Linux Mint 5.0 is the latest release, so you are bang up to date. To answer your question as to whether you can do a rolling upgrade, it is possible but there are many pitfalls and it is a complex process to carry out. The problem is although Mint is heavily based on Ubuntu, it has many additional repositories, so unlike Ubuntu in Mint a rolling upgrade is not recommended. I carried out a test run on a spare box, upgrading from Mint 4.0 to 5.0 and it is a complete nightmare.
LUg.
For whoever gave me the thumbs down. This is the nightmare I refer to, are you ready for this ?
Should you upgrade or install from the CD?
We strongly recommend fresh installs (downloading the CD and installing from it). A fresh install gives you a complete Linux Mint system with all its default settings and artwork and in a state that we have successfully tested. By performing an upgrade you only update important pieces of the system and your own settings are preserved (this means for instance that you don't necessarily get the new artwork).
Of course with a fresh install you loose all your installed applications and system settings and you may not want to go through that again. For this reason we're publishing this howto. Remember though, this is a best effort, only recommended to people who are experienced with APT and who are not afraid to use the command line.
As with a freshinstall we recommend you backup your data before you proceed with the upgrade.
Note: If you're using a proprietary nVidia or ATI driver you may experience problems while upgrading xorg and the linux kernel. Unless you know what you're doing we strongly recommend you do a fresh install.
Good luck and enjoy Daryna.
How to upgrade from Celena?
Change your APT sources
Edit the sources.list as root (sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list) to make it look like this:
## -----------------------
## LINUX MINT REPOSITORIES
## -----------------------
## +++ Daryna (Linux Mint 4.0) +++
deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna main upstream import
## deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna community
## deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna backport
## +++ Romeo (Linux Mint Unstable) +++
## deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository romeo daryna
## +++ Source Repositories +++
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna main upstream import
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna community
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna backport
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository romeo daryna
## -------------------
## UBUNTU REPOSITORIES
## -------------------
## +++ Gutsy (Ubuntu 7.10) +++
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted universe multiverse
## +++ Backports & Proposed (Ubuntu Unstable) +++
#deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
#deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-proposed main restricted universe multiverse
## +++ Source Repositories +++
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy main restricted universe multiverse
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
#deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted universe multiverse
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
## ------------------
## OTHER REPOSITORIES
## ------------------
## +++ Canonical +++
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu gutsy partner
## +++ Medibuntu +++
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ gutsy free non-free
Change your APT preferences
Edit/Create the APT preferences file as root (sudo gedit /etc/apt/preferences) to make it look like this:
Package: *
Pin: release o=linuxmint
Pin-Priority: 700
Package: *
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: 500
Remove obsolete software
Open a terminal and type the following command:
* apt remove beryl beryl-core beryl-manager beryl-plugins beryl-plugins-data beryl-settings beryl-settings-bindings libberyldecoration0 libberylsettings0 linux-image-2.6.20-15-generic linux-restricted-modules-2.6.20-15-generic mintconfig mintdisk usplash-theme-cassandra usplash-theme-ubuntu usplash-theme-bea usplash-theme-bianca desktop-effects emerald-themes emerald ntfs-config xorg-edit tomboy-mint libemeraldengine0 sunbird-mint
Upgrade your packages
Open a terminal and type the following commands:
* apt update
* apt upgrade
* apt dist-upgrade
Repeat the three commands above until the output says for both upgrade and dist-upgrade that there is nothing to upgrade to.
Install additional software
Open a terminal and type the following command:
* apt install fast-user-switch-applet tracker tracker-search-tool libdeskbar-tracker mintupdate ttf-liberation tomboy displayconfig-gtk lightning-extension libpam-gnome-keyring
Clean up
Edit all .desktop files in /usr/share/desktop/kde (sudo gedit filename) and add the following line at the end of each file:
* OnlyShowIn=KDE;
Edit /usr/share/desktop/gnome-about-me.desktop and /usr/share/applications/gnome-cups-icon.desktop (sudo gedit filename) and add the following line at the end of each file:
* NoDisplay=true
Run the following command: sudo rm -rf /etc/default/cdrecord
Run the following command: sudo rm -rf /etc/default/rscsi
Edit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist (sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist) and add a line "blacklist ipv6" in the end of the file
Run the following command: sudo mv /etc/gdm/PostLogin/Default.sample /etc/gdm/PostLogin/Default
Open the GDM configuration tool from the control center and reapply your theme
Edit /etc/gdm/PreSession/Default and go to the end of the file where the variable BACKGROUNDCOLOR is assigned, replace the value with #000000
Edit /etc/cups/cups-pdf.conf and make sure "Out" (at the beginning of the file) is set to ${HOME}/Documents
Run the following commands:
* gconftool-2 --type int --set /apps/metacity/general/num_workspaces 4
* gconftool-2 --type int --set /apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/hsize 4
* gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/compiz/plugins/cube/screen0/options/color 000000ff
How to upgrade from Daryna BETA 021?
Change your APT sources
Edit the sources.list as root (sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list) to make it look like this:
## -----------------------
## LINUX MINT REPOSITORIES
## -----------------------
## +++ Daryna (Linux Mint 4.0) +++
deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna main upstream import
## deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna community
## deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna backport
## +++ Romeo (Linux Mint Unstable) +++
## deb http://www.linuxmint.com/repository romeo daryna
## +++ Source Repositories +++
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna main upstream import
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna community
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository daryna backport
## deb-src http://www.linuxmint.com/repository romeo daryna
## -------------------
## UBUNTU REPOSITORIES
## -------------------
## +++ Gutsy (Ubuntu 7.10) +++
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted universe multiverse
## +++ Backports & Proposed (Ubuntu Unstable) +++
#deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
#deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-proposed main restricted universe multiverse
## +++ Source Repositories +++
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy main restricted universe multiverse
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
#deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted universe multiverse
#deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
## ------------------
## OTHER REPOSITORIES
## ------------------
## +++ Canonical +++
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu gutsy partner
## +++ Medibuntu +++
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ gutsy free non-free
Change your APT preferences
Edit/Create the APT preferences file as root (sudo gedit /etc/apt/preferences) to make it look like this:
Package: *
Pin: release o=linuxmint
Pin-Priority: 700
Package: *
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: 500
Clean up
Run the following commands:
* apt update
* gconftool-2 --type int --set /apps/metacity/general/num_workspaces 4
* gconftool-2 --type int --set /apps/compiz/general/screen0/options/hsize 4
* gconftool-2 --type string --set /apps/compiz/plugins/cube/screen0/options/color 000000ff
* apt install libpam-gnome-keyring
* apt purge envy
* apt clean
* apt install envy mintdesktop mintinstall mintupdate mintwifi
* apt purge compizconfig-settings-manager python-compizconfig
* apt install compiz compiz-core compiz-gnome compiz-plugins gnome-screensaver gnome-system-monitor
I think that kind of clarifies the nightmare ! True it can be done in a straightforward manner with Ubuntu, but when it comes to Linux Mint it is altogether a different animal, even though in essence they are the same distro.
LUg.