How can I reinstall the Unity Launcher

11-07-2011, 01:12 PM

I'm a first time user of this list, though I have been an administrator
of a number of lists using the Mailman software.

I have a problem I can not seem to solve, regardless of years of
experience with AT&T Unix, SCO Unix, Interactive Unix, Unixware, and
Irix. It seems to have been triggered by the same problem that Jim
Byrnes and Colin Law encountered in October 2011.

* I read some of the help for Unity, to find a way to configure it.
* I found mention of the Compiz settings manager. (I don't remember the
exact name.)

So I installed it.
* After changing only it's size and position the Launcher ceased to
behave properly.
* Even resetting all the variables to their defaults, from inside the
Compiz settings manager,

would not return the Launcher to it's default behaviour.

* I removed the launcher, intending to re-install it, to re-establish
the default behaviour.

* Unfortunately I rebooted the system before I re-install the Launcher.
* Logging in at the GUI pops up a small dialogue that reads
'Failed to load session "ubuntu"'
with a
Logout
button.

* Now I can only get into the system as root in recovery mode.

* All my data is on second hard disk that can be accessed by both
Windows and Ubuntu so I can

re-install Ubuntu.
* However I spent a lot of time installing software and
configuring Ubuntu to work the way

I want it to.
So, I'd rather not go through that again, though if push came
to shove I could start all

over from scratch.

* I thought editing the .loginrc would get me back in so I could
re-install the Launcher.

* However, Ubuntu (Linux?) doesn't have one that I could find.

* With my Windows system I downloaded all the Unity 2d packages from
ca.archive.ubuntu.org.
* Booting into the root console, mounting the Windows partition,
changing directory to the location

of the Unity 2d packages and running

apt-get install unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb
or
apt-get install unity-2d-launcher

returned

W: Not using locking for read only lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock
E: Unable to write to /var/cache/apt/
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

What am I omitting or doing wrong?

Some more info, running

apt-cache pkgnames unity

produced the following output

unity-asset-pool
unity
unity-2d
unity-2d-panel
unity-place-applications
unity-lens-gwibber
unity-2d-launcher
unity-lens-applications
unity-services
unity-scope-musicstores
unity-lens-music
unity-common
unity-2d-spread
unity-place-files
unity-lens-files
unity-greeter
unity-2d-places

So it seems that unity-2d-launcher is still in the cache.

--
Udvarias Ur

This letter was generated and sent from Thunderbird on Windows.

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11-07-2011, 10:06 PM

On Mon 07 Nov 2011 15:12:44 CET, Udvarias Ur wrote:

I'm a first time user of this list, though I have been an
administrator of a number of lists using the Mailman software.

I have a problem I can not seem to solve, regardless of years of
experience with AT&T Unix, SCO Unix, Interactive Unix, Unixware, and
Irix. It seems to have been triggered by the same problem that Jim
Byrnes and Colin Law encountered in October 2011.

* I read some of the help for Unity, to find a way to configure it.
* I found mention of the Compiz settings manager. (I don't remember
the exact name.)
So I installed it.
* After changing only it's size and position the Launcher ceased to
behave properly.
* Even resetting all the variables to their defaults, from inside the
Compiz settings manager,
would not return the Launcher to it's default behaviour.

You could try

sudo apt-get install --reinstall unity

just to see if it helps.

* I removed the launcher, intending to re-install it, to re-establish
the default behaviour.
* Unfortunately I rebooted the system before I re-install the Launcher.
* Logging in at the GUI pops up a small dialogue that reads
'Failed to load session "ubuntu"'
with a
Logout
button.

* Now I can only get into the system as root in recovery mode.

* All my data is on second hard disk that can be accessed by both
Windows and Ubuntu so I can
re-install Ubuntu.
* However I spent a lot of time installing software and configuring
Ubuntu to work the way
I want it to.
So, I'd rather not go through that again, though if push came to shove
I could start all
over from scratch.

* I thought editing the .loginrc would get me back in so I could
re-install the Launcher.
* However, Ubuntu (Linux?) doesn't have one that I could find.

* With my Windows system I downloaded all the Unity 2d packages from
ca.archive.ubuntu.org.
* Booting into the root console, mounting the Windows partition,
changing directory to the location
of the Unity 2d packages and running

apt-get install unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb
or
apt-get install unity-2d-launcher

returned

W: Not using locking for read only lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock
E: Unable to write to /var/cache/apt/
E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

What am I omitting or doing wrong?

Hey,
those lockfile errors mean you're missing "sudo"

But also when installing a deb file manually, you need to use

sudo dpkg -i filename.deb

However if you can boot to a command prompt at all, and are using wired
connection, try

sudo apt-get install unity-2d

which should get you going. Note that you need to select "Ubuntu2D" in
the login screen to actually
boot to it. This option is hidden under the "cog" to the right of the
password prompt.

-G

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11-11-2011, 06:58 PM

On
11-11-07 03:21 PM, W. Scott Lockwood III wrote:

" apt-get install unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb" should be
"sudo dpkg -I unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb" and give us the
output of that.

*

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

.

.

On
11-11-07 06:06 PM, Gerry Boland wrote:

You could try

sudo apt-get install --reinstall unity

just to see if it helps.

.

.

.

Hey,

those lockfile errors mean you're missing "sudo"

But also when installing a deb file manually, you need to
use

sudo dpkg -i filename.deb

However if you can boot to a command prompt at all, and are
using wired connection, try

sudo apt-get install unity-2d

which should get you going. Note that you need to select
"Ubuntu2D" in the login screen to actually

boot to it. This option is hidden under the "cog" to the
right of the password prompt.

-G

*

Messieurs
*
Lockwood
and Boland,
*

First, I'd like to thank you both for your help.

Second, A bit of my own foolishness.

When I tried to recover from my error I:

*** 1. booted into 'recovery' mode, 2nd item on the
default LILO menu.

*** 2. selected the last item on the list. (This mounts
the / as read only.)

When I took the time to actually read ALL of the choices
on that list I found that the 2nd or 3rd choice was to
reboot and mount / as read/write.

After selecting that option I ran 3 of the 4 suggestions you
mentioned above.

I redirected the results to a file the contents of
which you can see below.

After each command had run I rebooted to the GUI. Though I
could not log in after the first 2 commands I was able to
after the 3rd. Everything now seems to be as it was before I
cause this headache for myself.

That being said it was a good experience,
remembering/relearning some of what I had forgot from so long
ago.

Thanks again for you help!

P.S. You may notice that I had to prepend the filenames with
./ as the system could not find them otherwise.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sudo dpkg -I ./unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb

*new debian package, version 2.0.

*size 64266 bytes: control archive= 1447 bytes.

**** 921 bytes,*** 16 lines***** control*************

*** 1991 bytes,*** 23 lines***** md5sums*************

*Package: unity-2d-launcher

*Source: unity-2d

*Version: 4.12.0-0ubuntu1

*Architecture: i386

*Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers
<ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>

*Installed-Size: 300

*Depends: libc6 (>= 2.0), libdconf-qt0 (>=
0.0.0.110722), libgcc1 (>= 1:4.1.1), libqt4-dbus (>=
4:4.6.1), libqt4-declarative (>= 4:4.7.0~rc1), libqtcore4
(>= 4:4.6.1), libqtgui4 (>= 4:4.5.3), libstdc++6 (>=
4.1.1), libunity-2d-private0 (= 4.12.0-0ubuntu1),
libutouch-geis1 (>= 1.0.8), unity-asset-pool, libqt4-svg

*Recommends: unity-lens-files, unity-lens-applications,
unity-lens-music

*Section: x11

*Priority: optional

*Description: Unity 2D Launcher

* The Unity 2D launcher displays a list of running
applications as well as a

* list of favorite applications in a panel at the left of the
screen.

* Notifications from individual applications are also
highlighted in the

* launcher.

*Original-Maintainer: Olivier Tilloy
<olivier.tilloy@canonical.com>

------------------

sudo apt-get install --reinstall unity

Reading package lists...

Building dependency tree...

Reading state information...

The following packages were automatically installed and are no
longer required:

* python-compizconfig unity-2d-spread unity-2d-places

Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and
23 not upgraded.

Need to get 0 B/906 kB of archives.

After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be
used.

(Reading database ...

(Reading database ... 5%

(Reading database ... 10%

(Reading database ... 15%

(Reading database ... 20%

(Reading database ... 25%

(Reading database ... 30%

(Reading database ... 35%

(Reading database ... 40%

(Reading database ... 45%

(Reading database ... 50%

(Reading database ... 55%

(Reading database ... 60%

(Reading database ... 65%

(Reading database ... 70%

(Reading database ... 75%

(Reading database ... 80%

(Reading database ... 85%

(Reading database ... 90%

(Reading database ... 95%

(Reading database ... 100%

(Reading database ... 219538 files and directories currently
installed.)

Preparing to replace unity 4.24.0-0ubuntu2b1 (using
.../unity_4.24.0-0ubuntu2b1_i386.deb) ...

Unpacking replacement unity ...

Processing triggers for man-db ...

Setting up unity (4.24.0-0ubuntu2b1) ...

------------------

sudo apt-get install unity-2d

Reading package lists...

Building dependency tree...

Reading state information...

The following package was automatically installed and is no
longer required:

* python-compizconfig

Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.

The following extra packages will be installed:

* unity-2d-launcher

The following NEW packages will be installed

* unity-2d unity-2d-launcher

0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 23 not
upgraded.

Need to get 0 B/68.7 kB of archives.

After this operation, 451 kB of additional disk space will be
used.

Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Selecting previously deselected
package unity-2d-launcher.

(Reading database ...

(Reading database ... 5%

(Reading database ... 10%

(Reading database ... 15%

(Reading database ... 20%

(Reading database ... 25%

(Reading database ... 30%

(Reading database ... 35%

(Reading database ... 40%

(Reading database ... 45%

(Reading database ... 50%

(Reading database ... 55%

(Reading database ... 60%

(Reading database ... 65%

(Reading database ... 70%

(Reading database ... 75%

(Reading database ... 80%

(Reading database ... 85%

(Reading database ... 90%

(Reading database ... 95%

(Reading database ... 100%

(Reading database ... 219538 files and directories currently
installed.)

Unpacking unity-2d-launcher (from
.../unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...

Selecting previously deselected package unity-2d.

Unpacking unity-2d (from .../unity-2d_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_all.deb)
...

Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...

Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...

Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...

Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...

Processing triggers for man-db ...

Processing triggers for gconf2 ...

Processing triggers for libglib2.0-0 ...

Setting up unity-2d-launcher (4.12.0-0ubuntu1) ...

Setting up unity-2d (4.12.0-0ubuntu1) ...

------------------

*

--
Udvarias Ur

This letter was generated and sent from Thunderbird on Ubuntu Linux.

--
ubuntu-users mailing list
ubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com
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11-14-2011, 08:04 AM

On Fri 11 Nov 2011 19:58:59 UTC, Udvarias Ur wrote:

On 11-11-07 03:21 PM, W. Scott Lockwood III wrote:

" apt-get install unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb" should be
"sudo dpkg -I unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb" and give us the
output of that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
.
.

On 11-11-07 06:06 PM, Gerry Boland wrote:

You could try

sudo apt-get install --reinstall unity

just to see if it helps.

.
.
.

Hey,
those lockfile errors mean you're missing "sudo"

But also when installing a deb file manually, you need to use

sudo dpkg -i filename.deb

However if you can boot to a command prompt at all, and are using
wired connection, try

sudo apt-get install unity-2d

which should get you going. Note that you need to select "Ubuntu2D"
in the login screen to actually
boot to it. This option is hidden under the "cog" to the right of the
password prompt.
-G

Messieurs
Lockwood and Boland,

First, I'd like to thank you both for your help.

Second, A bit of my own foolishness.

When I tried to recover from my error I:
1. booted into 'recovery' mode, 2nd item on the default LILO menu.
2. selected the last item on the list. (This mounts the / as read
only.)

When I took the time to actually read ALL of the choices on that
list I found that the 2nd or 3rd choice was to reboot and mount /
as read/write.

After selecting that option I ran 3 of the 4 suggestions you mentioned
above.

I redirected the results to a file the contents of which you can see
below.

After each command had run I rebooted to the GUI. Though I could not
log in after the first 2 commands I was able to after the 3rd.
Everything now seems to be as it was before I cause this headache for
myself.

That being said it was a good experience, remembering/relearning some
of what I had forgot from so long ago.

Thanks again for you help!

P.S. You may notice that I had to prepend the filenames with ./ as the
system could not find them otherwise.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

sudo dpkg -I ./unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb
new debian package, version 2.0.
size 64266 bytes: control archive= 1447 bytes.
921 bytes, 16 lines control
1991 bytes, 23 lines md5sums
Package: unity-2d-launcher
Source: unity-2d
Version: 4.12.0-0ubuntu1
Architecture: i386
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Installed-Size: 300
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.0), libdconf-qt0 (>= 0.0.0.110722), libgcc1 (>=
1:4.1.1), libqt4-dbus (>= 4:4.6.1), libqt4-declarative (>=
4:4.7.0~rc1), libqtcore4 (>= 4:4.6.1), libqtgui4 (>= 4:4.5.3),
libstdc++6 (>= 4.1.1), libunity-2d-private0 (= 4.12.0-0ubuntu1),
libutouch-geis1 (>= 1.0.8), unity-asset-pool, libqt4-svg

Recommends: unity-lens-files, unity-lens-applications, unity-lens-music
Section: x11
Priority: optional
Description: Unity 2D Launcher
The Unity 2D launcher displays a list of running applications as well as a
list of favorite applications in a panel at the left of the screen.
Notifications from individual applications are also highlighted in the
launcher.
Original-Maintainer: Olivier Tilloy <olivier.tilloy@canonical.com>

------------------

sudo apt-get install --reinstall unity
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer
required:

python-compizconfig unity-2d-spread unity-2d-places
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 23 not
upgraded.

Need to get 0 B/906 kB of archives.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
(Reading database ...
(Reading database ... 5%
(Reading database ... 10%
(Reading database ... 15%
(Reading database ... 20%
(Reading database ... 25%
(Reading database ... 30%
(Reading database ... 35%
(Reading database ... 40%
(Reading database ... 45%
(Reading database ... 50%
(Reading database ... 55%
(Reading database ... 60%
(Reading database ... 65%
(Reading database ... 70%
(Reading database ... 75%
(Reading database ... 80%
(Reading database ... 85%
(Reading database ... 90%
(Reading database ... 95%
(Reading database ... 100%
(Reading database ... 219538 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace unity 4.24.0-0ubuntu2b1 (using
.../unity_4.24.0-0ubuntu2b1_i386.deb) ...

Unpacking replacement unity ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Setting up unity (4.24.0-0ubuntu2b1) ...

------------------

sudo apt-get install unity-2d
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer
required:

python-compizconfig
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
unity-2d-launcher
The following NEW packages will be installed
unity-2d unity-2d-launcher
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 23 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/68.7 kB of archives.
After this operation, 451 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Selecting previously deselected package
unity-2d-launcher.

(Reading database ...
(Reading database ... 5%
(Reading database ... 10%
(Reading database ... 15%
(Reading database ... 20%
(Reading database ... 25%
(Reading database ... 30%
(Reading database ... 35%
(Reading database ... 40%
(Reading database ... 45%
(Reading database ... 50%
(Reading database ... 55%
(Reading database ... 60%
(Reading database ... 65%
(Reading database ... 70%
(Reading database ... 75%
(Reading database ... 80%
(Reading database ... 85%
(Reading database ... 90%
(Reading database ... 95%
(Reading database ... 100%
(Reading database ... 219538 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking unity-2d-launcher (from
.../unity-2d-launcher_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_i386.deb) ...

Selecting previously deselected package unity-2d.
Unpacking unity-2d (from .../unity-2d_4.12.0-0ubuntu1_all.deb) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for bamfdaemon ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/bamf.index...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for gconf2 ...
Processing triggers for libglib2.0-0 ...
Setting up unity-2d-launcher (4.12.0-0ubuntu1) ...
Setting up unity-2d (4.12.0-0ubuntu1) ...

------------------

--
Udvarias Ur

This letter was generated and sent from Thunderbird on Ubuntu Linux.

Hi Udvarias,
glad to be of help. Sorry about the ./ omission. I understand that you
are now running Unity2D, I hope you enjoy the experience.

Kind regards
-Gerry

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