Upgrade: DO NOT mv .config to .config.prev -- I lost all/most of my kde configuration

[DinoNerd]

I just upgraded from 25.10 to 26.04 LTS. I followed someone's advice to mv $HOME/.config to $HOME/.config.prev and was not too surprised when I lost all my kde configuration.


So I went through all the files and directories in $HOME/.config.prev, and mv'd any that seemed missing or changed from my previous settings into .config, and then rebooted.

My carefully setup configuration is still lost.

I copied .config/plasma-worskpace, but I nonetheless have lost my workspaces.

I have none of my changes to my panel(s). But then, I have no idea where they were stored, and might not have copied the right thing/hand merged it correctly.

etc. etc. etc.


This was supposed to be a caution against potential upgrade breakage. Instead, it *created* breakage I really didn't want, and hand merging the files didn't fix things as I'd been told to expect, in part for lack of comments explaining the various files.

I strongly advise other newbies to ignore the advice about moving .config for upgrade "safety". As far as plasma and probably other programs are concerned I might as well have done a fresh install. If not moving .config gets you in trouble, the worst you'll have to deal with is a fresh install and recovering from backup. And what I just got feels almost that bad, given that my backups include a list of packages to "apt install" and "apt remove".

[skyfishgoo]

the trick is knowing what files to move back and that is not at all obvious given how many of there are, how they are sprinkled around, and how different apps handled settings differently.

moving .config and .local folders will wipe out all of your settings, panels, everything ... it will be like a clean install only all your apps will still be installed.

if you happen to know the /home dir files needed for each app you want to restore, then it's a great way to manage the transition... but for the heavy lifters like plasma shell, dolphin, etc... the files are all over the place and if you miss one , then it will break something.

i'm wading in blind with all my files when i do it (not yet tho), and will take whatever it hands me.... then deal with the fallout.

there is always this approach




# brute force troubleshooting...
mv ~/.config ~/.configBORKED
mv ~/.local ~/.localBORKED
# logout and log back in again to force plasma to recreate the folders with default settings
# open split views of the folders for comparison and file copy
dolphin --split ~/.config ~/.configBORKED
dolphin --split ~/.local ~/.localBORKED
# copy back half of the BORKED folder contents at a time and relog to see if issue returns
# if it does, then delete the folder again, relog, and only copy half of that previous half
# repeat until the culprit is found, then finally, copy back everything BUT that culprit bit

[die.boer]

I followed someone's advice to mv $HOME/.config to $HOME/.config.prev

where did you get this ? ,i looked at this sticky
but don't see anything mentioning doing that .
i also just upgraded from 25.10 to 26.04 , did NOTHING afterward and everything is working 100s

EDIT: or are you talking bout doing that BEFORE upgrading?
me...i never backup anything, didn't backup before upgrade or anything...but that just me living on the edge
(this behavior of mine is not advisable of course ...)

[claydoh]

but don't see anything mentioning doing that .

https://kubuntu.org/news/kubuntu-26-...0for,folder%2E

Do not ask me why, though. I will imagine that they found some problems when testing upgrades that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere?

I can see doing this specifically for LTS-LTS upgrades, and only maybe it being a good suggestion.

What is missing is that all your app settings also go away.