You have upgraded from 9.10 to 9.04? Was it the other way around or have you upgraded to 10.04 (Lucid Lynx)?
My first step if you are on either 9.10 or 10.04 would be to log on to recover mode (see step 1 below) and run:
Code:
sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.bak
reboot
You might just get lucky.
If I were you I'd start the computer with a live cd and, then mount the home directory (usually finding it in Dolphin/Nautilus and entering it is enough) and then back up the home directory using grsync:
Code:
sudo aptitude install grsync
from terminal, then run it and you will have to choose a source and a destination directories and run it.
If you want to do it from the command line you will have hold shift after your bios has finished loading and select recovery mode in grub. Then when you are faced with the menu select drop to command prompt (or something along those lines). If you have set up a root password you will have to log in. I'll assume you're NOT root in the following commands, but if you are just drop the sudo.
1. Connect your usb drive and run
For me it will be sdb1 but it depends on how many drives you have so it might be sdc, etc.
2. Mount it (assuming it is sdb1)
Code:
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
Now your /mnt folder points to the USB drive.
3. Make a folder your USB drive
Code:
mkdir /mnt/home_backup
this should run without sudo, but if you have a problem with permissions, just add sudo.
4. Copy your files
Code:
cp /home /mnt/home_backup -R
-R = recursively, i.e. go into all subdirectories and copy them and the files in them too
5. If you want to unplug your USB drive before shutting down the system run
to safely unmount the drive.
6. Before you wipe out your hard drive, make sure that everything was indeed copied to your usb drive. Better safe then sorry.
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