Questions relating to LMDE 201403

[AlanWalker]

Two days ago I did a smooth and easy install of LMDE 201403 (Cinnamon 64bit) on a Lenonov T500 but, as this is my first install of LMDE, I find that I have the beginnings of questions related to LMDE maintenance.

Reading, I know that LMDE is based on Debian testing but Debian testing appears to have recently changed and so I don't know if LMDE 201403 is based Wheezy or Jessie; can someone say which it is?

Also, reading Clem's LMDE Update Pack 8 comments at http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2544, I find that to prepare for the next UP I am alter /etc/apt/sources.list to point to the following repositories:

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security testing/updates main contrib no$
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia testing main non-free

Clem notes that using a UP8 safe mirror is advisable, but that the repository URL would necessarily be changed to a selected mirror's address.

Selecting http://mirrors.xmission.com/linuxmint-debian/latest/ as the UP8 safe mirror, it it correct to change

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security testing/updates main contrib no$
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia testing main non-free

to

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://mirrors.xmission.com/linuxmint-debian/latest/ testing main contrib non-free
deb http://mirrors.xmission.com/linuxmint-d ... t/security testing/updates main contrib no$
deb http://mirrors.xmission.com/linuxmint-d ... multimedia testing main non-free

Thanks for your time.

[killer de bug]

LMDE is frozen snapshots of Debian Testing (currently Jessie).

If you install mint-mirrors and mintsources, you can let these packages handle your sources.list files

Code: Select all

apt install mint-mirrors mintsources

In a terminal type:

Code: Select all

mintsources

and select the fastest mirror.

[AlanWalker]

Excellent!

Thank you.

[killer de bug]

I forgot to mention that it will probably duplicate your repo list and that after using mintsources, you should delete your /etc/apt/sources.list file

[AlanWalker]

I forgot to mention that it will probably duplicate your repo list and that after using mintsources, you should delete your /etc/apt/sources.list file

Delete /etc/apt/sources.list? How does it get rebuilt?

Should one save /etc/apt/sources.list before using "mintsources" and restore it after the UDn?

Again, thanks...

[Monsta]

It doesn't, /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-packages-repositories.list generated by mintSources is used instead. See the Update Pack notes for more info.

[AlanWalker]

It doesn't, /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-packages-repositories.list generated by mintSources is used instead. See the Update Pack notes for more info.

Ha! More information! Good! But I'm slightly confused about how ~/sources.list is involved - no matter, I'll get to the bottom of it (hopefully sooner than later).

I'm guessing that 'apt' is not aware of ~/sources.list.d/official-packages-repositories.list. I also guess that 'apt' (outside possible/probable use by 'mintstources') functions independent of 'mintsources'; how does this influence one's use of the 'Synaptic Package Manager'?

I'll be looking at your ref. to "Update Pack notes" now.

Thanks for your time and effort...