Downgrading Ubuntu?

[drfsupercenter]

Hi,

I have been dualbooting Windows XP Pro with Ubuntu since I put the new hard drive in. Well initially, 8.10 just wouldn't install, period. I didn't know why, but it would have a "Ubuntu" loading splash and sit there for 12+ hours. So I went with the alternate installer of 8.04 and that worked without a hitch. I could boot it and everything (though sometimes the splash would freeze up and I had to tell GRUB to use nosplash mode.)

Well, I figured, I'd upgrade to Intrepid/8.10 now that it was successfully installed. But that was a bad idea. I'm back to square one - for some reason, it just doesn't like my hardware and is causing massive booting problems - Heck, to get it to start even I have to use the OLDER kernel, turn ACPI off, whatever that is, and turn the splash off. Even then it's only 1 time out of 3 that it doesn't freeze on the loading screen.

So I was wondering if it's possible to downgrade Ubuntu, like I upgraded it, so that my programs and data don't get erased. I know I could just reinstall it, but I've spent the past week or so setting it up and it would suck to have to start over again.

And on that note, anyone know how to get USB Wireless-B cards to work? That's how I connect to my router, and Linux refuses to connect (though it DOES show the networks.) My only solution has been to temporarily use the wireless Ethernet bridge I used on my Xbox 360.

[doctorhardware]

This is just mho, but I think if you had it working I would have left it alone after you downgraded it to version 8.04.

[katzdvd]

drf,

Seems that every vers. of Ubuntu/Freespire/XUbuntu/Kubuntu, whatever you choose - has various bugs & quirks that causes different probs. in different systems. I have never heard of an individual that had a 100% sucess rate with it.

I have sucess with most loads, although the boot gets clobbered sometimes with a new install & I have to go in & edit the startup manager. Plus, my sound cards are iffy w/ Linux.

So I was wondering if it's possible to downgrade Ubuntu, like I upgraded it, so that my programs and data don't get erased. I know I could just reinstall it, but I've spent the past week or so setting it up and it would suck to have to start over again.

You would probably do better to ask that question on the Ubuntu forums, but I don't believe it is possible...

I know it wasn't in earlier versions, as I have been there myself.

What I would do then is back up the data & reinstall. The programs are easy to get back thru Synaptic/other. Actually, your data should be saved on a separate partition, away from the root (system). That is, if you did create different partitions.

Again, there is info. on the Ubuntu forum on how to properly set up the partitions for best performance. A user by the name Psychocats provodes some great tutorials & info.


Good luck!

[drfsupercenter]

Oh, well my non-Linux data is on other partitions... I just mean all the programs I installed, etc. I spent a few days sudo apt-getting stuff
But both Windows and XP are on the same drive, with a large storage partition in the middle.

I can't get my sound card to work either - the integrated one works, but I don't like it as it doesn't have good sound quality. Due to a lack of PCI ports, I have a Creative Xmod USB card, and Ubuntu just refuses to work with it. I managed to force Amarok to output using it, but nothing else does.

[MilesAhead]

I dunno', I heard all the buzz about Ubuntu when it came out and I tried it. Didn't seem any easier to install or use than Mandrake to me. Esp. if you have Broadband on a popular network card Mandrake(or Mandriva they call it now) recognizes it and lets you download your packages right after the system is installed, before you even reboot. If you make a list of the packages you want, most of them should be set up when you boot the first time into X desktop.