Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap!

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xenopeek
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Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap!

Post by xenopeek »

This is an end of support announcement for users of Linux Mint 14, 15 and 16. Please upgrade to Linux Mint 17 as soon as possible!

Linux Mint 16 has reached end of support today, July 17th. If you are still on Linux Mint 14 or 15, those have reached end of support on May 16th and January 27th this year respectively (Linux Mint 15 had half the support period of Linux Mint 14).
All Linux Mint 17 releases are LTS releases. This applies to Mint 17.1, too, they all will be supported till April 2019.; please upgrade as soon as possible.

Linux Mint 17.1 Cinnamon and Linux Mint 17.1 Mate were released November 29th, 2014. Therefore upgrading to Mint 17.1 directly instead of upgrading to Mint 17 will be perfectly all right.
Linux Mint 17.1 KDE and Linux Mint 17.1 xfce will follow soon...


Why being supported does matter

Several security vulnerabilities have been found that aren't fixed on unsupported software. Cf. Main Edition: BASH vulnerability a.k.a. 'Shellshock' and SSL 3.0 vulnerability a.k.a. "POODLE" (CVE-2014-3566). The supported Mint versions 13 and 17 quickly received bugfixes for their software. The obsolete Mint versions 14, 15 and 16 did not and will not. Their software will remain vulnerable.


FAQ

What about Linux Mint 13?
If you are still on Linux Mint 13, you're fine as it is supported till April 2017. However, new versions of Linux Mint developed software like Cinnamon, MATE, and the Mint tools will not be available on Linux Mint 13. For the remainder of its support period, Linux Mint 13 only receives updates for security issues.

What does "end of support" mean for me?
End of support means that you will no longer receive updates for security issues on your installed software (be that your operating system or programs you use). Most critical this means you will not receive updates to your web browser (and haven't received them in quite some time for Linux Mint 14 and 15), which as time goes by makes it increasingly risky and unwise to use it for anything serious like online banking. Your web browser is the weakest link on your computer.

Users of Linux Mint 14 and 15 may already also be noticing problems while updating or trying to install new software; the servers from which updates and new software is installed are being shut down. This will result in errors in Update Manager and Software Manager. While you can take steps to remove these errors, the fact remains that you will never be getting updates for Linux Mint 14, 15, and 16 again.

How do I upgrade to Linux Mint 17?
The recommended way is to do a clean installation, as described in this tutorial: http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/2. You can install Linux Mint 17 from DVD or from a USB thumb drive (for USB thumb drives, see this tutorial: http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/744).

You can download Linux Mint 17 from here: http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

When should I upgrade, right now?
The intent of this announcement is not to make you rush recklessly into upgrading :) Take your time to prepare the steps, make sure you have backed up your important personal files and settings, but try and plan to do the upgrade shortly -- say before end of July or early August.

For Linux Mint 14 and 15 you'll understand there is some more urgency to upgrade, or at least be extra careful on the Internet as you're using an outdated browser that has known security issues.

Will I have to upgrade again in 6 months?
Linux Mint 17 is supported till April 2019, so no you don't have to upgrade again in 6 months. For the entire support period of Linux Mint 17 you'll receive updates for security issues.

Between now and the release of Linux Mint 18, which you can expect mid 2016, releases of Linux Mint (17.1, 17.2, and so on) will all based on Linux Mint 17. Those releases will give you new versions of Linux Mint developed software like Cinnamon, MATE, and the Mint tools, and new versions of other popular software as well as enablement of drivers for newer hardware. You'll have the option to upgrade in-place to those releases without needing to do a clean installation.
Last edited by karlchen on Thu May 14, 2015 4:21 pm, edited 8 times in total.
Reason: Added note on the recent bash security breach which will not be patched in obsolete Mint versions, which underlines that it pays to use a supported release; Jan.: 2015: added note about Mint 17.1 as the most recent Mint 17 editions
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Brahim Salem

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by Brahim Salem »

thanks :D
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Spearmint2
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by Spearmint2 »

thanks for the reminder. I turned on my updater and made sure to update my M16 fully today, also my M16 flashdrive install. I'm procrastinating on M17 a bit longer.
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by Bolle1961 »

@xenopeek posted your post on twitter
https://twitter.com/Debian4Ever/status/ ... 5133093888
ClutchDisc

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by ClutchDisc »

xenopeek wrote:Between now and the release of Linux Mint 18, which you can expect mid 2016, releases of Linux Mint (17.1, 17.2, and so on) will all based on Linux Mint 17. Those releases will give you new versions of Linux Mint developed software like Cinnamon, MATE, and the Mint tools, and new versions of other popular software as well as enablement of drivers for newer hardware. You'll have the option to upgrade in-place to those releases without needing to do a clean installation.
Good write up xenopeek!! I've been using 17 here since the RC. :D One question though. How will the 17.x updates come.. through the update manager like all the other updates? Is it known how that will work yet? Just wondering, thanks!
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xenopeek
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by xenopeek »

On the blog it was noted by Clem that the upgrade would be optional, by how exactly it will work I think won't become clear till closer to 17.1 :wink:
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by xenopeek »

With thanks to Karlchen, for Linux Mint 16 you can add the PPA for Ubuntu Mozilla Security Team and that will give you one last Firefox upgrade: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-mozilla-s ... ubuntu/ppa. With that you'll be more secure online for the next 6 weeks. Useful if you need a little more time preparing your move from Linux Mint 16 to 17.
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ClutchDisc

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by ClutchDisc »

xenopeek wrote:On the blog it was noted by Clem that the upgrade would be optional, by how exactly it will work I think won't become clear till closer to 17.1 :wink:
Thanks for the reply, that is what I thought would be the answer. I'm just wondering because I administer Linux Mint systems for family and friends, and wondered how easy of a thing it would be for them to update.
AnotherJohnC

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by AnotherJohnC »

Can you explain why you think the browser would be out of date? Which browser? I'm using Olivia and chrome is updating still as recently as yesterday.
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xenopeek
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by xenopeek »

All your software will stop receiving updates from the main repositories from "somewhere" July 17th. I say somewhere, as I don't know exactly at what time the last update will be done--nor do I know what the timezone difference between that and you is. It might be July 18th for you :wink: And if you have installed software from PPAs or other repositories, the maintainers of the those might continue a little longer to push updates for Linux Mint 16--but don't count on it.

For your example, I think you know Google Chrome adds its own repository to your system so you may continue to get updates from there for a longer period. But again, all software installed from the main repositories will no longer get updates.

If you won't take my word for it, here is the end of support announcement from Ubuntu 13.10 (the package base used on Linux Mint 16): https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubunt ... 00185.html
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by Spearmint2 »

Just curious, but what would happen if users of 14-16 changed their repository entries to the same as for 13? Wouldn't only things newer than they currently have be updated? I've heard of people moving up a repository version, but never what might go wrong if they moved back to one that was still supported?
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by xenopeek »

As an example say Linux Mint 13 has version 4.1 of some package, and gets security fixes backported as version 4.1.1, 4.1.2, and so on. Linux Mint 16 may have version 4.7. It's a higher version number, but you'll continue to run a risk because the security issues don't get fixed as you're not getting the backports because your version number is higher. The only piece of software for which your idea might work is the Firefox browser. But that alone will not make you safe. But yes, as noted in the FAQ, installing Linux Mint 13 is a solution to get back on a supported version also.
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avir673

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by avir673 »

Hi
I'm new to Linux and I'm a little confused with seemingly contradictory messages about upgrading. On the one hand we're told to upgrade (I'm running 16) asap and on the other hand we're told in http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/2 that "If things are working fine and you're happy with your current system, then you don't need to upgrade". I've gone to a lot of trouble over the past month installing my system instead of Windows XP and I'm quite happy with the way it's working. Is it necessary for me to upgrade or is it just to my advantage? If I upgrade to 17 will all kinds of additional programs that I've installed, stop working? Is the safest way of checking this out to run the 17 version off a usb drive and see that everything works? Is there anything else I could do to evaluate the upgrade on my computer?
Thanks for any help.
AviR
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by karlchen »

Hello, AviR.

Clem might have expressed more clearly that there is no need to upgrade, provided your Mint edition is still supported.
I have got a bunch of Mint 13 / Ubuntu 12.04 systems. Both will be supported till April 2017. There is no need to upgrade them to Mint 17 / Ubuntu 14.04 at this point in time.
I have got a Mint 16 system. It has just reached the end of its supported life. Because it will no longer receive security updates, I will stop running it in the near future.

The best way of finding out whether Mint 17 will work correctly on your machine that runs Mint 16 now, is by using the Mint 17 live system from a bootable pendrive or from a bootable DVD.
In case you upgrade by re-installing from the scratch, you will have to install the operating system and the software products which you added to your Mint system and which are not part of the normal Mint installation. (Personally I have got a list of the products that I add to newly setup Ubuntu / Mint systems.)

Kind regards,
Karl
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Simtech68

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by Simtech68 »

karlchen wrote:Hello, AviR.

Clem might have expressed more clearly that there is no need to upgrade, provided your Mint edition is still supported.
I have got a bunch of Mint 13 / Ubuntu 12.04 systems. Both will be supported till April 2017. There is no need to upgrade them to Mint 17 / Ubuntu 14.04 at this point in time.
I have got a Mint 16 system. It has just reached the end of its supported life. Because it will no longer receive security updates, I will stop running it in the near future.

The best way of finding out whether Mint 17 will work correctly on your machine that runs Mint 16 now, is by using the Mint 17 live system from a bootable pendrive or from a bootable DVD.
In case you upgrade by re-installing from the scratch, you will have to install the operating system and the software products which you added to your Mint system and which are not part of the normal Mint installation. (Personally I have got a list of the products that I add to newly setup Ubuntu / Mint systems.)

Kind regards,
Karl
It appears that the Upgrade procedure written by Clem is met with mixed reviews, some saying it works others saying not so well. I realize that these reviews always depends on a persons skill level/understanding of whats going on with a computer system.
That said it would seem that someone in the Linux community would have developed a way for those who want to make the leap from windows to Linux to upgrade a little more seemlessly. Escpecially for those who are using the LTS's. I understand that using an LTS doesn't mean you have to upgrade to the next LTS if everything is running just fine but some like having the latest and greatest Linux software. Yes call it leftovers from the "windows sheepeople" who see something new and gotta have it or those just wanting to stay current.

As for myself I installed Mint13 on a desktop because I wanted a LTS without having to change every six months or so. Now I'll admit that at first I was playing with LM13 every chance I got but that faded due to other things happening at the time. Well last week I got the wild hair to change my laptop to LM13 so I plugged in my LiveCD and ran it on my laptop.....low and behold everything worked out of the box, touchpad, wireless, cd/dvd, internet, everything it was awesome. I notice that when I linked up to the Mint forums that there was a new LTS Mint 17. My thought was if 17 ran on the laptop the just as well, I would try it on the desktop and then upgrade the desktop just so the two machines had the same software.( yeah I know I'm anal but I deal with multiple platforms at work and would rather have the same software at home......it's just a preference) Then I realize that upgrading in Linux is not as easy as it could be.....IMHO.

I guess when I get some time I will experiment with the desktop since that's the machine that needed some tweaking to get LM13 working with the video card
drrdf

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by drrdf »

Thanks for that information. However, I must take issue with "...new versions of Linux Mint developed software like Cinnamon, MATE, and the Mint tools will not be available on Linux Mint 13. For the remainder of its support period, Linux Mint 13 only receives updates for security issues." Previously in terms of the words used Long Term Support meant exactly that; it meant that this was the LTS version which unlike other shorter life versions would be FULLY supported for the rest of its prescribed life (normally 5 years). That still seems to be what it is deemed to mean for other Linux distros - but not now any longer for Mint according to your information here. Why are the developers of Mint now playing with words and terms and changing them to mean something different from accepted useage, and from what they were originally used to mean?

In any case for some time now errors and omissions existing in the original issue of the LTS version have never been corrected in later versions or revisions, so the position of a supposed LTS version has been becoming increasingly indefinite and unreliable. In other words generally chaos has come to reign and normal users do not know where they are with any version of Mint any longer, because what was originally stated can be completely and glibly changed later. This would not be so serious if Mint were updated on a rolling basis like some distros, but as users have come to learn by hard experience, when installing a new version of Mint it is a whole load of hassle, because there is only one way to be safe; that is to back-up all of up your data, including bookmarks and other tags etc., applications and so on, and then to do a complete clean re-install of the new version from scratch. You then have to re-install everything else, which takes a great deal of time all-in-all.

It would thus be helpful to users if we could be informed why these confusing changes in Mint version terms and policies have been made, and what the perceived purpose and advantages of this are?
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by xenopeek »

LTS receives backports only till release of next LTS. Then it switches to maintenance only mode, becomes old-LTS, and only receives security updates for the remainder of its support period. There is no playing with words or terms, this has been the release model from the start. You get 2 years of backports+security updates on LTS, then 3 more years of security updates on old-LTS, for a total of 5 years worry free use. It has been your own erroneous assumption that the release model was different.
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Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by karlchen »

Hello, drrdf.

Discussing Mint 13 in a global announcement that recommends upgrading to Mint 17 in case you are still using an outdated Mint release, is a bit offtopic. Anyway:
Mint 13 LTS is based on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Ubuntu 12.04 is being updated on a regular basis. So Ubuntu 12.04 LTS does receive bugfixes and security updates. With each new service pack Ubuntu 12.04 receives a new kernel series plus accompanying hardware enablement stack. (opt-in for existing installations, mandatory for new installations).
As a consequence Mint 13 users will receive the same bugfixes and security updates from the Ubuntu repositories, too.
The Mint 13 specific desktop environments Mate and Cinnamon are kind of frozen to the latest versions which were available by activating backports from Mint 16, Cinnamon 2.0.14 and Mate 1.6.1 (I think it is 1.6.1).
One of the reasons or the main reason of locking these versions is that the gtk version which is needed for newer Mate desktops and Cinnamon 2.2.13 is not available on Ubuntu 12.04.
As there is a limited number of Linux Mint developers, they have to set up priorities. Backporting current Cinnamon and Mate software to an old gtk is apparently not an option, in particular as they would have to do so with any future Mate and Cinnamon version till April 2017, the end of the supported lifetime of Mint13.
Starting with Mint 17, Mint will follow the progress of the underlying Ubuntu LTS more closely. The exact details have not been announced, however.

For the rest: xenopeek's post applies. - Though the timestamps do not really show, but our posts crossed. Hm. His is more concise, therefore finished earlier than mine. :wink:

Kind regards,
Karl
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drrdf

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by drrdf »

Hi karlchen and xenopeek,

Thanks for your replies and the explanatons. However I do not agree that my comment was inappropriate under this topic ... "Discussing Mint 13 in a global announcement that recommends upgrading to Mint 17 in case you are still using an outdated Mint release, is a bit offtopic." The announcement specifically refers to Mint 13 as a LTS version, but what is given in that announcement does not clarify the position relative to Mayo as you have now done. Thank you for that.
The-Wizard

Re: Still using Linux Mint 14, 15, or 16? Upgrade to 17 asap

Post by The-Wizard »

Thanks xenopeek ,
I have changed granddaughters laptop but been a bit remiss and haven't done mine yet, must take some time to back up and re-install.

wizard
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