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HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:44 am
by Doctore
Those who prefer so, can transform their LMDE Squeeze "Testing" to LMDE Squeeze "Stable",
by changing ALL repositories from testing to squeeze in their "sources.list" before Debian Squeeze
goes Stable. And then automatically have an LMDE "LTS" edition.

Its easy keeping the system safe and updated by using Debian Security and Debian Backports
as additional repositories.

Change from (example):

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 # deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ testing main contrib non-free
To:

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 # deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main contrib non-free
Doctore

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:43 am
by adefigo
What about that:

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sudo su -c "sed -i.bak s/testing/squeeze/g /etc/apt/sources.list && apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade"
Much shorter! ;-)

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:52 pm
by Doctore
Or graphically (for GUIS and mouseowners) :roll: .

Within Synaptic Packet Manager:
1) Select Settings
2) Select Repositories
3) Select Other Software
4) Click on Edit
5) Change "Distribution" from "testing" to "squeeze" in each line

Within Gedit texteditor:
1) Start Console
2) Type" sudo nautilus
3) Type your password
4) Searchpath in filesystem "/etc/apt/sources.list"
5) Open "sources.list" with Gedit
6) Change "testing" to "squeeze" in each line

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:55 pm
by jackmule
Would not this take the fun out of having a continuously rolling update? To each his own, but I think this would defeat the purpose and the beauty of LMDE. Where am I wrong on this? Just curious. I probably do not know enough so therefore I am dangerous. :mrgreen:

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:12 pm
by zole052
ikey wrote:
jackmule wrote:...You might even change your opinion once the
floodgates are opened on testing, who knows :mrgreen:
floodgates :?:

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:02 pm
by Doctore
jackmule wrote:Would not this take the fun out of having a continuously rolling update?
Every PC-minute downtime cost money. So, stability without crasches and surprises
is most preferrable at daily work work. Its another story at home.

Is still using own homebrewed Xandros (Stable & Backports). But without security
updates for Etch, switching is necessary. With Testing freezed for bugsquashing
and LMDE released with Squeeze base, Mint became topcandidate as replacement.

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:26 pm
by RHTopics
It is my understanding by changing /etc/apt/sources.list from "testing" to "squeeze" at this point in time, it will still allow you to change it back in the future with relatively few problems.

On the other hand, if you stay with "testing" after Debian 6.0 has been released to stable, it would be much more problematic to revert back to "squeeze".

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:02 pm
by enedene
If I understood correctly LMDE also uses some nondebian repositories (main for example)?
If you keep the debian packages stable is it possible that packages from "main" need newer software versions from debian repositories and as a result you don't get upgrade from "main"?

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:45 am
by verden
I can understand the idea of changing testing to squeeze but what about the linuxmint debian packages?
Would there be a conflict with squeeze packages once squeeze is stable and testing changes from squeeze?
I also agree that you could easily change from squeeze to testing without too many problems.

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:01 am
by Doctore
The Mint repository includes under 40 Mint specific packages (including themes and wallpapers)
and over 80 Firefox and Thunderbird packages. You can prevent breaking Squeeze during upgrade
by using "Default Upgrade" within Synaptic or "apt-get upgrade" within Console,

Heres the LMDE "sources.list":

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deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main non-free
When going the Stable route, its an good idea to include Backports to "sources.list".
More here: Backports now an official Debian repository

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 1:54 pm
by jackmule
Doctore wrote:The Mint repository includes under 40 Mint specific packages (including themes and wallpapers)
and over 80 Firefox and Thunderbird packages. You can prevent breaking Squeeze during upgrade
by using "Default Upgrade" within Synaptic or "apt-get upgrade" within Console,

Heres the LMDE "sources.list":

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deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian testing main contrib non-free
deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main non-free
When going the Stable route, its an good idea to include Backports to "sources.list".
More here: Backports now an official Debian repository

What is the entry to add Backports to "sources.list." I am not at my home computer so I am a little lost here. All of the other instructions are clear.

I have one computer at home that I have to use so I will probably be going to the squeeze stable route. If there is a floodgate in testing in the future, I cannot afford to be with a broken system. Thanks!

jackmule

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:09 am
by Doctore
Check the updated information at Debian Backports.

New "sources.list" for Backports (Lenny not Squeeze):

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deb http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports lenny-backports main contrib non-free

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:44 am
by ej64
Doctore wrote:New "sources.list" for Backports:

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deb http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports lenny-backports main contrib non-free
Good luck with this! :roll: :wink:

A "stabilized" LMDE uses debian squeeze. So, when Debian Squeeze will have been released, you may use "squeeze-backports" which IMO don't exist right now.
Using lenny-backports on squeeze may break your system!

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:29 am
by Doctore
My mistake. That is the repository line for Lenny. Edited previous post
and filled in "Lenny not Squeeze". Sorry for your inconvience :mrgreen: ...

The correct repository will be known when Squeeze Testing goes Stable.
However, Backports repository for Debian Squeeze is already created:
http://backports.debian.org/debian-back ... backports/
(But lacks packages until "Stable" state).

So, the line for Squeeze Backports in "sources.list" will probably be:

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deb http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports squeeze-backports main

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:42 am
by graeme
This looks perfect for me. Debian speed and stability made Minty! What are the disadvantages?

Might it prevent you from getting updates to Mint stuff, Firefox and Thunderbird that depend on a newer version that is only in unstable? If so, is any of the Mint stuff likely to need security upgrades? The other two clearly do, but we can use Iceweasel and Icedove from Debian stable backports.

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:27 am
by anamnesis
My suggestion: change that *before* you consider to install Google-chrome and/or the liquorix kernel (sid-repo!), or you will face some weird problems when you update the repos because there appear "liquorix.list.save" that of course can't be read and also a google-chrome.list.save in the sources.list.d. I couldn't sort out yet why that happens.
hth

Re: HOWTO: LMDE "LTS / Stable"

Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:28 am
by Grey Dog
Hi All,

There was a point above brushed up against, but not directly attacked:

If the primary focus of the package development is to follow along the testing path, won't future packages deviate from the stable base? Backports is an option, but only if a backport is made.

How stable will it *really* be??