It is common for Linux newbies to run into issues due to accidental changes in settings, leading to unstable and erratic system performance. How about an idea of having a master reset button that allow you to reset the computer to factory settings?
Resetter is a promising free utility for Ubuntu based distributions. It will help to reset an Ubuntu, Linux-Mint, elementary OS and derivatives to stock, without having to reinstall entire OS again. Seems like the idea popped up from the existing factory reset feature in smartphones.
Resetting Ubuntu to factory settings
STEP 1: Download Resetter from the official Github page. The file name should be similar to resetter_1.1.3-stable_all.deb, except the version number may be different depending on when you download it.
STEP 2: The downloaded file is a .deb binary. So all you need to do is double-click on it and install.
STEP 3: After installation is complete, launch ‘Terminal’ and enter the following command to launch ‘Resetter’. The program will only work in root mode. Hence it won’t work if you just launch it from applications menu.
sudo resetter
STEP 4: You have two options to reset:
Automatic Reset: This option will reset everything including the user account registered in the PC. It will however create a new user ‘default’ and provide you the password at the end so that you can login and start using the brand new installation.
Custom Reset: You get selective options on how you want to reset the PC. You can check the settings individually that needs to be reset, for a controlled factory restore.
You can choose either one depending on your need. In my test PC, I choose to ‘Automatic Reset’.
STEP 5: Click ‘Yes’ to confirm.
STEP 6: It will list all the packages that will be removed. Click ‘OK’.
STEP 7: After the reset process is done, it will create a new user account and show you the login credentials. Make sure to note it down, else you can’t login to the PC.
STEP 8: Finally, reboot to complete the factory reset. Enjoy!
