Continuing the thread that was closed here: Remove "derived from symbol"
Why can I not un-derive a symbol - I don’t want to go and create a new symbol and overwrite the one I have already created ! Why is there not an option as it mentioned in the help text?
I think this should be classed as a bug and fixed.
Andy
I remember that I was reporting it. I found it under my ‘Closed’ issues so at first moment assumed it is fixed. But reading issue:
it was not fixed but only signed as duplicate of:
So it looks that it is not fixed yet.
You can vote for them.
It is surprising that even both links here looks like being link to the same issue first one opens my issue even here the title is of the issue it was said to be duplicate of it.
Something tries to know better than me what I linked.
@Piotr Thanks for the links - I did not find the one that is still open.
It seems like a straightforward fix as I just delete the derived entry in the library file.
Andy
I’m the one that reported the one that’s still open. It only got two votes in three years, so it doesn’t seem to be much demand for it…
@albin I guess it is not such a common problem for most and I have only had to un-derive once so I can see why it has not got many votes 
At the end of the day, it is easy enough just to hand edit the kicad_sym file to remove the derived reference.
Andy
I got around it by exporting it which saves everything in plain text, and reimporting it.
A “Derived” symbol is a symbol that has an identical drawing to another symbol, but a different name.
eg, From the Kicad Comparator Library a LM393 is derived from a LM2903.
If you create a symbol and derive that symbol to create a new symbol, you are stuck with the drawing of the original symbol. This can sometimes be useful. A derived symbol does not overwrite the original symbol. It is just a copy of the original with a new name.
If you wish to modify an existing symbol, to create a new symbol, you must first find the original symbol (not a derived version) then use that to modify. Attempting to use a derived symbol to create a new symbol will overwrite an existing derived symbol (your problem, I guess).
The italisized print and warning (red and yellow arrows) show C1 is a derived symbol. The magenta arrow shows the original (parent) symbol (C) that must be used to create a modified symbol.
To create a new symbol from the original, whilst still keeping the original, use:
In reference to this thread I tried yesterday to take a derived symbol find the symbol it was derived from and then use that to make a copy, hoping in the process to make something similar that was not derived . . . I failed.
Have you been able to do this ?
Yes.
To use File > New Symbol, you first need to find a symbol in a library (any symbol not derived in any library including Kicad read only) and copy it.
Next, in New Symbol window, leave the “Derived from existing symbol” box either blank or “do not derive”.
This results in a new symbol with no drawing. Next you paste whatever you copied into the drawing window.
I prefer “Save copy as” (1 less click 
)
First, find a symbol somewhere (not derived) and File > Save copy as, fill in the name and library you want in the opened window, OK, then scroll to, and open, this symbol with the new name that is perhaps in a new library. Finally, modify.
Does this help?
I thought I had tried this, but when I pasted in nothing was pasted . . . maybe at that point I was copying from a derived symbol not the original source.
I’ll give it another go . . . 
I just tried that. I get nothing also.
If it is getting late and you have developed a list, so everything is italicized (or liquid lunch), check the magenta arrow in the above screen grab to find the parent symbol.
Yeah it works fine copying from a non-derived symbol. Thanks.
