HOWTO Reinstall all of your current packages if you do a fresh Ubuntu install

[obscur156]

Ok ,one question?
When i make an install ,i remove a lot too.So when i save my marking ,does it remove things that i removed before i saved my marking???

Thanks for your reply,Best regards.

[MGStreak]

On your old system (assuming it is still working), start up Synaptic and go:

File-Save Markings and choose a file name along with a location (like a USB drive) that you can use when you have installed your new system)

This file contains a list of all your currently installed packages, and when you have installed and booted up your new system (and configured your repositories to the best for your location - as we all do, don't we?) then start up Synaptic and go:

Sorry, but its not working for me:

Ubuntu 8.10

System -> administration -> synaptic package manager *click*
File -> Save Marking As... *click*
$ cat <filename>
$

Nothingness. Same for option 'Save Markings'.

This is because the 'Save Markings' only saves the markings you have *currently* made for installation/upgrading. *NOT* packages you have already installed! This tutorial is a little unclear.

[juanbretti]

This is because the 'Save Markings' only saves the markings you have *currently* made for installation/upgrading. *NOT* packages you have already installed! This tutorial is a little unclear.

I might add that you need to check on the bottom: "Save full state, not only changes"
Check the attach.

BTW, great tip!

[MGStreak]

I might add that you need to check on the bottom: "Save full state, not only changes"

*facepalm*

THANK YOU!!!

[statmonkey]

Ok ,one question?
When i make an install ,i remove a lot too.So when i save my marking ,does it remove things that i removed before i saved my marking???

Thanks for your reply,Best regards.

OK, not specifically what you have asked but I have the same issues and work around it using APTonCD. It is in the repos -
sudo apt-get install aptoncd

The value of it is it allows you to keep a CD copy of what you have installed for safe keeping, you can add or deselect packages as you see fit. I actually just use it for archving/safekeeping and use the command line along with a Quickstart backup of my home environment. It really makes a clean install a snap or setting up a new box as well.

Great thread btw.

[Clancy_s]

Nice tip, thanks.

[kazemizuhi]

While this is all well and good, is it possible to backup all of the installation files? Or in plain english, I do not always have the privelage to be connected to the internet with the PC ubuntu is installed on. Unfortunately, I have been forced to reinstall an unreasonable number of times as I migrated from Windows XP environment to a dual-boot XP/Ubuntu setup.

The most fustrating thing with this process is the fact that I have to download Nvidia display drivers everytime I reinstall. There is a bug with Ubuntu's live CD where it defaults to 740x400 when it cannot recognise your monitor (in my experience). The dialog boxes one uses during installation have a vertical resolution larger than this making it impossible to run through the installation process. I have to carry my PC over to the family PC to use it's monitor for install, then download and istall the Nvidia drivers before I can even begin using the OS with my monitor. Not to mention all the 'sudo apt-get' updates.

I have yet to find a tutorial or instructions for downloading an installation file to one's drive, then proceeding to install said file as one is wont to do in a Windows environment. Everything I have seen thus far has required sudo apt-get or use of synaptic. As far as I know these methods do not provide me with an installation file which I can re-use at a later date. This leads me to believe that it may not be possible. Yet my better judgement tells me otherwise; for how did the average linux user get-by prior to the prevalence of the internet?

Is there a way to backup everything (mainly display drivers and sudo apt-get updates) one has downloaded to save one having to download again after re-install? I ask, because Ubuntu (crunchbang distro) has decided to die on me again. Basically, all elements (icons, text, etc...) are displayed as if the resolution were 740x400 (read: ridiculously large). The resolution is 1440x900 so everything is crisp and sharp, but the text and icons being the size they are, dialog boxes are not fitting within the screen bounds again. I have never seen or heard of such an error before, but that's a discussion for another thread.

I believe I may have to reinstall and would like to do so without connecting to the internet. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks, in advance.

[obscur156]

Thanks you very much statmonkey.

[KenLazlo]

to fix your graphic installation problem you can use the alternate installation cd which has a text based installation http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/down...rors#alternate

to avoid downloading all updates after a reinstall:
ubuntu stores downloaded packages in /var/cache/apt/archives
save these files and after a new installation copy them to the same location.
after that do a apt-get update and apt-get upgrade

I save my home-directory and directory /etc and subdirectories, cause they contain most configuration files

another solution is to save the entire linux partition. I prefer using the program partimage, but there are some other live-cds around.

[dsm iv tr]

I have yet to find a tutorial or instructions for downloading an installation file to one's drive, then proceeding to install said file as one is wont to do in a Windows environment. Everything I have seen thus far has required sudo apt-get or use of synaptic. As far as I know these methods do not provide me with an installation file which I can re-use at a later date. This leads me to believe that it may not be possible. Yet my better judgement tells me otherwise; for how did the average linux user get-by prior to the prevalence of the internet? Is there a way to backup everything (mainly display drivers and sudo apt-get updates) one has downloaded to save one having to download again after re-install?

You can install .deb files (of which the entire OS is comprised) (give or take a few files) individually with dpkg -i <file.deb>, or use gdebi-gtk, which is installed by default.

Check /var/cache/apt/archives for the packages you've downloaded; you'll find their .deb files there unless you've explicitly removed them.

For your historical reference, people actually used to distribute things, even entire operating systems, on floppies.

I ask, because Ubuntu (crunchbang distro) has decided to die on me again. Basically, all elements (icons, text, etc...) are displayed as if the resolution were 740x400 (read: ridiculously large). The resolution is 1440x900 so everything is crisp and sharp, but the text and icons being the size they are, dialog boxes are not fitting within the screen bounds again. I have never seen or heard of such an error before, but that's a discussion for another thread.

This sounds like a problem with your Xorg configuration, or the nVidia binary driver. If it's the binary driver, I can't be much help to you. If it's Xorg, you might try making sure the DPI is set properly for your system. If that yields nothing, you can try moving /etc/X11/xorg.conf out of the way, perhaps to your home directory, and restarting X so that it uses a default configuration.

For changing your DPI, check this thread:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=20976