Lost system after update. Can I get access to some data? {pretty much solved!}

[davey]

joe, when you got to Synaptic did you remove all things KDE (but not complete removal) and then install task-KDE4 or task-kde4-minimal? I used minimal and so far don't seem to be missing anything I want. The removal is what made the difference for me. The desktop lost its wallpaper, went to (I guess) the default theme, and lost a few small K apps like KJots. But all the major programs  like firefox, libre office, etc, work fine. Mow it's easy to use my new Mini partition as backup and keep building on it. Sounds like you still have the core pretty intact, so hopefully you'll get back there soon.

[joechimp]

Well, I too lost some minimal programs that I can get back.

I was able to get Dolphin back and all my stuff was there. I lost Konsole but got that back and lost a few other non essential things.

The main problem now is the 2 white terminals that show up before login. I can log in with the smaller one if I do it as root, then it sends me to the login box where I can choose a guest account.

Also I lost the icon that says "showdesktop" . Can't retrieve it from anywhere. Like it never existed.

So, I am way better off than yesterday. Hopefully a few more tries and I wil get everything going.

I believe I did the removal that way but I used task-KDE4 instead of minimal.
Not sure that would fix what is left broken, but it might be worth a try if I don't fix this soon.

[joechimp]

Davey first off, I am sorry I sort of hijacked your thread. I should have taken OP's advice and started my own. When I do that they often merge 2 similar subjects. Anyway too late for that. 

Funny thing, I replaced the task kde4 with the task kde4 minimal and I got back show desktop. Very strange. There are some minor little things to fix but the main obstacle left is the two white terminals I have to go through to login.

Tex advised that I had no login manager such as  KDM installed but it synaptic says I do. I reinstalled it and no change.

So here I go , one more task.

Thanks for your advice Davey

[joechimp]

YAY, for me.

My restoration is complete.
I got rid of the two white terminal boxes and it boots right to login. So everything is more or less as it was before the big synaptic update.

I only had konsole installed when I did the update. Somehow xterm was installed. I looked over the white terminals and realized they were xterm not konsole.
I thought maybe if I went into synaptic and removed xterm that the white terminals would disappear. After all if they aren't installed how can they be there.
Well, it worked.
Hopefully  Davey and myself's experience will give someone eles that may encounter this problem,  more options.

Thank you to everyone who had suggestions. It was greatly appreciated.

It does feel satisfying to solve a big problem like this.