[SOLVED] Total Disappearance of Terminal from Linux Mint 18.3

[julianvb]

2018-07-17

What can I do to restore the terminal of my Linux Mint 18.3 system? If I open System Settings > Preferred Applications, the Terminal box shows a blank space. The old 'Terminal' icon got deleted somehow by my foolish editing of the gnome-terminal.desktop file. Any help will be much appreciated.

Julianvb

[gm10]

sudo apt-get install --reinstall gnome-terminal should fix it.

[julianvb]

gm10,

Thanks very much for you kind help. Since I have no way to access the command line at all, is there a GUI way for me to execute your suggestion?

Julianvb

[Flemur]

Thanks very much for you kind help. Since I have no way to access the command line at all, is there a GUI way for me to execute your suggestion?

Two ways -
Ctrl+Alt+T should open a terminal. If not...

Ctrl+Alt+F1 (1,2,3..) to get a "console" to type that...which would still work if you didn't have any terminal (program) to open with Ctrl+Alt+T. Ctrl+Alt+F6 or F7 or F8 to get back to your desktop.

[gm10]

Doesn't Ctrl+Alt+T open a terminal window for you? You could also press Alt+F2 and then run gnome-terminal from there.

Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt+F1, login there, type the command, type exit to log out again, press Alt+F7 to get back to your graphical session.

edit: ninjas, ninjas everywhere

[julianvb]

Two ways -
Ctrl+Alt+T should open a terminal. If not...

Ctrl+Alt+F1 (1,2,3..) to get a "console" to type that...which would still work if you didn't have any terminal (program) to open with Ctrl+Alt+T. Ctrl+Alt+F6 or F7 or F8 to get back to your desktop.

Doesn't Ctrl+Alt+T open a terminal window for you? You could also press Alt+F2 and then run gnome-terminal from there.

Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt+F1, login there, type the command, type exit to log out again, press Alt+F7 to get back to your graphical session.

Flemur and gm10,

Thanks for your quick response. I've tried all the above suggestions regretfully to no avail. My original problem began with LM18.3's sudden failure to open a terminal in response to the CTRL+ALT+T keyboard command.

Julianvb

[gm10]

Thanks for your quick response. I've tried all the above suggestions regretfully to no avail.

You'll have to be more specific than that. What didn't work?

[julianvb]

gm10,

I meant all the suggestions would not open a terminal or make LM18.3 react in any manner, or do anything. In other words, I cannot see a terminal or console prompt '$'. I hope I'm making myself clear enough. Since I'm still a Linux greenhorn, I can put it differently only by saying that I'm totally locked out of the command line. The monitor screen remains indifferent to all the suggested keystrokes I have entered.

Julianvb

[gm10]

If none of those worked you seem to have broken more than your terminal link.
For now try this: log out, then at the login screen follow the Ctrl+Alt+F1 instructions I gave. If that key combination (we are agreed that you need to press them all at the same time, yes?) doesn't work there either that would be more than bizarre.

PS: Another option is to open your file manager, navigate to /usr/bin and find gnome-terminal there, double click and select to run.

[julianvb]

gm10,

I've been using LInux long enough to know all combinations keys at the same time since 2007. As a matter of fact, in some cases, it's a very good idea to press the first two keys together before pressing the last one.

I did suspect that I might have broken more than just one file. Thanks for your confirmation and understanding. Perhaps we all can learn somethiing new by breaking something inadvertently. Luckily I've many more computes around in the house. But it may be instructive for me to learn how to fix this interesting problem. If I do, I'll report back. As they say, no pain, no gain.

Julianvb

[gm10]

Hey, you said you were a greenhorn so I better thought to make sure, that's all. We get users with all levels of experience here, you don't know until you ask.

There are still plenty other ways to fix this but if neither of the last two I proposed worked I'd be extremely surprised.

[BG405]

Does Synaptic still work OK? If so, it may be possible to fix broken packages / reinstall the Terminal packages from there. Are you using Cinnamon? I currently only run Cinnamon in its LM17.3 release. My 18.x installs are KDE so will need to check the packages using a Live session.

Also, it's really a good idea to back up these files before doing what you and I do with them .. sorry a bit too late for this advice, this time. It is, however, worth posting its contents here in case myself or someone else can spot something.

[Flemur]

gm10,

I meant all the suggestions would not open a terminal or make LM18.3 react in any manner, or do anything. In other words, I cannot see a terminal or console prompt '$'. I hope I'm making myself clear enough. Since I'm still a Linux greenhorn, I can put it differently only by saying that I'm totally locked out of the command line. The monitor screen remains indifferent to all the suggested keystrokes I have entered.
Julianvb

You type those Ctrl+ whatever keystrokes WITHOUT a terminal. YOU DON'T SEE a prompt!

Another way to get the "console" (a full-screen sort of 'terminal') is to boot into recovery/emergeny mode.

[julianvb]

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks for the cool synaptic and recovery-mode suggestions. In my previous posts I didn't mean to say that one needed a console prompt for executing a 'CTRL+ALT+T' keyboard command. What I meant was that entering the suggested keystrokes did not result in the appearance of a console prompt, namely the command line. I extend my sincere apology to all and will report back as soon as I can.

Julianvb

[julianvb]

Hi, BG405,

Eureka! Your synaptic suggestion is a very cool and neat idea. What I did was to reinstall gnome-terminal from synaptic. Instantly the command-line terminal icon re-appeared inside Menu. Even though I still can't invoke the command line by means of 'CTRL+ALT+T' from the keyboard, for now I consider it a small-potato issue. I'm mighty happy that I can return to my use of the command line as usual. My thanks to you especially and all others for your patience.

Julianvb

[BG405]

You're most welcome! For this issue:

Even though I still can't invoke the command line by means of 'CTRL+ALT+T' from the keyboard

There are settings for keyboard shortcuts; maybe this one is missing. I'll have to look at the needed command for a replacement of the missing shortcut, been a bit busy fixing my Manjaro install again .. think you'll be able to copy the same command from the Menu link.

[julianvb]

BG405,
I look forward to reading your next post on CTRL+ALT+T, with appreciation.
Julianvb

[MrEen]

Hey julianvb.

Edit: Nevermind, I goofed.

[smurphos]

BG405,
I look forward to reading your next post on CTRL+ALT+T, with appreciation.
Julianvb

Should just be a case of reinstating gnome-terminal as the default terminal app in Preferred Applications settings module and confirming the shortcut is still specified in the Keyboard settings module

[BG405]

I still haven't gotten round to checking LM18.3 Cinnamon but you should get something like this:

Terminal_KB_Shortcutj.jpg

... via Menu > Preferences > Keyboard. It should be similar in Mint 18.x.