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Re: Here we go again

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On 2025-09-03, Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
> Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> wrote:
>> On 03/09/2025 08:57, Davey wrote:
>> > ... I am seriously wondering whether to remove the added SSD, the original
>> > m2SSD, and try again. This might lead to a total wipe and
>> > re-installation of the OS, the major problem being the loss of all my
>> > Thunderbird Local Folders since my last backup.  In the perfect world,
>> > the replacement of the other SSD would restore it to the PC, but if it
>> > doesn't, I won't be surprised.
>> > 
>> > It does seem that the main partition is full, and it won't complete a
>> > boot sequence.

This could well be the case. 

>> > I really need some help here, please!
>> 
>> It's really hard to know what actually happened to bring about your 
>> problems in the first place, and how what you have done since to try to 
>> try to remedy matters may have made them worse, or at least more 
>> complicated.

This is going to happen in real world cases. It is a sure bet.

>
> My guess is that there are two bootable drives (one M.2 and one SATA) and he
> is booting from the backup not the primary drive.  And possibly it's using
> the boot partition on one and the rootfs on another, or some mixup like
> that.

What happens if to press F12 at boot up. Can you boot into any of the
options?

>
>> It would be easier if you had made image backups of all your disks 
>> before you started. Time taken making a backup is never wasted.

Totally correct. Also making some notes as to what the heck you have done is
worth the time and paper.

Another point is that cloning your system before you start means that you
can try anything and when you have messed up you can reinstall the orginal
messed up version.

If possible also copy off your data and put it aside until you have sorted
the situation out.

There is a saying that it will take longer but it will be quicker.


>> 
>> TBH at this stage my course of action would be to get a new drive big 
>> enough to hold everything and do a clean install onto that, and then try 
>> to mount your existing drives one at a time (maybe in some sort of 
>> hot-swap (e.g. USB) external housing so they're not present at boot time 
>> and UEFI can't mistake one drive for another (they SHOULD have different 
>> GUIDs, but have they?)) and copy the the data you need onto that clean 
>> system.
>
> Sensible.  I'd suggest that if you take full-disc image backup, it's never
> connected to the machine at boot time.  Then there is never any confusion
> over which drive you've booted from.
>
> The same goes when you do a fresh install - if there is only one drive
> present in the machine, you can't get any pieces installed to the wrong
> drive.
>
All true.

>> It should be easy enough to copy /home from your (partly-)working 
>> system(s) onto the new drive. Linux is pretty good at letting you 
>> transplant a /home from one system to another, and so long as you have 
>> installed all the applications you need onto the new one everything 
>> should Just Work(TM).
>
> For Thunderbird, make sure you copy the ~/.thunderbird folder,
> and if it's Ubuntu and you're on the snap, also ~/snap/thunderbird/common
>
Once again get ./thunderbird off you machine while you are fiddling with it.
It has all you mail within it and the config files.

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Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-02 11:03 +0100
  Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-03 08:57 +0100
    Re: Here we go again Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2025-09-03 16:49 +0100
      Re: Here we go again Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2025-09-03 17:21 +0100
        Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-03 17:48 +0100
          Re: Here we go again Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2025-09-03 18:20 +0100
            Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-03 20:10 +0100
            Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-03 20:50 +0100
            Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-04 11:35 +0100
              Re: Here we go again Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2025-09-04 17:30 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-04 19:52 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-05 23:49 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-08 11:50 +0100
                Re: Here we go again "Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> - 2025-09-08 16:11 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-08 17:28 +0100
                TRIM (Was: Here we go again) Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2025-09-15 16:00 +0100
                Re: TRIM (Was: Here we go again) Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-15 17:30 +0100
                Re: TRIM Richard Kettlewell <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-09-17 08:43 +0100
                Re: TRIM Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2025-09-17 10:30 +0100
                Re: TRIM Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-17 11:05 +0100
                Re: TRIM Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2025-09-17 15:12 +0100
                Re: TRIM Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-17 15:54 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-09 09:04 +0100
                Re: Here we go again "Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> - 2025-09-09 12:19 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-09 18:03 +0100
                Re: Here we go again "Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> - 2025-09-09 22:02 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-10 00:14 +0100
                Re: Here we go again -Update Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-11 17:12 +0100
                Re: Here we go again -Update Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-21 16:10 +0100
                Re: Here we go again -Update "Vincent Coen" <VBCoen@gmail.com> - 2025-09-22 01:41 +0100
                Re: Here we go again -Update Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-22 09:29 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-10 12:43 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2025-09-08 21:33 +0100
              Re: Here we go again Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2025-09-04 20:07 +0100
                Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-05 02:47 +0100
          Re: Here we go again Gordon <Gordon@leaf.net.nz> - 2025-09-03 23:46 +0000
            Re: Here we go again Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2025-09-04 09:36 +0100
        Re: Here we go again Gordon <Gordon@leaf.net.nz> - 2025-09-03 23:31 +0000

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