Desktop environment changed and I'm stumped [Solved]

[chaswp54]

**Moderators/Admins... if I posted this in the wrong topic, apologies, but it's the only one that seemed to make sense to post in.**

Hopefully I can explain this clearly. If not, please ask. I know my way around a little bit but lack the full knowledge of knowing many terminal commands.

Approx. 3 or 4 days ago I installed the Linux Mint 17.2 with what I assume is the 2.6 cinnamon 64 bit from here http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

I initially made a post in the "Graphic Cards and Monitors" topics asking opinions on whether I had the best driver for my card, Nvidia 450gts. http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=203830

The second part of my post was today when I was rebooting and when it came back up, instead of this: http://i106.removed/albums/m277/cpaulsb ... hpsx1y.jpg desktop, I had this: http://i106.removed/albums/m277/cpaulsb ... ujvbad.png

The menu was different, I had 2 panels instead of the one and the panel icons were completely different or missing. When I was rebooting, it did not go right into my little "Password" window, but had a different look.

I did not change anything other than what I was working on at the time and that was changing a Thunderbird profile location to another drive.

I don't think I have the "Cinnamon 2.6" any more. Looks as if it reverted back to something and I don't know how it got there. I did manage to get the different look livable, but when I went to use my "Network Manager" on the panel, it wasn't there. I was able to do some searching and found out how to put a Launch Network manager icon on the Panel, but when I open it, it does show my VPN connections but I only have the options to "Add, Edit, Delete or Close". http://i106.removed/albums/m277/cpaulsb ... jmfucc.jpg

In another topic someone suggested I post the following using the "inxi -Fxz" command in Terminal. Any help on this would greatly be appreciated. I know there is the mention of the "network manager" in this, but the above mentioned is part of this issue. I would rather not have to reinstall this again. It would be the 4th time if I have to and the previous installs were because of the same thing. I have searched all over these forums for related issue as well as other places and I just can't find anything that I completely understand.
This is a dual boot with Windows 7 and I don't seem to have any issues on the booting one or the other at this point.

Thanks in advance.

~~~~~
System: Host: cwplinux Kernel: 3.16.0-38-generic x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.8.2)
Desktop: Xfce 4.12.2 (Gtk 2.24.23) Distro: Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela
Machine: Mobo: ASUSTeK model: SABERTOOTH X58 version: Rev 1.xx Bios: American Megatrends version: 0702 date: 11/16/2010
CPU: Quad core Intel Core i7 CPU 950 (-HT-MCP-) cache: 8192 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 24589.9
Clock Speeds: 1: 1600.00 MHz 2: 3068.00 MHz 3: 1600.00 MHz 4: 1600.00 MHz 5: 1867.00 MHz 6: 1600.00 MHz 7: 1600.00 MHz 8: 1600.00 MHz
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA GF106 [GeForce GTS 450] bus-ID: 03:00.0
X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: nouveau (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1680x1050@59.9hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on NVC3 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card-1: NVIDIA GF106 High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 03:00.1
Card-2: Intel 82801JI (ICH10 Family) HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
Card-3: Microsoft driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 002-002
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.16.0-38-generic
Network: Card: Realtek RTL-8110SC/8169SC Gigabit Ethernet driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e800 bus-ID: 07:01.0
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 2500.5GB (15.9% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD10EZEX size: 1000.2GB
2: id: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD1001FALS size: 1000.2GB 3: USB id: /dev/sdc model: FreeAgent size: 500.1GB
Partition: ID: / size: 23G used: 7.9G (37%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 6.43GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID: No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0C mobo: 35.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 1480 psu: 0 sys-1: 1520 sys-2: 0
Info: Processes: 265 Uptime: 2:34 Memory: 893.5/5959.2MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.4
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.11) inxi: 1.9.17

[xenopeek]

I've deleted your other topic as you were asking about the same thing in two places. Seeing as this is the most extensive post, leaving this one in place.

Looks like you installed Xfce. The screenshot is clearly Xfce (unmistakable by its dock) and confirmed by inxi. Only you will know why you did that. If you can't recall, try this command to find when you installed Xfce:

Code: Select all

grep ' install .*xfce' /var/log/dpkg.log

You may try at the login screen to select a different session to log in to. If Cinnamon is still installed it will be an option there. If for some reason you removed Cinnamon, easiest way to reinstall it is to install the package mint-meta-cinnamon. I'd suggest you do that on the terminal and confirm it will only install or upgrade packages, and not remove any. Use this command:

Code: Select all

apt update && apt install mint-meta-cinnamon

[GeneBenson]

Hi again chaswp54,

Desktop: Xfce 4.12.2 (Gtk 2.24.23) Distro: Linux Mint 17.2 Rafaela

Yes, your desktop has changed. Your are using Xfce and not Cinnamon. Don't ask me how this happened but you can get back to cinnamon by logging out. Then in the login screen you should see 3 icons. One for shutdown/restart, one for language, and one for session, which should offer the choice of at least Cinnamon and Xfce. If you don't see those icons then you need to change your MDM theme.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Oops, just missed the post from xenopeek. Great minds think alike!

[chaswp54]

Thank you for deleting the other post. I was trying to avoid that but it started out as one thing and ended up as something else. I have no clue how I got the Xfce. I have been very cautious as to not messing with any settings that would cause something like that. Will give these options a try and let you know. Thank you.


Well that got me back to the cinnamon. Things still look a bit different than the clean install but I think I can make some adjustments. My bottom panel defaulted to something else, but I think I can clean it up.

I was hoping it would have been this easy to revert back. At this point I do not know how I got to the xfce. I do not recall clicking on anything that would have caused that. If it had happened only one time I may have my suspicions, but 4 times? Maybe I just can't walk and chew gum anymore.

Anyway, thank you to this point. I'm sure I will run into something another time. I really want to stick with Linux as much as possible as it is sooooooo much faster than my windows 7. I will copy and paste your replies in a text file in case this happens again I will know what to do.

[chaswp54]

As I said in my previous post, I seem to have things back to almost where it was when I installed. This environment, however looks like a previous version of Cinnamon. The Menu is different, instead of the "Thunar" file manager I have "Nemo", Panel addons are different do not have the options for items I had before. What do I need to check to see what version of cinnamon I have now? I mean this is livable, but it's not that beautiful clean looking one I had before this happened.

[Cosmo.]

Exactly the command I gave you already in another thread:

Code: Select all

inxi -S

Graphical with the system information (see the settings menu or inside the system settings).

[Neil Edmond]

The Menu is different, instead of the "Thunar" file manager I have "Nemo",

Thunar is the default XFCE file manager.
Nemo is the default Cinnamon file manager.
If your original install had Thunar, you must have had the XFCE edition all along.