Re: [gNewSense-users] (no subject)

[arnuld uttre]

> On 8/16/14, Paul A. Crable <address@hidden> wrote:
> This morning I started my computer only to find that about 20% of my
> applications had disappeared from the Applications menus.  When I went to
> search for them, the file search program was among the missing.  I looked
> for the timekeeping program I had been using by running mlocate with the
> argument "time".  I received over 2,000 hits, and I won't live long enough
> to examine each one.
>
> .. SNIP...

I am not a gNewSense user (till next release based on Debian 7 comes
out) but I have used lots of GNU/Linux distros and the problem you
have mentioned had  happened to me only once in last 8 years and that
too was my fault, unknowingly I messed up the configuration files.  I
removed some words from some configuration file that messed up my PATH
and hence most of application just disappeared. That happened because
I used to login as root all the time (habit from using Windows) and
that habit cost me. You never ever login as root unless you want to
repir/edit/change the way OS behaves. I am sure some Window User habit
of that kind has cost you this.  Applications NEVER EVER, .......and
...let me repeat, NEVER EVER disappear themselves. it is GNU userland,
not Windows.

You do not need to look at 2000 entries, you can use command "whereis"
or "which" and GNU/Linux will tell you where your application is. Use
"apt-get" and "apt-cache"  instead oy Synaptic. Command-Line tools are
way more helpful than their GUI counterparts.

Regarding going back to Windows, you are welcome to do that, it is
your machine and you can install whatever you like but remember why
you switched to GNU/Linux. I switched to GNU/Linux because I was tired
of viruses and unstability of Windows, I was tired of malwares and
monthly installations, reboots and formatting my HDD, I was tired of
only 10 minutes of productivity by working for one hour on Windows. I
have not used windows in last 7 years and I did have (and do have)
lots of new problems in GNU/Linux that keep on coming up (and keep on
being solved all the time) but I have never regretted my decision of
using GNU/Linux and so are my friends who have followed my advice.

So, be calm and try to recollect what you done in yesterday or few
days back that caused your problem, find the reason and solve it.
Thing like Black Magic happens on Windows, GNU/Linux pretty much runs
on logic and reasoning.

Thanks
Arnuld
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