http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/9073/
[171 votes] Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #9073


]]> en-us Sun, 25 May 2008 12:51:06 +0000 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:29:18 +0000 QAPoll module http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/9073/ * Recover boot sector
* Recover boot loader
Option on the Live CD.]]> Sun, 25 May 2008 14:39:30 +0000 Sun, 25 May 2008 14:49:52 +0000 Sun, 25 May 2008 18:01:24 +0000 I'm curious does a "screwed" Ubuntu system happen a lot to non-technical users? I would think technical users can use Google/howtos and the existing LiveCD to fix this themselves, and non-technical users never see it because they don't fiddle with the system much.

agree]]> Sun, 25 May 2008 19:09:18 +0000 Sun, 25 May 2008 20:49:16 +0000 Sun, 25 May 2008 20:50:56 +0000
Under Windows you get registry issues, virus/spyware and DLL hell dependency issues. It is a common occurance for Windows users to reinstall their OS for these reasons. Ubuntu users rarely need to reinstall.

There is no Ubuntu registry. We don't have a significant spyware or malware issue.

So I can only guess the concern here is package dependencies. I've found that running aptitude is pretty good for this. But if DLL hell is the issue the system usually boots fine, you just run aptitude.

So I'm still interested in what the problem is, who it happens to, and what kind of catch-all tool you might have in mind.]]> Sun, 25 May 2008 21:25:30 +0000
http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-boot-ubuntu-linux-rescue-mode/]]> Sun, 25 May 2008 21:34:21 +0000 Mon, 26 May 2008 06:00:29 +0000
+1]]> Mon, 26 May 2008 09:49:45 +0000
Most everything else has a solution but there is no wizard that could be devised to fix arbitrary problems. Again, the Install live CD mode has the tools you typically need to repair a system.

Generally I think this idea is already "Done" as best it can be by the existing Install CD.

So I think I've decided +0, Already Implemented.]]> Wed, 28 May 2008 06:21:09 +0000 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:41:53 +0000
If things went south on me, I would just pop in the live CD, perform a clean install, but keep my home partition intact. This kept all my preferences and data as well for not only the desktop environment, but the settings for all my applications as well. No reconfiguration required.

Of course, I would have to reinstall the codecs as well as several applications, but that is simple enough. The real time consumer is the configuration process and I think that saving your home directory addresses this issue.

I think that maybe the default installation should provide a separate "home" partition and maybe even a "usr" partition as well. This would save a lot of people a ton of headache. If a recovery utility needs to be implemented, then this separate home partition would be very valuable.

I remember (back in my XP days) that I would use the automated system repair (on the XP installation disc) to recover broken systems (mostly due to infections). After cleaning the infections and performing the repair (which took as long as performing a clean installation), the OS would be up and running with all the data intact. I think that if Ubuntu were to implement an automated repair function, it would have to basically do the same thing, but yield better results because all the settings would be saved as well.]]> Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:02:08 +0000
>> I'm curious does a "screwed" Ubuntu system happen a lot to >> non-technical users? I would think technical users can use >> Google/howtos and the existing LiveCD to fix this
>> themselves, and non-technical users never see it because
>> they don't fiddle with the system much.

>agree

Wouldn't it be much easier for either of you to have posted the URL for the google how to about using the existing LiveCD to fix a busted system?

Busted systems sadly happen sometimes when testing Alpha and Betas.

I agree with the original poster, a easy to use "Restore Broken System" from the original LiveCD (or a new one if the Alpha has gone to RC or Release).

Remember before you knew the words and method to discover the knowledge you currently have, you were ignorant of being able to find what this person seeks.

Be INSTRUCTIVE rather than DESTRUCTIVE.

Give knowledge, not hold what you know when you could have easily helped this person and many others who might be seeking this information.

Thanks
]]> Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:22:12 +0000 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:29:18 +0000