[SOLVED] Installing XFCE on Gnome: Application Crashes and Synaptic Error messages and Quit

farag · 07-27-2009, 10:00 AM

Hi all

I was trying to install xfce on a Gnome Ubuntu 8.04
I searched for 'xubuntu-desktop' in the synaptic, download started
while downloading firefox and seamonkey behaved notoriously.
Firefox had the profile not recognized...suddenly! I mean by 'not recognized' that
I found no bookmarks, and no even a 'bookmarks' toolbar there in the right-click menu.

This disappearance of bookmarks happened after trying to install three SEO addons, and Google toolbar, all of which were incompatible with current version of FF, thus not installed.
When I clicked "I agree" on the Google toolbar, the bookmarks disappeared.

Are these related?

Firefox closes and disappears when I performed a google search
Same immediate closing happened whis Seamonkey.

I thought maybe a memory problem, while I have 1.5 GB RAM and Celeron 2.6

Note: When I restarted machine, Firefox came back to normal..so I think this part of the problem might be memory/resources related??? but did that affect the download/installation?? read on please

I waited until downloading finished and installation started, then I received the following two error messages with the title in the message box saying:

Quote:

An error has occurred!"

First one here, then when I click OK it displays the next smaller one:

Quote:

E: /var/cache/apt/archives/vim-runtime_1%3a7.1-138+1ubuntu3.1_all.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xfdesktop4_4.4.2-5ubuntu1.1_i386.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xfwm4_4.4.2-2ubuntu1_i386.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xfwm4-themes_4.4.2-1_all.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xubuntu-artwork-usplash_0.19_i386.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xubuntu-default-settings_0.39.1_all.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xubuntu-docs_8.04.2.1_all.deb: failed in buffer_write(fd) (10, ret=-1)
E: /var/cache/apt/archives/xfce4-places-plugin_1.0.0-1ubuntu1.1_i386.deb: failed to write status record about `libsoup2.4-1' to `/var/lib/dpkg/status'

Quote:

E: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure -a' to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

I put the command into the command line from the application-run icon I put on the toolbar. I once didn't check the "run in terminal" and the other once I checked it..both brought nothing.

I thought it might be correct to do the installation again, but every time I open Synaptic, it gives me the same messages and close itself and disappears.

I also noticed the XFCE option in the Session Options log in menu, which means it's there!!

Now, what do you thing I should do to be able to use both Gnome and XFCE properly?

I am very new to Linux practice though

Thanks a lot

amani · 07-27-2009, 10:21 AM

Login as root in rescue mode

#apt-get check

#apt-get update

#apt-get upgrade

In the GUI environ ...
you should do

#sudo apt-get check

#sudo dpkg --configure -a
etc

farag · 07-27-2009, 11:26 AM

Thank you amani!

Well..it didn't allow me to log through the normal log in screen as root, saying: you can not log in as administrator from this screen.

I restarted the screen hoping to get to the command line prompt anywhere..

I pressed ESC to go to the menu
On the menu there was a selection:

Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS Kernel 2.6.24-24-generic (recovery mode)
and
Ubuntu 8.04.3 LTS Kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)

I choose the first one, and pressed enter.

It gave me Recovery Menu screen:

I chose the : "dpkg Repaire broken packages"

pressed OK, and it seemed checking a big number of packages...

In the middle, it asked me that it will need about 58 MB of disk space to do an operation, then asked me again for a less space, and I pressed "Y" every time...
It went successful.

Now, I can use both Gnome and XFCE, and the Synaptic in Gnome without any error messages..

Thank you again for guidance