Can you install Linux over itself?

[Skyguy]

I'm sure everyone here has had an issue witn Windows that forced you to re-install Windows over itself to get rid of the problem. Is such a thing possible with Linux? Is it advisable?

[cdnLilWolf]

I'm sure everyone here has had an issue witn Windows that forced you to re-install Windows over itself to get rid of the problem. Is such a thing possible with Linux? Is it advisable?

You should never need to. Yes, you can overwrite everything by re-formating and re-partitioning your hard drives. Naturally, you will have backed up your data.

You can upgrade your kernel or for that matter, just about everything selectively, but there is no blanket non-destructive re-install like you could do with Win 98 and some other versions (not sure about XP).

That said, are you having a specific problem? I will confess that I wiped the slate clean on my first two installs. The first because I just butchered everything beyond recognition and I was too proud and stupid to ask for help and the second was that I could not grasp the concept of LVM (I'm good now). Anyway, if I or anyone else here can help you, please ask.

[Cat person]

If you mean reinstall without format then yes you can, not advisable though.

[cdnLilWolf]

If you mean reinstall without format then yes you can, not advisable though.

I will concede that you can of course re-install without formating, but my opinion is strong enough to suggest "you can't" for the same reasons you say it is not advisable. For the purposes of this forum, suffice to say "You really, really, REALLY shouldn't!" It is likely easier to trace and fix whatever problem Skyguy is having.

[Ken_ver_1_5]

format and reinstall is the only way to go.
I too have made a mess and had to re do:)
it has always been something I have done
not linux itself.
with that said you should ask questions. this way you learn more.
just my thoughts.

[ssadams]

you can do it but when you do creat a seperate /home partition so all your data will still be there the next time (if you make shure you uncheck format /home) in the install process. I do simular in windows where my documents,bookmarks,pics,etc and outlook pst are on a different partition

[Skyguy]

That said, are you having a specific problem? I will confess that I wiped the slate clean on my first two installs. The first because I just butchered everything beyond recognition and I was too proud and stupid to ask for help and the second was that I could not grasp the concept of LVM (I'm good now). Anyway, if I or anyone else here can help you, please ask.
I'm still having the same issues regarding installing new software... playing mp3 files... and just plain playing/running anything that wasn't installed automatically when I put Linux on my PC for the first time...

I was thinking that I made some kind of mistake the first time - which could be why it's giving me such a headache.

[Ken_ver_1_5]

my suggestion would be to install it again.
this time pay more attention to what it is doing.
it may give you the answer to the problems you are having.
remember step back and take a break when things don't
run as expected. I have had to do that many times.

remember I am by no means an expert.

[cdnLilWolf]

I'm still having the same issues regarding installing new software... playing mp3 files... and just plain playing/running anything that wasn't installed automatically when I put Linux on my PC for the first time...

I was thinking that I made some kind of mistake the first time - which could be why it's giving me such a headache.

The MP3 en/decoder is proprietary software. Specify which player and which distro you like to use. For example, KDE apps (like Amarok) requires a different set than if you were using XMMS or one of it's variants. DVD players need the libdvdcss library to work.

I don't want to make it sound more complex than it is, but the distro and desktop you use can make a difference as to how easy it is to set up and what files to go for.

To sum up:
- Which Linux distribution do you use (important, but not critical)?
- Which desktop do you use (KDE, Gnome, Xfce, also important, but not critical)?
- What is your audio player of choice?
- What is your video player of choice?

The reason the distro and desktop are not critical is because the libraries and necessary dependencies can be compiled from source if required. However, that's the hard way. Most distro's have some form of package management to make your life much easier, we just need to know which one.

[cdnLilWolf]

my suggestion would be to install it again.
this time pay more attention to what it is doing.
it may give you the answer to the problems you are having.
remember step back and take a break when things don't
run as expected. I have had to do that many times.

remember I am by no means an expert.

Unless he is using a paid for distro (like Linspire or Xandros), that will not automatically solve his MP3 playback problem. I believe there are a few free distros who buck the legal system as they are beyond it (like being based on the other side of the planet), but the mainstream ones like OpenSuse and Fedora won't take the chance of a lawsuit as they operate in North America. OpenSuse is of course now less likely to get sued as they have partnered with M$ now.

[Ken_ver_1_5]

Unless he is using a paid for distro (like Linspire or Xandros), that will not automatically solve his MP3 playback problem. I believe there are a few free distros who buck the legal system as they are beyond it (like being based on the other side of the planet), but the mainstream ones like OpenSuse and Fedora won't take the chance of a lawsuit as they operate in North America. OpenSuse is of course now less likely to get sued as they have partnered with M$ now.

my comment was not really to solve the mb3 problem buts as I remember
he had problems with installing other apps. such as xmms player.
I have installed kubuntu v6.06 lts. I was abel to install xmms player
and play mp3's. I believe at the time it asked if I wonted to install added
libraries. I thought that this was to be abel to play mp3's
I seldom use add and remove as I got used to synaptic package manager
when I had debian sarge. I felt that a fresh install may solve some of the
problems and give him a better understanding of the process of installation.
as I said I am no expert just know what has worked for me.

[cdnLilWolf]

my comment was not really to solve the mb3 problem buts as I remember
<snip>
I seldom use add and remove as I got used to synaptic package manager
when I had debian sarge. I felt that a fresh install may solve some of the
problems and give him a better understanding of the process of installation.
as I said I am no expert just know what has worked for me.

Sorry about that. You just put that deja-vu feeling in me when I realized all this was related to the other thread. Not having installed a Debian system, I have no experience with the Synaptic package manager.

Under the circumstances, I would support your contention that a re-install would be the easier road if nothing critical needs to be preserved. I'm not 100% on this, but isn't Ubuntu one of those distro's I referred to as from "the other side of the planet"? :)

[Ken_ver_1_5]

deja-vu I know the feeling lol

not reel sure which planet it comes from.
I have only tried a few distros myself starting
with the hardest one imaginable debian sarge.
spent months trying to get it to recognize there
was a cd player and that I had permission to use it lol.
I used the live kubuntu cd to install and I got to tell ya
it was easy compared to all the others.
the only thing that makes me think you may have something
there in this planet thing. there is no root with this distro.
it can be a bit confusing if you have had worked with others.
any how getting a little side tracked here.
Keep trying Skyguy:)