How To Reset Everything

KitchM · 2021-04-21 00:41:41

In my last post I mentioned about an upgrade issue I ran into. I notice that it has left me with problems in menus layout, type size, and general format issues with many programs.

I believe I need to reset everything in Xfce, because reinstalling the missing parts again did not bring everything back to how it should look and feel.

Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks.

CwF · 2021-04-21 14:25:09

Have you tried creating a new user?

If you are laptop based my ways are mot suitable maybe, but I keep images so I always have a fresh restart minutes away. Typically, upgrades are done in virtual machines. Copies on a disk on bare metal are frozen while in use. I may prepare an upgraded disk and simply swap. Or, if lazy, I image the existing disk immediately before upgrade, upgrade, then image again. Every other or so, the final image goes to a replacement disk (rotated use). The upgraded removed disk is 'last known good'.

user Home's are self contained mostly.

Bulk data is entirely separate.

KitchM · 2021-04-21 14:45:04

I did not lose everything; I just need the environment to be reset to properly size the details.

CwF · 2021-04-21 15:03:22

I understand. My point is that when I come up with some issue during an upgrade, if I don't figure it out in a few minutes I simply start over. More likely, I just scrap it and come back to it later since it's never an occurrence on a currently used image. So, never have to reset, just roll back.

KitchM · 2021-04-21 15:56:18

Nothing wrong with your point. However, I have been using my desktop continuously for over a year. It is difficult to make a snapshot at every little change I make in the system. We're talking hundreds of terabytes of storage. Worse, during backups one may not have had one just before the upgrade snafu.

CwF · 2021-04-21 17:04:17

I segregate OS from homes from data so it's not a burden. My OS's are a few GB or less. My two running now were installed 4 years ago. They are rebooted a handful of time per year. Maybe I don't chase upgrades as much as some do. My replacement images are built from the current image, upgraded, and slipped in place. For me it's Debian and my original Jessie's have stretch, buster, and bullseye descendants. It does require a system beefy enough to host a vm of itself, but it has been bulletproof. Of the 5 images I maintain, 3 run and configure on all machines I have. The few failures I've had are minutes from running on alternate hardware. Hosed system simply get the last known good, or jump to one of the upgraded candidates.

This process has gotten easier as I've done it. One simple rule is to not mix the OS with Terabytes of user data. All can be located on auxilary disk and linked into location. So my OS's are ~800MB, 1.4GB, 1.7GB, 2.6GB, and 7.9GB. All small enough that the upgrade happen while the image is running in memory!

I even use the technique for Windows, the vm image is 1.5GB and has it's own compliment of data disk. Another bare metal XP is within 30GB. Not much changes so I image it once a year or so, usually to another handy down disc.

Homes are up to a few hundred MB, 10-50 when cleaned. Data disk are TB's and separately managed.

KitchM · 2021-04-21 19:54:29

Anyway.....

KitchM · 2021-04-27 21:51:53

So, I don't even have vertical scroll bars in most application in Xfce. Maybe that will be something that someone else had a problem with. Still need a reset method on the ol' desktop.

ToZ · 2021-04-27 22:33:26

KitchM wrote:

Still need a reset method on the ol' desktop.

Have a read through this post. It was answered with respect to moving settings from one computer to another, but it can also be used as a guide for resetting an Xfce install to defaults. Simply delete those files/directories in your case.

If you do go through this process, take notes and post back your findings to confirm.

KitchM · 2021-04-28 19:06:15

Okay, I got it back like it was. Here are the steps I took.
1. Deleted ~/.config/xfce4/desktop. Logged out and back in. Nothing changed.
2. Deleted ~/.config/xfce4/. Logged out and in. Found I had wiped out second panel icons and programs.
3. Uninstalled Xfce4, then reinstalled fresh. No help.
4. Tried to undelete /destop, /panel, /xfwm4. No solution.
5. Restore from Trash was a problem because the folders became locked to root permissions. Changing permissions and copying over did nothing to help.
6. Finally decided to reboot and found everything came back as it was supposed to be.

My guess is that the complete removal and the reinstall, followed by a reboot would have done the trick. I think. I cannot verify where the settings are actually saved, although it is clear that they are. Or perhaps a simple log out is not enough to reset.

It could be that my restore of the folders from the trash was also required. I'm not sure, though it does make some sense.

Users can get caught sometimes because of updates that are not part of a backup routine, and the fear that users have is that they are loath to remove the environment for fear of losing their settings which they have built up over years. However, I believe I have found that the quick fix is to completely uninstall (complete removal) of Xfce and then a fresh install followed by a reboot. YMMV.

Last edited by KitchM (2021-04-28 19:08:36)

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#1 2021-04-21 00:41:41

How To Reset Everything

#2 2021-04-21 14:25:09

Re: How To Reset Everything

#3 2021-04-21 14:45:04

Re: How To Reset Everything

#4 2021-04-21 15:03:22

Re: How To Reset Everything

#5 2021-04-21 15:56:18

Re: How To Reset Everything

#6 2021-04-21 17:04:17

Re: How To Reset Everything

#7 2021-04-21 19:54:29

Re: How To Reset Everything

#8 2021-04-27 21:51:53

Re: How To Reset Everything

#9 2021-04-27 22:33:26

Re: How To Reset Everything

#10 2021-04-28 19:06:15

Re: How To Reset Everything

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