Linux Mint - can't access terminal

[Gerb]

Found this at AskUbuntu (rather old though):

Problem with "gnome-terminal" on Gnome 3.12.2

I have Ubuntu-Gnome 14.04 (Gnome 3.12.2). When I try to run gnome-terminal by following command : $ gnome-terminal Error constructing proxy for org.gnome.Terminal: /org/gnome/Terminal/Factory0: ...

askubuntu.com

Sorry for not be of more help. I am not using Ubuntu.

 

[Condobloke]

LMDE 7

Good choice. Very stable, very reliable.

two choices to solve the terminal problem

1. Install a second terminal app (I think you have already done this)

2. Reinstall LMDE

(just as a side thought, right click on the terminal icon and select 'Remove' .....then do the menu, type in terminal, right click on it and select add to panel....I described this in my last post) You can also add an icon to the panel for your recently downloaded substitute terminal)

 

[jbg3]

Well, I wouldn't know if it's a good choice. I just bought a cheap replacement and started using it as-is. In fact I'm somewhat concerned about wasting my time learning an obsolete system. Is there a particular version of Linux you recommend for beginners?

I've now managed to fix the problem by googling the error messages.

This is what finally worked:

echo "LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8" | sudo tee -a /etc/environment
echo "en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8" | sudo tee -a /etc/locale.gen
echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" | sudo tee -a /etc/locale.conf
sudo locale-gen en_US.UTF-8

That leaves the question what I did to break it. Since the problem was with my locale, the only thing I can think of is that I set my Tor exit node to a particular country. But that couldn't be it, could it? That's a configuration within an app.

 

[Condobloke]

Well, I wouldn't know if it's a good choice.

Well, I just told you it is a good choice.
General consensus around Linux .org and indeed any Linux forum is that anything that is based on Debian is going to have the same attributes as its parent. Reliable and stable.

In fact I'm somewhat concerned about wasting my time learning an obsolete system. Is there a particular version of Linux you recommend for beginners?

LMDE (linux mint debian edition) is one of them. Your ability to make an unspecified mistake does not necessarily equal an obsolete system. Far from it in fact.

As for recommendations: LMDE7 & Linux Mint 22.3 are among them. It is largely a matter of taste. Ubuntu would also be included in the list: keep in mind there are close to 500 Linux distros. You will find a list at: https://distrowatch.com/

A great number of potential users also load a usb with Ventoy. This enables them, to load various distros of their choice, up to the capacity of that usb, and they are then able to boot to the different distros until they find one that suits them.

That leaves the question what I did to break it

No idea. I have run Linux mint for the past 13 years, and was under the impression I had broken it every way possible.
I have never broken the terminal.
I also run LMDE on a separate drive and have yet to ever break it.

 

[Perpetual Padawan]

General consensus around Linux .org and indeed any Linux forum is that anything that is based on Debian is going to have the same attributes as its parent. Reliable and stable.

Ubuntu is based on Debian (Testing), Siduction is based on Debian (Unstable, thus the same "Sid"), etc. Ubuntu is arguably not stable because it's not built from Debian Stable, rather it's built using Debian Testing. They're re-writing all the core utilities in Rust, and making other changes that make Ubuntu anything but stable. These get passed along "downstream" to Ubuntu's derivative distros as well. The good ones have to clean up Ubuntu's experimental messes before releasing their own distributions that are built on an Ubuntu foundation.

So I would suggest that anything that is based on Debian Stable is going to have the same attributes as it's parent: Reliable and stable.