about re-installing again - with one exception. That exception is to ALWAYS routinely back up your data/configs to an external, removeable drive and to do so especially when installing and updated OS or doing a reinstall.
I've been doing this for many LTS installs and hardware upgrades/recoveries. It has not failed me yet!The next brick house on the left
Intel i7 11th Gen | 16GB | 1TB | KDE Plasma 5.27.11| Kubuntu 24.04 | 6.8.0-31-generic
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programs, no... best make a list and then it doesn't take long to reinstall the software
all your settings for your installed software will be in /home along with your files.
if you have you /home on it's own partition (and you should) then during the install process you simply mount your existing partition at /home and be sure to UNCHECK the box that says "format" so it doesn't get wiped.
this only works well tho if you choose the same user name and machine name in the installer as you had on the previous install, otherwise there will be permission issues accessing those files.
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Thanks everyone for your help and useful information. I managed to identify the problem and reverse it. (See my link above.) Very grateful.Comment
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