New KDE cheat sheet.

[OldGuy]

I just notice that O-P posted the official way to upgrade.  Please see his post:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,108162.0.html


I just wrote a cheat sheet for a few friends who use KDE PCLinuxOS, and would like comments as to any incorrect advice.  My friends are usually older and at times need some hand holding.  Ergo, this letter:

Hi Friends of PCLinuxOS,

If you have noticed that you update-notifier seems to be stuck in, can't update mode it's due to the switch from the older KDE screen to a new version.

Yesterday I did the work required to update, and it wasn't bad, however without checking off another package some of your widgets may appear as a "red x" which means a widget that can't be found.

Asking some of the members of the forum I found out the fix and it's very simple.

What I did to insure a successful update.  

Backup before any major modification is always a good rule of thumb.
   I use LuckyBackup to backup all my data (home folder) to an external drive.
   Then just to prove I'm paranoid I create a LiveCD using makelivecd.
   You can burn a copy of the LiveCD to a DVD, or just move it to an external drive.
      In case the whole process goes bloomers up.  And reinstall.
      If you just moved the iso to an external drive you will have to burn it first
         for the reinstall.  

Modify Synaptic repositories.
   Close all windows first, then open Synaptic.
   When the Synaptic window opens go to Settings > Repositories
   Highlight the repository your use (for me that's heanet.ie).
      When highlighted you will see a line in Sections like:
         main updates nonfree kde4 games special
      Change it to:
         main updates nonfree kde games special
      Click OK
                Click Reload               <--- just edited to include this line
   
   Select “Mark All Upgrades”.
      Be sure that "kde-plasma-addons" is also selected,
       if it isn't, check it for install now
      (left unchecked could cause the missing widgets in your task-bar).

    Take a stiff drink, and press apply.  
   After install reboot your machine.

All done.

Now you should be ready with the new KDE install. Should your desktop be different (and I'm sure it will be) there is another icon added that can be used to bring back your older widgets, click on "RestoreMyDesktop" icon.

After restoring you can delete "RestoreMyDesktop" icon from your desktop.

Note from the forums: RestoreMyDesktop is a backup of your desktop settings before you updated. Once you make changes on your current desktop, these new changes will not be moved to restoring your previous desktop settings. RestoreMyDesktop is best used immediately.

I didn't bother with RestoreMyDesktop as I have only one extra widget on mine I just added it to my Desktop, and changed the way time/date is shown to show the day and date.  I use “Hard Disk status” to show my current disk usage on the Desktop.

One warning, during my change, somehow I screwed up my taskbar and everything was smushed to the left.  This was an easy fix as I went to Synaptic and reinstalled kde4-config.  That fixed it right up.

Good luck.

If this is too confusing, give me a call and I'll visit by Teamviewer or person to help you through this transition.

--------------------
Thanks in advance for any technical corrections.  Spelling and grammar you can blame on me.

[gandy]

Thanks for this post OldGuy

[Crow]

12 broken packages that I don't know how to fix because they are not fixed using Synaptic.

Tried a selective update avoiding those packages and Synaptic began to flash

The list is:

• Digikam
  Digicam Showfoto
  KDE4 Color schemes
  KDE4 windeco-oxigen-transparent
  openoffice thumbnail
  plasma desktop theme blackglass
  plasma desktop theme carbon
  plasma desktop theme eleonora
  plasma desktop theme gaia09
  plasma desktop theme ghost
  plasma desktop theme rhapsody
  plasma desktop theme smaragd

I don't want to lose all my installed apps, any ideas?  maybe I should post this elsewhere.

[gandy]

I probably can't help but I'm wondering which method you used when doing the upgrade.

I tried the KDEupgrade script first. That didn't work so I reloaded Synaptic and marked all updates then applied them. It removed lots of stuff but, after rebooting, I only lost a few apps. 

[Just17]

Crow .....  remove broken packages .......  Reload .......  Mark all upgrades and apply.

Search for 

Search: 4.6.5 
Look in:  Version 

and remove all installed 4.6.5 packages; check there are no new upgrades that might have been held back because of those 4.6.5 packages ... install them if so.

Then reinstall those you need from the removed list.

[Tony]

I'm trying to be as well prepared as possible; famous last words. 

I did a routine Synaptic upgrade earlier, had my dinner cooking, and the sources.list updated, there was an error first that the repository IP couldn't be found. However once I shut the Dialogue box, it updated about five packages, one being the sources.list.

I rumaged about the forum looking for some help, in the end posting the events. I wanted actually to wait for the 'Release', as not too sure about all this KDE update stuff.

I opened Synaptic again, and found 9 pages of Upgrades, and Deletions, which I took snapshots of, lol. I couldn't think of any other way to record the data.

You see once the sourse.list updates now; your particular repo is changed from kde4 to kde; you don't have to manually change it which I wish I had had known beforehand.

While installing package apt-sources-list-1.0.2-1pclos2012:

warning: /etc/apt/sources.list saved as /etc/apt/sources.list.rpmsave

Anyway I posted my fun at:
http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,108110.msg924292.html#msg924292

Basically snapshots of all the 'pending' changes I uploaded to Dropbox, obviously I couldn't type them all; plus only after allowing the update would I have a list in Synaptic's History. If there's an easier way to record a couple of hundred changes after hitting Reload > Mark All Updates > Apply (1st) ; would be great to know.

Sounds like gandy didn't have too many problems; plus thankyou OldGuy for your procedure.
Be nice to have a Video        

I'll be off for a nap before doing anything more.

Goodluck all,

Tony.

[Crow]

Just18 I did that and now kdenetwork-kppp-provider is shown as broken.

Will I be without internet if I uninstall it?

[Archie]

Good work, OldGuy. I, however, would like to point out that you missed "click Reload" after line 34.

Also, I wonder line 48 ... since RestoreMyDesktop is a package, wouldn't it be better to just remove the package via Synaptic rather than just deleting the icon? Is this possible? I couldn't answer this because I only tested it a few times at one stage long, long, long, long time ago.

[OldGuy]

Good work, OldGuy. I, however, would like to point out that you missed "click Reload" after line 34.

Also, I wonder line 48 ... since RestoreMyDesktop is a package, wouldn't it be better to just remove the package via Synaptic rather than just deleting the icon? Is this possible? I couldn't answer this because I only tested it a few times at one stage long, long, long, long time ago.

Eek, had to count, hope I put it in the same place you were talking about Archie.  On removing via Synaptic, guess that would be the better way.  At the time I didn't think about that, just figured, heck let's get it off the desktop.  But probably a better suggestion than mine.

[Just17]

Just18 I did that and now kdenetwork-kppp-provider is shown as broken.

Will I be without internet if I uninstall it?

Did you sort this? (I was sleeping)
Install the 4.8.3 versions of what you uninstalled?

[Phil]

I did the KDEupdate way, several times. I backed up my system with clonezilla.

Issues:

Kmail2 was a pain to get right. Import was no good for me, so did it the long way from scratch, see separate thread.

The Wastebin on my desktop went. I backed this up, right mouse click > Copy To (or add a wastebin widget later)

I backed up .kde4 and new .kde4 on arrival. Note I found to restore .kde4 you need to delete .kde4 before replacing it with a backed up .kde4, preferably when not in that user account.

KDEupdate for me was relatively painless.

[Crow]

Just18 I did that and now kdenetwork-kppp-provider is shown as broken.

Will I be without internet if I uninstall it?

Did you sort this? (I was sleeping)
Install the 4.8.3 versions of what you uninstalled?

I haven't updated to 4.8.3 since kdenetwork-kppp-provider is broken. If I end without internet uninstalling it there is no point, that is why I'm asking if it is safe to erase it. It isn't clear to me what that file do.

[Just17]

Just18 I did that and now kdenetwork-kppp-provider is shown as broken.

Will I be without internet if I uninstall it?

Did you sort this? (I was sleeping)
Install the 4.8.3 versions of what you uninstalled?

I haven't updated to 4.8.3 since kdenetwork-kppp-provider is broken. If I end without internet uninstalling it there is no point, that is why I'm asking if it is safe to erase it. It isn't clear to me what that file do.

I don't use it and cannot be certain ....  I would have an opinion but that is not good enough in this case.

Sorry 

[Archie]

Good work, OldGuy. I, however, would like to point out that you missed "click Reload" after line 34.

Also, I wonder line 48 ... since RestoreMyDesktop is a package, wouldn't it be better to just remove the package via Synaptic rather than just deleting the icon? Is this possible? I couldn't answer this because I only tested it a few times at one stage long, long, long, long time ago.

Eek, had to count, hope I put it in the same place you were talking about Archie.  On removing via Synaptic, guess that would be the better way.  At the time I didn't think about that, just figured, heck let's get it off the desktop.  But probably a better suggestion than mine.

Sorry about the line #s, OldGuy. You can probably set up your Kwrite to use line numbers so references are easy. To do that, open say, Kwrite > Settings > Configure Editor.

On Appearance > General, make sure you got Dynamic Word Wrap tick so you don't overshoot the width of the editor and you don't have to use the horizontal scrollbar.

Next click the Border tab. Check Show line numbers and Show line modification markers.

Click OK. Copy and paste your post, and our references should be OK.

[menotu]

You can probably set up your Kwrite to use line numbers so references are easy.

Additionally, F11 will toggle line numbers on/off

make sure you got Dynamic Word Wrap

and F10 toggles Wordwrap on/off

This applies to both KWrite and Kate

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In the Cheat Sheet I'd also add a mention to mark Keep History  in  Synaptic > Preferences > Files  >