LMDE Repos hell

[Davarish]

Ok here comes a complete newbie question. I downloaded and installed the latest build of LMDE, I did the latest updates and then I came here to the forums where I found this 3rd upgrade package thing and I did it. No software or hardware problem everything works just fine. The only thing that I can't understand is the way repos work on LMDE. The update manager is called mintUpdate and it didn't do any updates on the last 4 days. Is this normal? I read that after the upgrade package I should be working with debian update instead of mint update but it has not changed and I searched it on synaptic and it says that debian upgrade package is installed. I am confused and this is not the only source of my confusion. By default, the update manager has 3 repos activated. The main, the upstream and the import. Even when I activate backport and romeo nothing happens. No new versions of the programs come up. Shouldn't there be new versions? Also even when I added manualy the sid repos the mintUpdate program found no updates. I can't understand what I am doing wrong. Last but not least, I thought that LMDE is based on Debian Wheezy so whatever package there is for Wheezy I have it. I will tell you an example that shows that this doesn't work either. I have installed deluge from the package manager and its version is 1.3.2, but the version I found on deluge website for Wheezy is 1.3.3. I am completely confused, I spent a lot of hours reading here on the forums and I tried the IRC multiple times and I have not yet had a clear answer on what exactly is going on with LMDE repositories...

[Oscar799]

Moved here from Newbie Questions on the main forum

[proxima_centauri]

LMDE is based upon Debian testing, codename Wheezy.
LMDE recently switched to it's own repositories mirroring the testing repositories with it's own differences - namely introducing the update pack method.
LMDE does not update with the same frequency of Debian testing any longer.

[Davarish]

Ok thanks for the reply but it only answers one of my questions. Why nothing happens when I activate romeo for example? Is this normal? How am I supposed to activate the import repos? Is it safe? It is checked by default on the software sources options but the update pack says the system point to the LInux MInt Debian Latest repos. How am I supposed to change this? Also what is going on with this debian update vs mintUpdate prog? Is it normal that I use MintUpdate?

[proxima_centauri]

Because romeo isn't used in LMDE. The only import section is from the packages.linuxmint.com repository.

I'm not sure what you mean for Debian Update vs Mint Update? as far as I know there should just be Update Manager (mintUpdate). Otherwise there is the Package Manager (Synaptic).

[wyrdoak]

I'm ported to Debian testing now but still keep the Mint testing just in case:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Code: Select all

# deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming testing main contrib non-free
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free

## DEBIAN
deb http://ftp.us.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

[tdockery97]

Also what is going on with this debian update vs mintUpdate prog? Is it normal that I use MintUpdate?

It is the new system set up for LMDE. By mirroring the Debian Testing repositories, Mint can make sure that there are no packages in the updates that cause breakage. If there are, you will find notes in the Mint Update Manager that tells you so, and may even suggest fixes or workarounds. It means you will get your updates later than regular Debian Testing, but it is supposed to be a little safer for your system.

Even though your LMDE installation comes with this as default, keep in mind that using the Mint Update Manager is voluntary. You can change your repositories to the regular Debian Testing repos and do your updates the normal Debian way using the Terminal.

[vrkalak]

I'm ported to Debian testing now but still keep the Mint testing just in case:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Now, you should check, the /etc/apt/preferences - to see which has higher priority? testing or mint?

The highest Preferences priority, gets updated first.

Possible resources/guides:
Apt-Preferences > http://wiki.debian.org/AptPreferences
Apt-Pinning: Living on the Edge > http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic ... edge-with/

Debian/LMDE, is just, so much fun to play with ... truly is.

[wyrdoak]

Forgot to add that one to the post

Code: Select all

Package: *
Pin: release o=linuxmint
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: origin packages.linuxmint.com
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: release o=Debian
Pin-Priority: 500

[Davarish]

Ok thanks everyone your replies have been very helpful. Many things are cleared now in my mind. I have one last thing that bothers me. I want my system to point to the import packages which are newer right? I don't know how to do this and also I am not sure if this is safe. I read that something may brake but it will get fixed fast. I don't mind if something like fireox or libre office or nautilus brakes if it gets fixed in the next update BUT is there a chance that I will not be able to even log-in into the gui and make the updates? I am not a console/terminal fan so if something goes wrong on the Xorg or Nvidia drivers or the DE i am lost...

[wyrdoak]

This is usually the way I run mine, with few problems, but I run an Intel chip set.

Code: Select all

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming testing main contrib non-free
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
# deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/incoming/multimedia testing main non-free

## DEBIAN
deb http://ftp.us.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

Mint update is gonna say nasty things to you, that's why I didn't originally post it that way. I works for me.

Make sure you pin in /etc/apt/preferences [see above post]

Can't say about them nasty Invidia gremlins though.

[zerozero]

i believe all the questions here are answered, anyway just adding my 0.2 cents

No software or hardware problem everything works just fine.

very good, we are very happy to know that

I read that after the upgrade package I should be working with debian update instead of mint update but it has not changed and I searched it on synaptic and it says that debian upgrade package is installed. I am confused

Code: Select all

apt-cache policy mintupdate-debian

should say installed 1.0.4 and here you can read a little more about MU-debian and the UP

By default, the update manager has 3 repos activated. The main, the upstream and the import. Even when I activate backport and romeo nothing happens. No new versions of the programs come up. Shouldn't there be new versions?

well, not really, there's some confusion there: check your repos

Code: Select all

inxi -r

if they are still the default, you have 4, (packages.linuxmint, main debian, security and multimedia)
backport and romeo are part of the linuxmint repo and are empty

Last but not least, I thought that LMDE is based on Debian Wheezy so whatever package there is for Wheezy I have it. I will tell you an example that shows that this doesn't work either. I have installed deluge from the package manager and its version is 1.3.2, but the version I found on deluge website for Wheezy is 1.3.3.

LMDE is based on wheezy/testing but since the update-packs those 3 repos (main debian, security and multimedia - actually these last 2 only after UP3) are mirrored by Mint, snapshoted in a given moment, tested in incoming and if everything looks OK sent to latest (the repo you should be tracking if you installed the 201109 iso): this gives the end-user (you) a more stable system, but eventually your system may be at one given time with some delay over testing (delay corrected in the next UP);
- now here you have a couple options (between latest and incoming the difference is not relevant - one week maximum and you can get an UP with some weird pkgs on it): stay as you are and accept the delay but enjoy the stability of the system or jump to testing (the repos wyrdoak posted and follow the breakage topic everyday before updating the system)

[Davarish]

Thank you all for your precious help. I tried to follow all your instructions and I managed to change the repos succesfuly and see that there are many many new updates. I didn't do any of them though. I decided to do nothing and put back the stable and safe latest mint repos. I enjoy the fantastic stability of this system and the version on everything i use is relatevly recent/new. Your posts helped me understand what is going on with the repos and allowed me to experiment in a small scale to see that everything will work as it is supposed to according to what i read here. Thanks everyone for your help and thanks to the developers for this fantastic distribution