Don't worry about the packages/programs. Ubuntu keeps updating them, so you would have to download them from the net anyway. If I don't boot up Ubuntu for a few weeks, I end up with 100's of packages that need to be updated!

Hello elishac,

Following up on your mail, I've read through this thread. In your mail you mention a file packages.txt but I've not found in this thread how you got to that list. Could you clarify how you got that list of installed packages?

Next, you have a complete backup of your personal files on USB, right? The 'OLD/home' directory?

Kind regards,

Eric

I don't remember where it was posted (edit: it was posted in post 55), but someone told me to do the following procedure :
echo /OLD/usr/share/doc/* | tr ' ' '\n' | cut -f6 -d '/' >packages.txt
knowing that, according to the gnome official recommandations, every software must have a documentation in that folder (I don't understand the command that much but I'm sure you do).
The resulting file packages.txt contains 2301 packages (lines).

I have a complete backup of $HOME, the /OLD/home directory, but I'm not familiar enough with the file system to be sure that these are all my personal files.

Hello,

Ok, so you're all set to perform a clean installation of Ubuntu. You can boot from the CD/DVD you have, which is Ubuntu 9.10 I believe and install to the /dev/sda5 partition.

1. The first screen will be the language choice, so select the language you use.
2. Then select the second option: Install Ubuntu.
3. Next you'll have to go through some questions that the installer asks you; language, time zone, keyboard layout, partitioner.... At the partitioner you should be able to select the partition that holds your other Ubuntu installation. Be careful with your choice, read twice what's indicated before executing.
4. Next the user info will be asked. Fill it in.
5. Finally click on Install if everything is OK.

When you have a doubt about one of the steps post here.

Kind regards,

Eric

I wanted to have the most recent version of my home folder so I deleted the one that was on my usb stick and tried to copy it again. But I received an error while copying : the folder .lyx cannot be handled because you do not have permissions to read it.
I think I should rather use the line command cp instead. Where is my usb stick located in the file system ? If I write sudo fdisk -l I get a line called /dev/sdb1 but if I use cp I then get : cp: omitting directory /OLD/home/elishac, and if I write cd /dev/sdb1 I get : not a directory...

Hi,

If you booted from the LiveCD as you previously did, you'd have to mount the directory as you previously did. The USB stick should mount automatically. If you open a terminal and type the command:
it will list all mounted devices. Look for your USB stick and you'll see where it's mounted. Whatever you copy to that directory (mountpoint) get's saved to the USB.

Kind regards,

Eric

This is funny because I'm talking like a pro but I have no idea what I'm talking about.
I don't know what mounting means, I don't get how it works and why it's needed. Is there any chance you could explain that quickly?
Anyway, I wrote mount and a fair amount of lines appeared. The last one says /dev/sdb1 on /media/CORSAIR. I'm guessing my usb stick is located at /media/CORSAIR then, but I don't understand why.
I wrote sudo cp /OLD/home/elishac /media/CORSAIR. result :
cp: omitting directory /OLD/home/elishac

Hi,

I'll try to keep it simple. When you connect a device (in your case the USB stick) it gets detected by the system as such (a USB device). In order to make the contents of the device available to your system (and you) you need to create a mountpoint (a directory) to which you then connect the device using the 'mount' command. From that point on whatever you do in that directory is done in your device.

I think that almost any Linux distro takes care of all of the above (mounting devices automatically when connecting to a system) by itself without you having to do anything. Of course your user needs to have permissions to mount (plugdev group I believe).

And yes, /media/CORSAIR would be your USB disk if that's how you named it.

Try
to copy your data.

Kind regards,

Eric

Um, little late here, but did you let the fsck Finish?

It can take hours.......

So what is the difference between /dev/sdb1 and /media/CORSAIR/ ?

Concerning the cp command, is the '*' relevant, and what does -R mean ?

I wrote it on the console. They were some errors :
cp: cannot create regular file /media/CORSAIR/Downloads/log/client.c : file exists.
cp: cannot create regular file /media/CORSAIR/Downloads/log/client.h : file exists.
cp: cannot create regular file /media/CORSAIR/Downloads/log (2)/client.c : file exists.
cp: cannot create regular file /media/CORSAIR/Downloads/log (2)/client.h : file exists.
cp: cannot create symbolic link /media/CORSAIR/Downloads/Linux-PAM-0 (copy).77/modules/pam_filter/include/security : operation not permitted
cp: cannot create symbolic link /media/CORSAIR/Downloads/Linux-PAM-0.77/security : operation not permitted
cp: cannot create regular file /media/CORSAIR/logistello/log/client.c : file exists.
cp: cannot create regular file /media/CORSAIR/logistello/log/client.h : file exists.

Well I can do it again if you think it might solve the problem. Can you repeat the whole procedure from where I am please (I'm currently using the boot CD) ?

1. Boot The Cd
2. Select Your Language
3. Select 'Try Ubuntu Without Any Changes to Your Computer"
4. Wait for everything to load.
5. If there are hard drive icons/images on your desktop, right-click them and select "unmount" to prevent damage to your operating systems.
6. Open a Terminal. Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.
7. Type into the Terminal, "sudo fsck.ext4 -pyf /dev/sda5" (without the quotes).
8. WAIT TILL IT FINISHES. This could take a while. Make SURE that it finishes.
9. Your system will be fixed.

Hope your issue is resolved.

The -R means recursive; that is, it instructs the cp command to also copy directories and their contents. The * means copy everything.

The errors you get look unimportant to me. Check if you've got all your files you need on the USB stick.

Kind regards,

Eric

e2fsck : only one of the options -p, -a, -n or -y may be specified.

Ok. Type into the Terminal, "sudo fsck.ext4 -p /dev/sda5" (without the quotes).