[03:20] <Dimeback> Q: While following a guide to get xscreensaver to lock the screen I used the command "apt-get remove light-locker -y" and apparently it took the entire lubuntu-desktop package with it and I can't log in. Is there an easy fix or should I just nuke the partition and reinstall?
[03:21] <Dimeback> Seems related to this: https://old.reddit.com/r/debian/comments/aokrkk/removing_lightlocker_without_losing_half_of_my/
[03:24] <arraybolt3> Dimeback: It's possible the two problems are unrelated - lubuntu-desktop is just a metapackage that installs everything else that Lubuntu needs. Uninstalling it won't remove everything, it just sets it as autoremovable.
[03:24] <arraybolt3> Is there anything else you remember doing other than that in the process? Also, what version of Lubuntu are you using?
[03:25] <Dimeback> It was probably the next command that did it, then: "sudo apt-get autoremove -y"
[03:25] <arraybolt3> Oh tar.
[03:25] <Dimeback> 18.04, I think.
[03:26] <arraybolt3> Hmm... the best solution here may be to download 22.04 and install from scratch, as 18.04 is no longer supported (Lubuntu releases get 3 years of support for LTS releases).
[03:26] <Dimeback> I hope it won't make me persona non grata if I say I am partial to lxde and don't particularly care to run lxqt.
[03:26] <arraybolt3> I liked LXDE too, but sadly LXDE kinda... died, I guess? so we switched to LXQt.
[03:26] <Dimeback> Perhaps you could tell me how to access a command prompt when lubuntu is displaying the four dots that suggest progress?
[03:27] <arraybolt3> Sure, try Ctrl+Alt+F3.
[03:27] <arraybolt3> Then "sudo apt install lubuntu-desktop".
[03:27] <arraybolt3> (Er, you will have to log in first, but logging in from the console is easy.)
[03:28] <Dimeback> ctrl+alt+f3 just gives a black screen
[03:28] <arraybolt3> Shoot.
[03:28] <arraybolt3> Well... I shouldn't do this here since technically we don't support 18.04, but I'd be happy to switch to DM if you're interested.
[03:29] <Dimeback> It's okay. I'll just nuke the partition. Thanks though.
[03:29] <arraybolt3> If you want to, you can try to get into recover mode.
[03:29] <arraybolt3> *recovery mode
[03:30] <arraybolt3> (Hold down Shift during early boot on BIOS systems, or hit Esc once during early boot on UEFI systems, that should let you get there.)
[03:32] <arraybolt3> Another thing you might consider is, 18.04 is going to stop receiving updates altogether in a few months (April of next year), at which point it may be dangerous to run it. If you want to keep running LXDE but also use a supported OS, you may consider running Debian with the LXDE desktop. That will give you security and OS updates, technical support in #debian, and the LXDE desktop all at once. If
[03:32] <arraybolt3> you're going to nuke a partition, switching to Debian might be easy here. It's very similar in use to Ubuntu.
[03:33] <Dimeback> yeah but debian doesn't have the power management packages for thinkpads that ubuntu does. debiaan was actually my first choice because it supports lxde but getting power manage set up on thinkpad is harder than necessary.
[03:35] <Dimeback> recovery mode did allow installing lubuntu desktop but apparently it is more broken than that. LXLE is also an option but lubuntu works quite well on my other laptop so I am partial to it.
[03:36] <Dimeback> i just couldn't believe that light-locker would really trash my whole system if i uninstalled it but i guess i should not have doubted apt. ;)
[03:36] <arraybolt3> What's the power management thing you're talking about? I might be able to find something quick and helpful.
[03:36] <Dimeback> it's tlp and thinkfan
[03:36] <arraybolt3> (Generally any removing command shouldn't be ran with -y at the end.)
[03:37] <Dimeback> there's no maintainer for the packages on debian
[03:37] <Dimeback> so you have to go to github and there are further issues and i'd rather not stray too far from the beaten path with power / fan / battery management so nothing catches fire.
[03:38] <arraybolt3> Dimeback: That makes sense, sadly. Though I could probably provide you a working thinkfan package for Debian pretty easily.
[03:38] <arraybolt3> (I do Ubuntu and Debian packaging for Lubuntu and have gotten fairly good at it.)
[03:38] <Dimeback> i'm up past my bedtime. I had a working system I just wanted xmatrix screensaver to lock the screen but next time I won't ask so much. ;)
[03:39] <arraybolt3> Sorry. That's crummy that it happened.
[03:39] <Dimeback> Thanks for your help.
[06:31] <newbie> sup