No desktop

[jfbooth]

Xubuntu 12.10

This computer is an old WIN ME machine with only 512MB of memory. I wanted to go to a 'lightweight' browser . so I installed MIDORI. All well and good.

It also has a very small capacity hard drive (18GB) so I try to uninstall anything I don't need.

I am also a LINUX rookie. I should mention total confusion between GNOME, XFCE, KDE, desktops/environments and the like. I somehow got this machine to look/feel the way I liked it .. I think by invoking XFCE some time ago.

Sooo, I uninstalled 'Web Browser' .. which warned me that I would also uninstall SEVERAL other things .. like THUNAR file manager. Fine .. I 'went for it'. Came back up, and sure enough, several aps were gone .. so I installed XFS file manager LOVE IT.

Then .. I did some more uninstalls ... and yes .. I don't remember what they all were .. I did it 'intuitively' and seemed like a good thing to do.

Now, when I boot up, I get:

'unable to launch "startxfce4" X session NOT Found, falling back to default session'.

and a totally empty desktop ... only wallpaper. Cannot see anything BUT wallpaper. I done 'bricked' the desktop.

HALP, ... please!! Thank you in advance.

[sidzen]

Can you get to tty console with Ctrl-Alt-F1 (thru F6) and get back with Ctrl-Alt-F7?

[ibjsb4]

Without knowing what you removed, its difficult to know how to fix.

Since this seems to be a fresh install maybe it would be best just to reinstall Xubuntu. 12o4 is supported for 5 years.

[Peripheral Visionary]

It sounds like you have made a mishmash mixture of settings and tools from different desktop environments.

Read this first. It is a description of the different Linux desktops, and a feature of desktop environments called integration. While it is possible (and fun) to mix them up a bit, there can be a cost if it's overdone.

[jfbooth]

It sounds like you have made a mishmash mixture of settings and tools from different desktop environments.

Read this first. It is a description of the different Linux desktops, and a feature of desktop environments called integration. While it is possible (and fun) to mix them up a bit, there can be a cost if it's overdone.

Maybe. I don't think it is 'that bad' .. what I did was uninstall WEB BROWSER from package manager .. and that ininstalled SEVERAL other things .. such as THUNAR and stuff 'related' to XFCE. The ONLY thing I INSTALLED was Midori browser.

[tgalati4]

Open a terminal and post:

history

Perhaps we can figure out what you removed by looking through your history. You have to be careful when removing packages. Some packages are meta packages, meaning they are a collection of several packages bundled together. If you remove the meta package then you will remove several things at once and that will break things.

Linux is yours to break. And you get to keep both pieces. But that is how you learn. Either buy a larger hard disk, or spend more time researching what is safe to remove and what is not safe to remove. After about 3 borked systems, you have a good idea. You now have 1 borked system, so you are on your way.

[jfbooth]

Can you get to tty console with Ctrl-Alt-F1 (thru F6) and get back with Ctrl-Alt-F7?

Remember .. rookie here. I take it you are referring to 'terminal'.

I take it you mean .. from this 'blank' desktop, hit Ctrl-Alt F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6 and see if I get a terminal window from one of the combinations. And if I do, .. try Ctrl-Alt-F7 to get back to 'blank' desktop??????

Assuming that is exactly what you mean, I will give it a try.

OK .. F1-F6 all take me to a login prompt. F7 takes me back to blank desktop.

I am encouraged. Thank you for your help. What next, please?