[Lexluethar]

I have two desktops are are running Ubuntu - they are both in shared environments so I would like to make user accounts for both machines.

A few questions:
1)After setting up the initial account, why can't I add a new account, log into it, then delete the old account? I originally didn't plan on sharing these PC's so I just use a generic name. Now I would like to only have to accounts, one limited and one admin. I've created the accounts but can't delete the original.

2)On one computer I can't unlock it. It says an error has occured. I can't do any admin stuff that requires unlocking. I am the admin, i used the same password as the account i've logged in. How can i do a repair installation to fix the issue? Do i just have to totally reinstall?

3)Say i do want to 'start over.' How do you reinstall Ubuntu over the old one? Both PC's are dual booting Ubuntu and XP Pro.

[Jayce]

When you boot up with the LiveCD, you will see the existing partitions in the partition editor... which I believe is step 4 of the install.

Just make sure you know which is which. I believe the partition editor tells you which file system is on each, so it'll be easy to identify which one is your NTFS partition.

But if you go into that partition editor, you will see your existing Ubuntu partition. It won't be blatant and say Ubuntu, but it may say ext3 file system mounted on / (and we know / is root, where the file system is stored).

So just mount that partition as root, check to format (if it isn't already) and get to installing! Since Windows is already present first on the disk, installing Ubuntu overtop your existing Ubuntu install won't yield any problems as long as you do it right. Give that a shot and see what happens.

And just for the sake of being safe, it's always good to back up your info before proceeding with "programs of mass destruction" like partition editors.

[Lexluethar]

Any other ideas that would have a smaller chance of losing my data?

No i'm not worried about losing anything important, but i don't want to reinstall a *)(* ton of software if the reinstall goes sour.

[kmote]

1) You should be able to add new accounts to the system either using the useradd command or finding some GUI based method (which I do not know). However this will only be available to superusers/sudoers

2) Not seen this before, does it just say 'An error has occured' or is there some more information?

3) If you do have to reinstall, the safest way is just to do exactly as you did first time.

[Lexluethar]

Ya the error message reads:
Could not authenticate, an unexpected error has occured.

This happens at any time when you have to either click an unlock button or when you are asked for the admin password.

I'm probably just going to reinstall-seeing as i can't delete the original. When I reinstall Ubuntu what options should I follow? Will it give me the option to install over ther original?

I still want to be able to dual boot XP and Ubuntu, I just want to install Ubuntu over my old Ubuntu

[Jayce]

Lex - when you boot up to the LiveCD and get to the partitioning screen, you're going to see all of your partitions listed. It'll be obvious which belong to windows seeing as though they will be tagged as NTFS.

Like, for me, I set up Ubuntu in a different way.

I use 1gb swap, 15gb root ( / ), and the remainder of my hard drive home ( ~ ).

So when I want to reinstall the operating system only, I format the 15gb drive and mount it to root ( / ). Then I install the OS on that partition and all other partitions are left untouched. Just make sure all other partitions do not have a check box in the "format" column.

You don't have to worry about the dual boot issue at hand. You can install Ubuntu overtop of the old Ubuntu 300 times. Grub will still work fine. It's only when things work in a reverse order (XP having to be reinstalled) that you may run into some Grub errors.