Total crash: the "mouse" panel applet has crashed my Ubuntu Karmic completely

[davmax]

Hi, I am writing from Windows because I can't use Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Gnome at all.

I was trying things and added this Gnome panel applet which is about mouse features. I really don't even know the proper name for those panel applications and for this one in particular because just after installing it (it asked for log-off and on) my Ubuntu became not usable anymore. I just can't do anything at all. I can only open some context menus with the right button but nothing works, nothing opens.

I bet it is somehing to do with my poor graphic card and that mouse applet.

Can somebody please help? How can I remove that mouse panel application if I cannot open anything? Do I have to reinstall everything? Please no...

Thanks in advance.

[coopstah13]

If you can switch to a TTY after you boot up by hitting ctrl+alt+f1 you can then login and delete the .gnome directories in your home folder, which will reset the gnome panels to defaults.

[davmax]

If you can switch to a TTY after you boot up by hitting ctrl+alt+f1 you can then login and delete the .gnome directories in your home folder, which will reset the gnome panels to defaults.

A million thanks! But what is TTY? And you mean I have to do Alt+Ctrl+F1 at the same time when I am on the desktop (it loads up) or when exactly?

Thanks again!

[Kieren]

When your computer has booted up hit Alt+Ctrl+F1 as in press all 3 keys at the same time. Your screen will go blank and then you will be shown a text prompt asking you for your username and password. Enter these and then type in the command:

rm -r ~/.gnome

You can then go back to your GUI by pressing Alt+Ctrl+F7 and then log out and in again. If you're unable to log out then go back to your tty window and issue the command:

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

Let us know how you get on

[davmax]

Ok great thanks a lot. I'll try now.

[davmax]

No luck.

When I typed the first command nothing happend. Then I tried typing .gnome2 and it seemed to work as it got back to the $ position. But when returning to the desktop everything was the same. I couldn't log off or use the terminal or anything. So I rebooted and everything was the same.

It is something very strange. The arrow works weird and turns into a cross. If I place it for a second anywhere it will draw a big dot and then drawing a line in the direction where I move the mouse to as if it was a drawing application. It does lots of strange things.

Anyway, didn't work. If you know of something else please let me know.

Thanks again indeed.

[davmax]

I tried again and this time I could type the second command you told me. It logged off and on but the panel is still there and the problem remains intact.

When I type "rm -r ~/.gnome" it says that there is not any folder named .gnome.

[Kieren]

I don't suppose you know the name of the applet you installed?

[coopstah13]

I would do

rm -r ~/.gnome ~/.gnome2 ~/.config

[davmax]

Ok it's fixed. What an agony to be a beginner.

It was very silly. The application was just a function for the mouse called "activation on placing" (that is the name in Spanish and don't know the right name in English).

It is a set of functions that changes how the mousepad works (I always use only the pad) and the beahavior of the mouse by doing things just by placing the arrow for a while and many bizarre things.

So I first deleted and restarted the panel but it the problem remained. Then I connected a mouse and noticed it could work in a bizarre way but could work and open and run applications if I clicked on the right button and other strange things.

I tried many things and finally thought of going to the mouse features in System-Preferences. And bingo, it was there. I had to disable this function of "activation on placing" and later enabling the pad and everything is back to normal.

A million thanks again for your help and your patience.

EDIT: Errr...by the way... you don't know how to make my wifi work in Ubuntu Karmic right? It was a headache in Jaunty but I made it work with some driver and lots of patience, but doesn't work in Karmic and nobody knows in the Ubuntu forums. It's my bloody Atheros AR5007EG driver not being supported.