Linux ... my bad

What's Hot
Linux runs REALLY SLOW on my old PC. It's the same brew that's running on this laptop that I'm using right now. AFAIK its the same cpu (i686) ... but anyway I went round looking for processes that were hogging the cpu on the old pc, one of them was compiz. One not-so-quick google later and I learn that it's for 3D graphics and since I'm not playing any games I decided I didn't need it. So I did an apt-get remove and rebooted. The PC puts up no desktop at all now and I can't see a way to get into a terminal. So, I could re-install Linux (not long since I did that anyway), but is there a way in that allows me to apt-get install compiz without re-installing linux?

Yep, I know, it wasn't the best move, but I need to find what's hogging system resources and get rid of it. This laptop, although it is old, seems fine.



"Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    Ctrl-alt-F2/F3 etc..?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11675
    Don't the linux install CDs have a repair or upgrade option now?

    Wouldn't that do the trick?
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Axe_meisterAxe_meister Frets: 4612
    i686? That would be a Pentium II CPU? Anything would be slow on that.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • notanonnotanon Frets: 604
    Depends what you want to do with the box but there are very light weight distributions out there for example  https://crunchbangplusplus.org ;

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    i686? That would be a Pentium II CPU? Anything would be slow on that.
    This laptop isn't.

    @darthed1981 I installed from a usb stick that I borrowed from work. If I ask nicely tomorrow morning its rightful owner might not have scribbled on it and let me have it back overnight for a re-install.
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • markvmarkv Frets: 459
    My guess would be that if you removed compiz then apt probably helpfully removed packages that depend on compiz also, which, on my installation (Ubuntu 17.10) includes Unity ... which would explain why you're not getting a desktop.

    As @Bridgehouse suggested, it's usually possible to get another tty (terminal) by pressing ctrl-alt-f2 or ctrl-alt-f3

    Solution depends a bit on what distro & version you're using but assuming it's Ubuntu then you could try reinstalling the package ubuntu-desktop (see this link for info). Or you could try a more lightweight desktop, e.g. xubuntu-desktop, which I don't think uses compiz.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    markv said:
    My guess would be that if you removed compiz then apt probably helpfully removed packages that depend on compiz also, which, on my installation (Ubuntu 17.10) includes Unity ... which would explain why you're not getting a desktop.

    As @Bridgehouse suggested, it's usually possible to get another tty (terminal) by pressing ctrl-alt-f2 or ctrl-alt-f3

    Solution depends a bit on what distro & version you're using but assuming it's Ubuntu then you could try reinstalling the package ubuntu-desktop (see this link for info). Or you could try a more lightweight desktop, e.g. xubuntu-desktop, which I don't think uses compiz.
    Yep - that’s the badger - start another tty and fix it from there. Or just rebuild.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • PabloPablo Frets: 38
    I’m not really familiar with Linux. Does it have an equivalent of Remote Desktop/RDP like Windows has? Could you remote in to the desktop from another PC? Or does the uninstall mean there is no GUI at all?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mudslide73mudslide73 Frets: 3049
    edited June 2018
    You Linux guys with your funky repositories :)
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • markvmarkv Frets: 459
    Pablo said:
    I’m not really familiar with Linux. Does it have an equivalent of Remote Desktop/RDP like Windows has?
    It can have, but not usually installed by default, and the absence of a GUI would also mean the absence of it when remoting in. There's slightly more chance of ssh running by default, which would give a terminal session. But most desktop distros don't install it by default.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    @Bridgehouse @markv cntrl-alt-f2 did indeed get me a login on tty2 ... thank you. did apt-get install compiz followed by a shutdown -r now

    have got as far as the wallpaper being displayed (pic of Roobi - cat) but it did that before and gave me a login prompt - just did nothing after that.

    got fed up with waiting. got another tty, ps -e shows compiz (and other desktop processes) not present. Good to know about cntrl-alt-f2 though - thanks.

    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    @Bridgehouse @markv cntrl-alt-f2 did indeed get me a login on tty2 ... thank you. did apt-get install compiz followed by a shutdown -r now

    have got as far as the wallpaper being displayed (pic of Roobi - cat) but it did that before and gave me a login prompt - just did nothing after that.

    got fed up with waiting. got another tty, ps -e shows compiz (and other desktop processes) not present. Good to know about cntrl-alt-f2 though - thanks.

    You’re getting there! Must be another package missing if the desktop isn’t loading properly...
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • markvmarkv Frets: 459
    Yeah like I said, my guess is that removing compiz also removed packages that depend on it, hence my suggestion of reinstalling the whole desktop package. Worth a try, but if you don't care what's on the machine then a reinstall might be easier. If you're starting from scratch then give Xubuntu a go, or choose one of the many other lightweight distros.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • wave100wave100 Frets: 150
    And you guys complain about Windows?
    3reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 5reaction image Wisdom
  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    wave100 said:
    And you guys complain about Windows?
    Yep, I've got an old machine. Mickey$oft would just tell me to go out and spend a lot of money I haven't got in order to run their latest bloatware. At least this way I stand a chance of finding something that will still read my email and let me log in here without requiring the latest spec graphics as if I were going to play games.

    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • wave100wave100 Frets: 150
    wave100 said:
    And you guys complain about Windows?
    Yep, I've got an old machine. Mickey$oft would just tell me to go out and spend a lot of money I haven't got in order to run their latest bloatware. At least this way I stand a chance of finding something that will still read my email and let me log in here without requiring the latest spec graphics as if I were going to play games.

    I really should have put in a ;-)

    Personally I am OS atheist, I use Windows or Mac, or even on occasion Linux. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Jez6345789Jez6345789 Frets: 1756
    Fewer Distros are now supporting older processors and those that are low resource are becoming unsupported. Not that I am a Linux guru just have a friend that is now retiring old Dell pentium 2 era machines due to lack of security updates etc.

    if funds are tight I have recently grabbed one of those Radpberry pi 3+
    As a simple compact desktop to keep at the holiday place to save lugging laptops around and I am impressed the original Pi only got used for media player but the new one is running Debian, Chrome is handling all our cloud based Apps we use in the business and runs mail and open office. plus its well supported and updated.

    best 50 quid spent on a computer
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    @Jez6345789   yep R.Pi is a good call but re-using my ol' system box is £50 cheaper ;)
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • darthed1981darthed1981 Frets: 11675
    @Jez6345789   yep R.Pi is a good call but re-using my ol' system box is £50 cheaper ;)
    Find the right lightweight distro and you will be golden.  I installed Lubuntu on a 12yr old laptop at work a couple of years back to test it and it ran great.
    We have to be so very careful, what we believe in...
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.