14.04: Downgrade everything from 4.4 to 3.13. Best way?

[hey2]

Hi.

My 14.04 came with the Vivid ( kernel 3.19 ) hwe stack. When the hwe expired i made the upgrade to 4.4.

Unfortunately two things don't work very well. Dash an launcher are not transparent anymore and in retroarch, one of the cores have some problems with the sound.

I tried 16.04 and 14.04 (kernel 3.13) live usb's and both don't show this behaviour.

I would like to try to downgrade everything to 3.13 (kernel and the other drivers) to see if it fixes it.

I was thinking of using the following command once i have 3.13 kernel running:

sudo apt-get --purge remove xenial*

When i simulate this input it seems to do the trick, but i saw some things that i don't understand:

Purg libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial [11.2.0-1ubuntu2~trusty1] [libreoffice-ogltrans:
i386 libqt4-opengl:i386 unity-control-center:i386 nux-tools:i386 qtdeclarative5-
ubuntu-ui-toolkit-plugin:i386 xorg:i386 dosbox:i386 libglew1.10:i386 unity:i386
libqt5quick5:i386 adobe-flashplugin:i386 libwebkitgtk-3.0-0:i386 gnome-session-b
in:i386 x11-utils:i386 libqt5opengl5:i386 libvisual-0.4-plugins:i386 libcogl15:i
386 xserver-xorg-input-all-lts-xenial:i386 libqtwebkit4:i386 libgnome-desktop-3-
7:i386 libreoffice-core:i386 libglu1-mesa:i386 libqt5gui5:i386 compiz-plugins-de
fault:i386 vlc:i386 pcsxr:i386 retroarch:i386 libnux-4.0-0:i386 libglewmx1.10:i3
86 libwebkitgtk-1.0-0:i386 libqt5webkit5:i386 ]

Why are this other programs (libreoffice, dosbox, etc..) mentioned?

I only see it mentioned on the purg part.

Is this the correct way of doing it?

Thanks.

[TheFu]

I don't know of any method to move backwards or "downgrade" as you put it. Basically, installing 14.04.1 from an original ISO, which would wipe the current install, and never doing a "apt dist-upgrade" would be my suggestion. Only do "apt update." All my 14.04 systems are still on 3.13.x due to this method ( I was burned by HWE on the 12.04 line). If it ain't broke ...

Obviously, if you want to retain any data, make backups before starting.

[Bashing-om]

hey2; Hello;

Yeah, one can revert back from HWE .


sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg xserver-xorg-video-all xserver-xorg-input-all libwayland-egl1-mesa

Now the cleanup of HWE depends on what is currently installed. We always want to keep a known working older kernel installed - just in case. But this working kernel will not be of the HWE as that is to be removed . Makes the cheese a bit more binding .
so show what is installed :


dpkg -l | grep linux-

and we see what we need to do .



we can do that

[deadflowr]

Why are this other programs (libreoffice, dosbox, etc..) mentioned?
Because you'd be removing the dependencies those packages need.

If you remove the package, let's say libreoffice, then the dependencies would stay, and you would have to remove those manually.
But in this instance, because you are uninstalling the dependencies the libreoffice package would have to go too.
Since libreoffice cannot function without the dependencies.

[hey2]

I don't know of any method to move backwards or "downgrade" as you put it. Basically, installing 14.04.1 from an original ISO, which would wipe the current install, and never doing a "apt dist-upgrade" would be my suggestion. Only do "apt update." All my 14.04 systems are still on 3.13.x due to this method ( I was burned by HWE on the 12.04 line). If it ain't broke ...

Obviously, if you want to retain any data, make backups before starting.

Hi.

Thanks for your reply.

I may be wrong, but i think that once you have 14.04.1 you're not on a hwe, so you can use the dist-upgrade as you want. It will always stay on the 3.13 kernel.

The only way that ubuntu updates the kernel (like from 3.19 to 4.4) is by a " sudo apt-get --purge install $(hwe-support-status --show-replacements)" when your ubuntu is on a hwe stack. This can also be accomplished if you update with the system-updater (gui).

[hey2]

hey2; Hello;

Yeah, one can revert back from HWE .


sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg xserver-xorg-video-all xserver-xorg-input-all libwayland-egl1-mesa

Now the cleanup of HWE depends on what is currently installed. We always want to keep a known working older kernel installed - just in case. But this working kernel will not be of the HWE as that is to be removed . Makes the cheese a bit more binding .
so show what is installed :


dpkg -l | grep linux-

and we see what we need to do .

we can do that




Hi.

Thank you very much for your reply.

I tried to simulate your command to update, but it seems even weirder.

It wants to remove ubuntu-desktop.

In total it gives me:

0 upgraded, 116 newly installed, 59 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

My command only gives this numbers:

0 upgraded, 43 newly installed, 40 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

dpkg -l | grep -i linux-image gives me:

ii linux-firmware 1.127.23 all Firmware for Linux kernel drivers
ii linux-generic-lts-xenial 4.4.0.59.46 i386 Complete Generic Linux kernel and headers
ii linux-headers-4.4.0-59 4.4.0-59.80~14.04.1 all Header files related to Linux kernel version 4.4.0
ii linux-headers-4.4.0-59-generic 4.4.0-59.80~14.04.1 i386 Linux kernel headers for version 4.4.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-headers-generic-lts-xenial 4.4.0.59.46 i386 Generic Linux kernel headers
ii linux-image-4.4.0-59-generic 4.4.0-59.80~14.04.1 i386 Linux kernel image for version 4.4.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-extra-4.4.0-59-generic 4.4.0-59.80~14.04.1 i386 Linux kernel extra modules for version 4.4.0 on 32 bit x86 SMP
ii linux-image-generic-lts-xenial 4.4.0.59.46 i386 Generic Linux kernel image
ii linux-libc-dev:i386 3.13.0-107.154 i386 Linux Kernel Headers for development
ii linux-sound-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu4 all base package for ALSA and OSS sound systems
ii syslinux-common 3:4.05+dfsg-6+deb8u1 all collection of boot loaders (common files)
ii syslinux-legacy 2:3.63+dfsg-2ubuntu5 i386 Bootloader for Linux/i386 using MS-DOS floppies


Thanks again.

[hey2]

Because you'd be removing the dependencies those packages need.

If you remove the package, let's say libreoffice, then the dependencies would stay, and you would have to remove those manually.
But in this instance, because you are uninstalling the dependencies the libreoffice package would have to go too.
Since libreoffice cannot function without the dependencies.

Thanks for your reply.

Since i'm just replacing the xenial dependencies for the trusty ones would that still be marked for remove after the update is complete?

For exemple:

Purg libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial [11.2.0-1ubuntu2~trusty1] [libreoffice-ogltrans:
i386 libqt4-opengl:i386 unity-control-center:i386 nux-tools:i386 qtdeclarative5-
ubuntu-ui-toolkit-plugin:i386 xorg:i386 dosbox:i386 libglew1.10:i386 unity:i386
libqt5quick5:i386 adobe-flashplugin:i386 libwebkitgtk-3.0-0:i386 gnome-session-b
in:i386 x11-utils:i386 libqt5opengl5:i386 libvisual-0.4-plugins:i386 libcogl15:i
386 xserver-xorg-input-all-lts-xenial:i386 libqtwebkit4:i386 libgnome-desktop-3-
7:i386 libreoffice-core:i386 libglu1-mesa:i386 libqt5gui5:i386 compiz-plugins-de
fault:i386 vlc:i386 pcsxr:i386 retroarch:i386 libnux-4.0-0:i386 libglewmx1.10:i3
86 libwebkitgtk-1.0-0:i386 libqt5webkit5:i386 ]

When i check the dependecies of the package libreoffice-ogltrans i get:

libreoffice-ogltrans
Depends: libreoffice-common
Depends: libreoffice-core
Depends: libreoffice-impress
Depends: libc6
Depends: libgcc1
|Depends: libgl1-mesa-glx
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-utopic
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-vivid
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-wily
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial
Depends: <libgl1>
libgl1-mesa-glx
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-utopic
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-vivid
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-wily
libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial
|Depends: libglu1-mesa
Depends: <libglu1>
libglu1-mesa
Depends: libstdc++6
Depends: libx11-6
Depends: uno-libs3
Depends: ure
Breaks: ure
Enhances: libreoffice-impress

Since libgl1-mesa-glx is being installed at the same time that i'm purging libgl1-mesa-glx-lts-xenial, wouldn't that stop libreoffice-ogltrans from being uninstalled?

Thanks and sorry for the trouble.

[Bashing-om]

hey2; Yukkie ...

Is the system broke now ??
what results:


sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt -f install
sudo dpkg -C

we always work from a fully updated system.



sometimes I do wonder

[hey2]

hey2; Yukkie ...

Is the system broke now ??
what results:


sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt -f install
sudo dpkg -C

we always work from a fully updated system.


sometimes I do wonder




Thanks for your reply.

Everything is updated and working well.

I just wanted to try the 3.13 kernel with the trusty drivers to see if it fixes the issues in the op.

[Bashing-om]

hey2; Welllpppp ....

As you say:


I just wanted to try the 3.13 kernel with the trusty drivers to see if it fixes the issues in the op.

we could do a number like this:


sudo apt install linux-generic linux-headers-generic linux-image-generic

to pull in the current 3.13 kernel ,
Reboot to the grub menu and choose the 3.13 kernel .



we can do that too

[hey2]

Thank you all for your help.

This is how i did it:

With ubuntu fully updated and upgraded ( apt-get dist-upgrade)

- sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --purge install linux-generic

- reboot and choose kernel 3.13 on grub.

- sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --purge remove 4.4.0-59

- reboot

- sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --purge remove xenial*

- reboot

- sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade && sudo apt-get --purge autoremove

note: instead of 4.4.0-59 (the last version at the moment) choose all versions present on /usr/src/ so that you remove all 4.4 kernels

This solved the transparency issue on the dash and launcher, but unfortunately the retroarch cps3 emulator (libretro-fba) continues to have sound problems.

Thanks again everyone.