Need a Linux Distro with restore

[tlcmd]

Newbie with 1.4 Ghz Athlon and a 320 Gig HD.

Have Windows XP installed and decided to go with Ubuntu 9.10. Installed fine but I have had frequent problems resulting from installing Ubutu "approved" software. The chief problem is that I lose my ability to login easily and end up having to reinstall Ubuntu.

My primary computer use is the jukebox since I have around 12+k music files as mostly ogg vorbis and mp3. Also do some arranging and want Musescore.

Have taken the "newbie distro" quiz and top recommendations are Linux Mint, Mandriva, Ubuntu, Open SuSe.

Would like a Linuz OS with a "restore" feature since I know I'll propably need it and would prefer to "restore" rather than re-install.

Ubuntu doesn't appear to have a "restore" application. And I've re-installed it about 5 times in the last week due to corruption of files when adding programs (Avast, Musescore .6, Swiftfox, and deleting the games installed with the Ubuntu.


Advice and recommendations appreciated.

Thanks,
tlcmd

[reed9]

Pretty much all configuration files are located in your home directory. You can just create a backup of that, which you can easily restore if necessary.

There are also tools like back in time.

Corrupted config files should not require a reinstall. Worst case scenario, you can usually just delete the config file in your home directory. Next time you launch the app it will recreate the default config.

It does seem odd that you're having such frequent problems. Perhaps if you can specify what exactly is happening that prompts you to reinstall, we can help.

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

So far as I know, there aren't any "restore" points in Linux distributions the way there are with Windows. However, you can use any one of a number of backup/restore methods, as recommended above by reed9.

You can find a long listing of backup/recovery applications for Linux here:

http://linuxappfinder.com/backupandrecovery

Hope you will have fun with Linux and enjoy the freedom.

[tlcmd]

It does seem odd that you're having such frequent problems. Perhaps if you can specify what exactly is happening that prompts you to reinstall, we can help.[/QUOTE]

Ubuntu 9.10 installed with autologin.
Reboots properly.
Added Avast antivirus, Musescore 9.6, and copied music files from Windows XP partition.

Deleted the games.Note: had to authenticate to remove "Mines".

Now login screen comes up but cannot login. If I use another password, I get a message that it isn't the right password. Very rarely will it actually accept my login, then it tells me there's a config problem. I've tried booting into the recovery mode without success after recover has run. Further info needed???

Will try to login again and if successful will try to delete the config file.

Thanks,
Dick

[reed9]

Deleted the games.Note: had to authenticate to remove "Mines".

My guess is that this is where you did something odd. Mines it part of the gnome-games package, so you shouldn't have been able to remove it individual, at least you couldn't last time I used GNOME. What else was removed, I wonder? Or, how did you remove it? Did you use your package manager?

[tlcmd]

Very much appreciate the response. I used the package manager to remove 'Mines.'
Now I can't login via the login screen. Suggestions?
Thanks,
Dick

[tlcmd]

Corrupted config files should not require a reinstall. Worst case scenario, you can usually just delete the config file in your home directory. Next time you launch the app it will recreate the default config.

Thanks for the info. Please walk me through this. I did get Ubuntu to boot by opening the Recovery boot and safe mode. I was able to login and use the command "startx". Now that's the only way I can get Ubuntu to boot.

Realizing this sounds like I'm really dense, where are the config files? I cannot even find a Home directory, only the Home Folder.

I did find under "File System 2375 cconfig files. Which one(s) do I delete???

Thanks,
Dick

[irlandes]

Being very frugal (spelled t-i-g-h-t) I keep a copy of Puppy Linux, which is small enough that it can load itself in ram, and learn the dd command for cloning a partition to an external USB HD, one could from time to time clone the partition. If it fails, simply reverse the dd command.

As the poster said, there are a number of methods for back up, I refer to one I use myself.