I recently did a fresh install of Kubuntu 20.04.2 LTS, using a usb boot stick. I cleared the only hard drive for this install, so no other operating systems exist on this machine.
This machine is a desktop with an Intel i5-4570 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980. It has 16GB of RAM, a single 128GB SSD (SATA), and no optical drives. It has two 4k monitors connected by displayport.
I spent a few days configuring it, with zero or minimal reboots, all through the GUI, and perhaps luckily, I kept very careful record of which settings I changed for the future. I noticed that it started behaving strangely, and gave me crash notices when I tried to open various built-in programs, including Dolphin. I tried to reboot the machiine, but now it fails to even ask me for a login. It simply boots to a black screen with a cursor. I can use Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a terminal and interact normally there, but if I run `startx` it simply ends up in the same state the original x session did, with a black screen and cursor. My guess is that something I did with theming didn't work, but I don't know where to look for logs to verify that, or how to fix it without being able to get back to the GUI.
I'm a software engineer, but not particularly experienced with linux/KDE (compared to my professional experience working in games). I'm happy to navigate around in a terminal, but not familiar with how things are already set up.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated - How can I find what broke and unbreak it from the command line.
Thanks!
P.S.
Here is my document for how I configured everything, which just a few bits removed to hide personal info:
This machine is a desktop with an Intel i5-4570 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980. It has 16GB of RAM, a single 128GB SSD (SATA), and no optical drives. It has two 4k monitors connected by displayport.
I spent a few days configuring it, with zero or minimal reboots, all through the GUI, and perhaps luckily, I kept very careful record of which settings I changed for the future. I noticed that it started behaving strangely, and gave me crash notices when I tried to open various built-in programs, including Dolphin. I tried to reboot the machiine, but now it fails to even ask me for a login. It simply boots to a black screen with a cursor. I can use Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a terminal and interact normally there, but if I run `startx` it simply ends up in the same state the original x session did, with a black screen and cursor. My guess is that something I did with theming didn't work, but I don't know where to look for logs to verify that, or how to fix it without being able to get back to the GUI.
I'm a software engineer, but not particularly experienced with linux/KDE (compared to my professional experience working in games). I'm happy to navigate around in a terminal, but not familiar with how things are already set up.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated - How can I find what broke and unbreak it from the command line.
Thanks!
P.S.
Here is my document for how I configured everything, which just a few bits removed to hide personal info:
Make a bootable USB
Directions: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-...ntu#1-overview
Download: https://kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/
Tool: Startup Disk Creator
Base update
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade
Dual Monitors
Open NVIDIA X Server Settings
Select "X Server Display Configuration"
Set both monitors to use the same screen and be active, if they aren't already
"Apply" and possibly "Save to X Configuration File" (and reboot) if needed
System Settings
Open "System Settings"
Tab: "Application Style"
Select "Fusion"
Subtab: Window Decorations
Select "Plastik"
Subsubtab: "Titlebar Buttons"
Drag around so "Menu" is on the left, and "Minimize", "Maximize", "Close" on the right, and no others.
Tab: "Colors"
Select "Oxygen Cold"
Tab: "Fonts"
Check "Force font DPI:" and set to 96
Tab: "Icons"
$ sudo apt install oxygen-icon-theme
Select "Oxygen"
Tab: "Cursors"
Change "Size" dropdown to 48
Tab: "Workspace Behavior"
Subtab: "Screen Edges"
Click the top left corner of the monitor icon and select "No Action"
Subtab: "Screen Locking"
Uncheck "Automatically after:"
Subtab: "Virtual Desktops"
Uncheck "Navigation wraps around"
Add new desktops as desired (rename by pushing possibly invisible button to the left of remove button)
Tab: "Window Management"
Subtab: "Window Behavior"
Subsubtab: "Movement"
Check "Display when moving or resizing"
Subtab: "Task Switcher"
First dropdown -> "Large Icons"
Tab: "Shortcuts"
Dolphin -> Ctrl + Alt + E
Subsection: "KWin"
Switch One Desktop to the Left/Right -> Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right
Window One Desktop to the Left/Right -> Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left/Right
Tab: "Startup and Shutdown"
Subtab: "Desktop Session"
Select "Turn off computer" under "Default Leave Option"
Tab: "Account Details"
Uncheck "Enable the KDE wallet subsystem"
Tab: "Other Notifications"
Uncheck everything except "Application crashes" and "Required reboots"
Select "Tray icons only" under "Notification type"
Tab: "Input Devices"
Subtab: "Mouse"
Move "Pointer speed" to about 8/10
Select "Flat" under "Acceleration profile"
Tab: "Power Management"
Uncheck "Screen Energy Saving"
Taskbar
Right click taskbar->"Configure Task Manager"
Tab: "Behavior"
Group -> "Do not group"
Close window
Right click taskbar-> "Edit Panel"
Hover "System Tray", and select "Configure"
Set so that all are Disabled except "Notifications", "Audio Volue", and "Device Notifier"
Hover "Minimize all Windows" and select "Remove"
Hover "Digital Clock" and select "Configure"
Check "Show date"
Change "Date format" to "Short Date"
Hover "Application Launcher" and select "Configure"
Uncheck "Expand search to bookmarks, files and emails
Drag "History", "Computer", and "Favorites" down
Setup Pager and put it between System Tray and Clock. I don't remember what I did here.
May need to remove a few other things as well.
Firefox
Click Menu Button -> "Customize"
Drag everything off top bar such that it has:
Back
Forward
URL
Refresh
Search
Open menu
May have to repeat after installing addons
Click "Toolbars" and check "Menu Bar"
Click "Done"
Install Addons:
uBlock origin
Tree Style Tab
Adjust Tree Style Tab to be wider
Tools->Add-ons->Extensions tab->Tree Style Tab "Preferences" button
Check "Unlock Expert Options"B
Uncheck "Enable animation effects"
Select "Crop with ".." (Better Performance)"
"Additional Context Menu Items" block under "Context Menu"
Uncheck "Bookmark this Tree..."
"Tree Behavior" section
Uncheck "When a new tree appears..."
Uncheck "When a tab gets focus..."
Uncheck "Except focus moving..."
Under "When a parent tab is closed or moved just as a solo tab":
Select "Recommended behavior for people who never use the native tab bar of Firefox itself"
Select "Promote all children as the level of the closed parent always"
"Advanced" section
Uncheck "Warn me when I attempt to close multiple tabs"
Uncheck "Warn me when I attempt to close multiple tabs by a normal close on a closebox"
Uncheck "List closing tabs in the confirmation dialog"
Uncheck "Optimize tree restoration with cache"
Add the following to the end of the first text box:
#tabbar .after-tabs {
display: none !important;
}
Create path/file "~/.mozilla/firefox/{CODE}.default-release/chrome/userChrome.css with contents:
@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");
#TabsToolbar {
visibility: collapse !important;
}
#sidebar-box[sidebarcommand="treestyletab_piro_sakura_ne_jp-sidebar-action"] #sidebar-header {
display: none;
}
#aHTMLTooltip {
display: none !important
}
Edit->Preferences
Check "Restore previous session"
Downloads->"Always ask me where to save files"
Check "Play DRM-controlled content"
Under "Browsing":
Uncheck "Recommend extensions as you browse"
Uncheck "Recommend features as you browse"
Click "Home" tab
Change "Homepage and new windows" dropdown to "Blank Page"
Change "New tabs" dropdown to "Blank Page"
Click "Search" tab
Uncheck "Provide search suggestions"
Remove all except "Google", "Bookmarks", "Tabs", and "History"
Click "Privacy & Security" tab
Uncheck "Ask to save logins and passwords for websites"
Uncheck "Autofill addresses"
Uncheck "Autofill credit cards"
"History" section
"Firefox will:"->"Use custom settings for history"
Uncheck "Remember search and form history"
"Address Bar" section
Uncheck all except "Browsing history"
"Firefox Data Collection and Use" section
Uncheck "Allow Firefox to send..."
Uncheck "Allow Firefox to 4 and run studies"
Navigate to about:config
Set toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheet s to true
Kate Configuration
Run Kate
"Settings"->"Configure Keyboard Shortcuts..."
Set "Save All" to Ctrl+S and overwrite save
Set "Search in files" to Ctrl+Shift+F and overwrite (it's near the bottom)
Click "Ok"
"Settings"->"Configure Kate..."
General Tab
Check "Warn about files modified by foreign processes"
Plugins Tab
Leave "Document Tree View" and "Search & Replace"
(Experimental) Leave "Backtrace Browser", "Build Plugin", "GDB", and "Open Header"
Appearance Tab
Uncheck "Dynamic Word Wrap"
"Whitespaces" dropdown to "Trailing"
Check "Highlight tabulators"
Drag "Highlight marker size" to the center
(Experimental) Check "Highlight range between selected brackets" and "Animate bracket matching"
"Borders" sub tab
Uncheck "Show folding markers"
Change "Minimap Width" to 100
Scrollbars visibility set to "Show When Needed"
Fonts & Colors Tab
Word Wrap Color to something purplish
Editing Tab
"General" sub tab
Check "Show static word wrap marker"
Set "Wrap words at:" to 160 characters
Uncheck "Move selected text by drag and drop"
"Text Navigation" sub tab
Uncheck "Smart home and smart end"
"Indentation" sub tab
Check "Adjust indentation of code pasted from the clipboard"
"Auto Completion" sub tab
Uncheck "Enable auto completion"
Open/Save Tab
"Remove trailing spaces:" to "In Entire Document"
Settings -> Uncheck "Show Tabs"
Terminal
edit ~/.bashrc -> replace similar lines with these:
if [ "$color_prompt" = yes ]; then
PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u\[\033[00m\]@\[\033[01;33m\]\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\n\$ '
else
PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\n\ $ '
fi
"Settings"->"Configure Konsole..."
Check "Show window title on the titlebar"
"Settings"->"Edit Current Profile..."
"Initial terminal size:" -> 160 x 48
"Appearance" tab
Font -> "Hack 12pt"
File Explorer
View -> Show Hidden Files
View -> Show Panels -> Places Uncheck
I did some configuration to make the Toolbar have "Back, Forward, Up, View Modes, Sort by, Split, and Search"
Setup Audacious
$ sudo apt install audacious
Directions: https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-...ntu#1-overview
Download: https://kubuntu.org/getkubuntu/
Tool: Startup Disk Creator
Base update
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade
Dual Monitors
Open NVIDIA X Server Settings
Select "X Server Display Configuration"
Set both monitors to use the same screen and be active, if they aren't already
"Apply" and possibly "Save to X Configuration File" (and reboot) if needed
System Settings
Open "System Settings"
Tab: "Application Style"
Select "Fusion"
Subtab: Window Decorations
Select "Plastik"
Subsubtab: "Titlebar Buttons"
Drag around so "Menu" is on the left, and "Minimize", "Maximize", "Close" on the right, and no others.
Tab: "Colors"
Select "Oxygen Cold"
Tab: "Fonts"
Check "Force font DPI:" and set to 96
Tab: "Icons"
$ sudo apt install oxygen-icon-theme
Select "Oxygen"
Tab: "Cursors"
Change "Size" dropdown to 48
Tab: "Workspace Behavior"
Subtab: "Screen Edges"
Click the top left corner of the monitor icon and select "No Action"
Subtab: "Screen Locking"
Uncheck "Automatically after:"
Subtab: "Virtual Desktops"
Uncheck "Navigation wraps around"
Add new desktops as desired (rename by pushing possibly invisible button to the left of remove button)
Tab: "Window Management"
Subtab: "Window Behavior"
Subsubtab: "Movement"
Check "Display when moving or resizing"
Subtab: "Task Switcher"
First dropdown -> "Large Icons"
Tab: "Shortcuts"
Dolphin -> Ctrl + Alt + E
Subsection: "KWin"
Switch One Desktop to the Left/Right -> Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right
Window One Desktop to the Left/Right -> Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Left/Right
Tab: "Startup and Shutdown"
Subtab: "Desktop Session"
Select "Turn off computer" under "Default Leave Option"
Tab: "Account Details"
Uncheck "Enable the KDE wallet subsystem"
Tab: "Other Notifications"
Uncheck everything except "Application crashes" and "Required reboots"
Select "Tray icons only" under "Notification type"
Tab: "Input Devices"
Subtab: "Mouse"
Move "Pointer speed" to about 8/10
Select "Flat" under "Acceleration profile"
Tab: "Power Management"
Uncheck "Screen Energy Saving"
Taskbar
Right click taskbar->"Configure Task Manager"
Tab: "Behavior"
Group -> "Do not group"
Close window
Right click taskbar-> "Edit Panel"
Hover "System Tray", and select "Configure"
Set so that all are Disabled except "Notifications", "Audio Volue", and "Device Notifier"
Hover "Minimize all Windows" and select "Remove"
Hover "Digital Clock" and select "Configure"
Check "Show date"
Change "Date format" to "Short Date"
Hover "Application Launcher" and select "Configure"
Uncheck "Expand search to bookmarks, files and emails
Drag "History", "Computer", and "Favorites" down
Setup Pager and put it between System Tray and Clock. I don't remember what I did here.
May need to remove a few other things as well.
Firefox
Click Menu Button -> "Customize"
Drag everything off top bar such that it has:
Back
Forward
URL
Refresh
Search
Open menu
May have to repeat after installing addons
Click "Toolbars" and check "Menu Bar"
Click "Done"
Install Addons:
uBlock origin
Tree Style Tab
Adjust Tree Style Tab to be wider
Tools->Add-ons->Extensions tab->Tree Style Tab "Preferences" button
Check "Unlock Expert Options"B
Uncheck "Enable animation effects"
Select "Crop with ".." (Better Performance)"
"Additional Context Menu Items" block under "Context Menu"
Uncheck "Bookmark this Tree..."
"Tree Behavior" section
Uncheck "When a new tree appears..."
Uncheck "When a tab gets focus..."
Uncheck "Except focus moving..."
Under "When a parent tab is closed or moved just as a solo tab":
Select "Recommended behavior for people who never use the native tab bar of Firefox itself"
Select "Promote all children as the level of the closed parent always"
"Advanced" section
Uncheck "Warn me when I attempt to close multiple tabs"
Uncheck "Warn me when I attempt to close multiple tabs by a normal close on a closebox"
Uncheck "List closing tabs in the confirmation dialog"
Uncheck "Optimize tree restoration with cache"
Add the following to the end of the first text box:
#tabbar .after-tabs {
display: none !important;
}
Create path/file "~/.mozilla/firefox/{CODE}.default-release/chrome/userChrome.css with contents:
@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul");
#TabsToolbar {
visibility: collapse !important;
}
#sidebar-box[sidebarcommand="treestyletab_piro_sakura_ne_jp-sidebar-action"] #sidebar-header {
display: none;
}
#aHTMLTooltip {
display: none !important
}
Edit->Preferences
Check "Restore previous session"
Downloads->"Always ask me where to save files"
Check "Play DRM-controlled content"
Under "Browsing":
Uncheck "Recommend extensions as you browse"
Uncheck "Recommend features as you browse"
Click "Home" tab
Change "Homepage and new windows" dropdown to "Blank Page"
Change "New tabs" dropdown to "Blank Page"
Click "Search" tab
Uncheck "Provide search suggestions"
Remove all except "Google", "Bookmarks", "Tabs", and "History"
Click "Privacy & Security" tab
Uncheck "Ask to save logins and passwords for websites"
Uncheck "Autofill addresses"
Uncheck "Autofill credit cards"
"History" section
"Firefox will:"->"Use custom settings for history"
Uncheck "Remember search and form history"
"Address Bar" section
Uncheck all except "Browsing history"
"Firefox Data Collection and Use" section
Uncheck "Allow Firefox to send..."
Uncheck "Allow Firefox to 4 and run studies"
Navigate to about:config
Set toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheet s to true
Kate Configuration
Run Kate
"Settings"->"Configure Keyboard Shortcuts..."
Set "Save All" to Ctrl+S and overwrite save
Set "Search in files" to Ctrl+Shift+F and overwrite (it's near the bottom)
Click "Ok"
"Settings"->"Configure Kate..."
General Tab
Check "Warn about files modified by foreign processes"
Plugins Tab
Leave "Document Tree View" and "Search & Replace"
(Experimental) Leave "Backtrace Browser", "Build Plugin", "GDB", and "Open Header"
Appearance Tab
Uncheck "Dynamic Word Wrap"
"Whitespaces" dropdown to "Trailing"
Check "Highlight tabulators"
Drag "Highlight marker size" to the center
(Experimental) Check "Highlight range between selected brackets" and "Animate bracket matching"
"Borders" sub tab
Uncheck "Show folding markers"
Change "Minimap Width" to 100
Scrollbars visibility set to "Show When Needed"
Fonts & Colors Tab
Word Wrap Color to something purplish
Editing Tab
"General" sub tab
Check "Show static word wrap marker"
Set "Wrap words at:" to 160 characters
Uncheck "Move selected text by drag and drop"
"Text Navigation" sub tab
Uncheck "Smart home and smart end"
"Indentation" sub tab
Check "Adjust indentation of code pasted from the clipboard"
"Auto Completion" sub tab
Uncheck "Enable auto completion"
Open/Save Tab
"Remove trailing spaces:" to "In Entire Document"
Settings -> Uncheck "Show Tabs"
Terminal
edit ~/.bashrc -> replace similar lines with these:
if [ "$color_prompt" = yes ]; then
PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u\[\033[00m\]@\[\033[01;33m\]\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\n\$ '
else
PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\n\ $ '
fi
"Settings"->"Configure Konsole..."
Check "Show window title on the titlebar"
"Settings"->"Edit Current Profile..."
"Initial terminal size:" -> 160 x 48
"Appearance" tab
Font -> "Hack 12pt"
File Explorer
View -> Show Hidden Files
View -> Show Panels -> Places Uncheck
I did some configuration to make the Toolbar have "Back, Forward, Up, View Modes, Sort by, Split, and Search"
Setup Audacious
$ sudo apt install audacious
Comment