Restoring [K]Ubuntu 20.04 after removing Python with apt-get

TLDR: I need to restore my distro after sudo removing all Python dependencies

I did the stupid thing and now I need to fix it. I wanted to do a clean install of Python for a class, uninstalling all programs that I installed using the command our teacher gave us (basically, remplacing apt-get install in the line he gave us to install Python with apt-get remove). So I ran the following:

sudo apt-get remove python3 libfreetype6-dev python3-pip python3-virtualenv

And, not paying enough attention to the list of dependencies that were going to be deleted, I went on with the command. Now I am left without Kubuntu, but KDE is still installed (it seems so, at least): I can still use the GUI + access Dolphin, Discover... I also installed Mozilla using sudo apt-get install without any issues and can go on the internet. In turn, it seems like apt-get is working. I haven't tried anything since.

This topic has been adressed a few times :

• How to restore after accidentally apt-get remove python
• I run `sudo apt-get remove python2.7`, can I restore my Ubuntu now?
• Apt-get remove python ~150Mb / apt-get install python 687kb
• Deleted the python binary, and can't recover using apt-get, what can I do?
• I accidentaly did sudo apt-get remove python
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/36752875/apt-get-remove-python-by-accident

Instead of asking the same question once more, I'll ask what's the best way to go around restoring Kubuntu 20.04 after sudo remove-ing Python? There seems to be three ways to do this:

• (no 1): Reinstalling Kubuntu from the command line, using: sudo apt-get install --reinstall kubuntu-desktop, possibly after running (source: How to restore after accidentally apt-get remove python):

sudo apt-get install --reinstall python python-chardet python-colorama python-distlib python-django python-django-tables2 python-six python-html5lib python-lxml python-minimal python-pkg-resources python-setuptools python-urllib3 python-requests python-pip python-virtualenv

sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-dnspython

sudo apt autoremove

sudo apt-get -f install

This would reinstall everything python-related that I've deleted and then I should be able to reinstall Kubuntu without any issues. But I'm not sure I should run autoremove since there's a huge list of extra packages that would be removed. Any extra input on that matter?

• (no. 2): Installing the entire list of packages that I deleted running my apt-get remove command. The list comes from /var/log/apt/history.log (see bottom of the post for the list, it's a long one). Would this restore everything, or would reinstalling them (using apt-get) somehow change things from the way they were before? There is also a list of packages that are not longer used since running my sudo apt-get remove command, which apt-get recommanded me to get rid of using autoremove (smelling something fishy I did not run autoremove!) (I can update my post with this list, if it's of any use).

• (no. 3): Doing a clean install of Kubuntu from a live USB key. It seems overkill, but since I saved all my files to a hard drive before trying to solve my problem, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle.

Which option would work best / be the easiest? Obviously, I'm pretty unexperienced with the command line (although a very enthusiastic Linux user), so the easiest option would (no. 1) would be the best for me. Anything else I should be watching out? Thanks so much for your input !!

The list of dependencies removed by apt-get:

  foomatic-db-compressed-ppds gdal-bin gnome-control-center gnome-menus gnome-online-accounts gnome-user-docs gvfs-backends
  hplip hplip-data ibus indicator-applet indicator-bluetooth kio-extras kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-notification-helper
  kubuntu-settings-desktop language-selector-common language-selector-gnome libfreetype6-dev libsmbclient lsb-release muon
  netplan.io networkd-dispatcher openprinting-ppds pastebinit plasma-desktop plasma-desktop-data
  plasma-discover-backend-snap plasma-discover-snap-backend plymouth-theme-kubuntu-text plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text
  printer-driver-foo2zjs printer-driver-foo2zjs-common printer-driver-m2300w printer-driver-postscript-hp
  printer-driver-ptouch printer-driver-pxljr printer-driver-sag-gdi python3 python3-appdirs python3-apport python3-apt
  python3-aptdaemon python3-aptdaemon.gtk3widgets python3-attr python3-automat python3-bcrypt python3-blinker python3-brotli
  python3-cairo python3-certifi python3-cffi-backend python3-chardet python3-click python3-colorama python3-commandnotfound
  python3-constantly python3-cpuinfo python3-crypto python3-cryptography python3-cups python3-cupshelpers python3-dateutil
  python3-dbus python3-dbus.mainloop.pyqt5 python3-debian python3-decorator python3-defer python3-dev python3-distlib
  python3-distro python3-distro-info python3-distupgrade python3-distutils python3-dns python3-entrypoints python3-filelock
  python3-gdal python3-gdbm python3-geoip python3-gi python3-gi-cairo python3-gpg python3-gssapi python3-hamcrest
  python3-httplib2 python3-hyperlink python3-ibus-1.0 python3-idna python3-ifaddr python3-importlib-metadata
  python3-incremental python3-jwt python3-kerberos python3-keyring python3-launchpadlib python3-lazr.restfulclient
  python3-lazr.uri python3-ldb python3-lib2to3 python3-libtorrent python3-lz4 python3-lzo python3-macaroonbakery
  python3-mako python3-markupsafe python3-more-itertools python3-nacl python3-netifaces python3-nose python3-numpy
  python3-oauthlib python3-olefile python3-opengl python3-openssl python3-paramiko python3-pexpect python3-pil python3-pip
  python3-pkg-resources python3-problem-report python3-protobuf python3-ptyprocess python3-pyasn1 python3-pyasn1-modules
  python3-pygame python3-pymacaroons python3-pyqt5 python3-rencode python3-renderpm python3-reportlab
  python3-reportlab-accel python3-requests python3-requests-unixsocket python3-rfc3339 python3-samba python3-secretstorage
  python3-service-identity python3-setproctitle python3-setuptools python3-simplejson python3-sip python3-six
  python3-software-properties python3-systemd python3-talloc python3-tdb python3-tk python3-twisted python3-twisted-bin
  python3-tz python3-uno python3-update-manager python3-uritools python3-urllib3 python3-virtualenv python3-wadllib
  python3-wheel python3-xapian python3-xdg python3-xkit python3-yaml python3-zeroconf python3-zipp python3-zope.interface
  samba-common-bin samba-dsdb-modules samba-libs sddm smbclient snapd software-properties-common software-properties-gtk
  software-properties-qt system-config-printer system-config-printer-common system-config-printer-udev
  ubuntu-advantage-tools ubuntu-docs ubuntu-drivers-common ubuntu-minimal ubuntu-release-upgrader-core
  ubuntu-release-upgrader-qt ubuntu-standard ubuntu-system-service ufw unattended-upgrades unity-control-center
  update-manager-core usb-creator-common usb-creator-kde vlc-plugin-samba xorg xpra xserver-xorg yelp```

Solution 1:

There is no "best way".

sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop^ should do it. If it does not work, you will have to reinstall.

Never mess up with the default python. You can install additional versions of python and use a virtualenv.