Kubuntu Files report: was "Re: How to clean out ~/home"

[Bas Roufs]

david wrote:
> On Wednesday 02 July 2008 8:53:25 am Bas Roufs wrote:
>   
>> Dear Paul, Dear Everybody
>>
>> A safe, but time consuming method may be as follows:
>> * make a back-up of all your personal files and e-mails at another
>> computer or at an external HD
>> * generate a KUBUNTU FILES report containing an overview of all the
>> software installed at your PC
>> * back-up this KUBUNTU FILES report also elsewhere
>> * make a fresh install 'from scratch' at your HD while reformatting/
>> overwriting the old configuration.
>> * after installing the basic stuff, use to the KUBUNTU FILES report to
>> add to it all the software you have been using before.
>>
>> If you are interested, I can explain in more detail how to generate and
>> use a KUBUNTU FILES report.
>>     
>
> I'd be interested in this. :-) I maintain a couple kubuntu installs for family 
> and when I do a fresh install for an upgrade I get tired of configuring 
> everything all over again.
>
>   

Someone gave me useful instructions via the Ubuntu user group. I took 
over the command chains mentioned by him. But instead of 'ubuntu-files', 
I generated and used 'kubuntu files'.

However it may be: open a console terminal. In my case, I saw this at 
the black screen:

bas at Viaconsensus1 <mailto:bas at Viaconsensus1>:

'bas' is my user name, 'Viaconsensus1' is the name of the computer.

Than type a set of command codes:

~$ sudo dpkg --get-selections | grep -v deinstall > kubuntu-files

Or better: select this whole command chain from this message. 
Afterwords, go back to your console terminal and press the TWO buttons 
of your mouse TOGETHER and AT THE SAME MOMENT. That is the way to 
EXACTLY copy this chain of UNIX commands into your terminal. One single 
detail error ('typo') is enough to block everything - so be sure to 
EXACTLY copy this whole command so.

After doing so, I saw the following on the screen in my case:

bas at Viaconsensus1 <mailto:bas at Viaconsensus1>:~$ sudo dpkg 
--get-selections | grep -v deinstall > kubuntu-files

Confirm the set of command codes as follows:
press the enter button at the key board
type your password for sudo

press again the enter button.

By doing so, you wilI generate a script which you can find in the home 
directory: 'kubuntu-files'. Now, look for that file via Konqueror or 
Dolphin. Then, use e.g. Kate to open and read it. And indeed: you will 
see the WHOLE long list of software installed at your PC along with 
Kubuntu.

The next step is making back-ups of 'kubuntu-files', a quite small file. 
I put it at the USB stick and I e-mailed it as an attachment to my own 
GMAIL address.

Afterwords I started Kubuntu at my laptop and put my USB stick in an USB 
port of that machine. Via Konqueror or Dolphin I copied 'kubuntu-files' 
to the home directory of the laptop. Than I opened a shell console at 
the laptop. There I saw the following at the screen:
bas at Viaconsensus2 <mailto:bas at Viaconsensus1>: .... and each time a set 
of command codes next to it. ('viaconsensus2' was the name I gave to the 
laptop.)

Now, first check weather you already installed 'dselect', a little piece 
of software meant to help you to install software via a console 
terminal. If you do not have yet 'dselect', use the following commands 
to install it:

sudo apt-get install dselect

Afterwords, confirm by means of the Enter key at your key board and 
allow dselect to be installed.

Than, type the following chain of commands:

sudo apt-get update
(enter, password, enter)

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
(enter, password, enter)

sudo dpkg --set-selections < kubuntu-files
(enter, password, enter)

sudo dselect
(enter, password, enter)


Than choose the THIRD option: install 'preselected packages'. 
'Preselected packages' means in this case: the 'kubuntu-files'.

!!! Especially if you need to 'update' a bigger amount of software 
packages, the UNIX command "sudo apt-get update" works better than the 
daily updates from ADEPT manager'!!!

Please, tell to the list and to me weather these instructions help you.

Respectfully Yours,

Bas Roufs.

-- 
*************************
Viaconsensus
Bas G. Roufs M.A.
Van 't Hoffstraat 1
NL-3514 VT  Utrecht
E.:  BasRoufs at gmail.com
M.: +31.6.446.835.10.
T.: +31.30.785.20.40.
**************************

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