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Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:18 pm
by zerozero
if you need this howto to help you make the jump into testing or sid you should think twice because, probably, you are not prepared
general warnings:
- if you leave the update-packs, cinnamon might (will) break one day
- if you leave the update-packs nvidia and amd might break anytime
- if you leave the update-packs you should update frequently (daily if possibly)
why should you do it
- update-packs are boring stable
- you want to learn more about your system and how linux works in general
- you think it's fun spending time maintaining your system
- you want the latest&greatest
why shouldn't you do it
- update-packs are rock solid
- you can't afford downtime / that is a production machine
- you hate when something breaks
which one to pick: testing or sid?
- sid is more interesting but a lot more dangerous: you have to realize that it can break badly in the next update
- breakages and bugs are solved a lot faster in sid (sometimes in the same day) than in testing but are more frequent as well
ok
if you came this far and are still reading let's start
A- system preparation
1- do a full backup of your system
clonezilla is one good option
2- install apt-listbugs
it will save your skin more than once
3- delete the file
/etc/apt/preferences
(i still think that this is the safest and easier approach
)
B- moving to testing
1- check in the
testing breakage topic if there's no problem listed
2- replace all the content of
/etc/apt/sources.list with
Code: Select all
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import backport
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.deb-multimedia.org testing main non-free
and
Code: Select all
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
3- this might be the end of the jump
and you're welcome to join me and a few others in the testing breakage topic, or if you want to keep on climbing i would advise a break now (a couple days) check that everything is working as it should in the system;
once happy and if the plan is sid step 2
C- moving to sid
1- check in the
sid's breakage topic if the water is good for the jump
2- replace again all the content of
/etc/apt/sources.list with
Code: Select all
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import backport romeo
deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free
deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org sid main non-free
again
Code: Select all
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 10:58 pm
by tdockery97
There you go trying to lure them over to the dark side.
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:00 pm
by zerozero
with that introduction?? i'm afraid "they" won't come even close
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:19 pm
by rop75
Thanks for this really nice how-to, this thread should be stuck/pinned.
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:18 pm
by tdockery97
rop75 wrote:Thanks for this really nice how-to, this thread should be stuck/pinned.
I agree with rop75 zerozero.
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:01 pm
by zerozero
ok
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:03 pm
by cwwgateway
zerozero wrote: with that introduction?? i'm afraid "they" won't come even close
It was a very... conservative introduction. Personally I find UPs to be reliable until you update to the next one (I wouldn't say they were "rock solid"
). Regardless, it's a very good tutorial, and I agree that it should be stickied (I've seen it asked on a number of threads). I especially like the additional resources part, although maybe they could have a one sentence explanation (for example, liquorix kernel - A more up-to-date kernel configured with special options causing it to have better performance than the stock kernel... clonezilla - a life saving app to clone and restore partitions and drives... etc - some of the websites aren't particularly specific).
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:37 pm
by zerozero
cww, good additions
done
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:04 pm
by GeneC
Hey 'zz'
Good thread. Perhaps we can get more LMDE users to jump in. Its really not much harder to track Testing or SID over the Update Packs, just takes a bit more paying attention. Moniter the two "Breakages" threads you pointed too
daily, and do at least
weekly backups (Clonezilla preferred, by me)....
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:09 pm
by zerozero
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:14 pm
by GeneC
....
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:20 am
by autocrosser
GeneC wrote:....
LOL!@!!! I had always thought that Windozs was the DARK SIDE>>>>> You just get a extra dose of "enlightenment" by using Testing or Sid---
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:21 pm
by Chris M
zz, real nice. Just popping in to say hello.
GeneC - (4%'er)
, have you messed around with
Schoelje's LMDX edition? It looks very nice.
I think I'm going to give his 64-bit version a "damn the torpedoes" install go this weekend. I need to read up on it, but if it's using UP, I'll go full Testing.
Been away for a while with Xubuntu. I love it, but I'm getting a little bored, and Testing's about to get real fun. Amazing how quickly 2 years goes by.
Double z, your timing's "perfect". On second thought...
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:33 pm
by zerozero
hey Chris
long time no see you
jump in (again)
we has cookies
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:40 pm
by GeneC
Hey Chris...
Yes, using Schoelje's XFCE right now. Just installed the latest SR .iso yesterday. Its most excellent.. Give it a try...
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 3:44 pm
by Suit
Ok, I've tried this step twice and each time my start menu seems to get hosed particulary when I try and shut down. I'm running LMDE Cinnamon. I did read that Cinnamon can/will break when moving from Update Packs to Testing. However it seems most are having success. I followed the steps listed. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
Re: Jumping to Testing or Sid
Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 11:36 pm
by Suit
I attempted to update to Testing running LMDE Cinnamon. My start menu went all wonky. However after reinstalled ia queried around and it looks like I performed all the necessary steps. Is this normal? Or did I indeed so something wrong?
Moving to Testing in LMDE
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:31 pm
by Suit
I need some help. I really like LMDE but the software is a bit old in some cases. I tried moving to testing but when I did functions in Cinnamon, like in the start menu went a little weird.
Can anyone provide the most up to date steps for moving to testing? I want to be sure I'm updating the sources file correctly with the latest repositories.
Thanks!
Re: Moving to Testing in LMDE
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:40 pm
by cwsnyder
LMDE points to testing by default, through the Mint repos for your Minty flavor. If you want to point to unstable (Sid), that is a separate issue.
My LMDE /etc/apt/sources.list is as follows:
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/debian.linuxmint.com/debian/latest testing main contrib non-free
deb http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/debian.linuxmint.com/debian/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/debian.linuxmint.com/debian/latest/multimedia testing main non-free
My Debian Wheezy (stable) /etc/apt/sources/list, by contrast is as follows:
#
# deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux wheezy-DI-b2 _Wheezy_ - Official Snapshot amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20120905-23:05]/ wheezy main
#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux wheezy-DI-b2 _Wheezy_ - Official Snapshot amd64 NETINST Binary-1 20120905-23:05]/ wheezy main
deb http://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/linux/debian/ wheezy main
deb-src http://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/linux/debian/ wheezy main
deb http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main
# wheezy-updates, previously known as 'volatile'
deb http://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/linux/debian/ wheezy-updates main
deb-src http://ftp.uwsg.indiana.edu/linux/debian/ wheezy-updates main
Of course, your mirrors will probably be different.
Re: Moving to Testing in LMDE
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 4:57 pm
by zerozero
Suit
the guide is up to date (in the procedure);
you still didn't provide any useful information about what went wrong. logs of the update?
did you followed the guide by the letter, specially the part regarding deleting the preference file? that's the most important part (as important as have the right repos)
now on a side note,
the upgrade method is correct but not every day is a good day to upgrade (and that warning is also in the topic); we are in the middle of the gnome3.8 transition and that alone can/will have catastrophic consequences in cinnamon.