Linux Mint 6 x64 released!

[moshbox]

As a followup to my previous post, the issue definately seems to stem from the xorg implementation. I've tried both 173 & 177 versions of the nvidia driver and the result is the same. Boot up, and CPU usage is nominal. Launch Firefox and xorg goes into eating up 40-60% CPU. Shut Firefox down and xorg usage remains around 33% CPU until I reboot.

I personally have no explanation of what might cause this, but I can say that in 5 years of using AMD/NVidia based boxes running Linux, I've never seen this before. Something ain't right here. Note that I always create a virgin user account on a new install to ensure I'm not inheriting problems from my existing /home settings.

[gbybr]

Linux Mint x64 was just the excuse I was waiting for to finally ditch Windows Vista

Brilliant operating system, love it!

[moshbox]

Me again! Just like to report that I solved the xorg problem. While waiting for my PCBSDx64 dvd to burn, I figured confused and copied my xorg.conf over from ubuntu to see if that made any difference.

All I can say is ''Awesome.'' Its clean, its fast, and I'm running more compiz visuals than ever before on this PC. I have to admit I was minutes away from taking PCBSD for a test drive over top of this partition, but now I'm having second thoughts.

I'm not a big expert on X, but to my eyes, the before & after xorg.conf's are functionally identical so I don't know what exactly broke.

Code: Select all

 ~ $ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Default Screen"
    DefaultDepth    24
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load    "glx"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Default Device"
    Driver  "nvidia"
    Option  "NoLogo"    "True"
EndSection

Code: Select all

~ $ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.20090208 |grep -v "^#"

Section "Monitor"
   Identifier   "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
   Identifier   "Default Screen"
   Monitor      "Configured Monitor"
   Device      "Configured Video Device"
   DefaultDepth   24
EndSection

Section "Module"
   Load   "glx"
EndSection

Section "Device"
   Identifier   "Configured Video Device"
   Driver   "nvidia"
   Option   "NoLogo"   "True"
EndSection

Anyway, it's working now. I hope this helps someone else as well as the devs to solve what might have gone wrong. I think I might just spend the evening migrating my /home over here and stay awhile. lol

[jibe]

Hi,

Bad luck ! I installed Felicia just before this announcement

Is there a way to upgrade from the 32bit version to this one ?

[exploder]

YOUR 64 BIT IS ONE BUGGY PIECE OF GARBAGE....GEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Wow, good thing you made your problems so clear.

[exploder]

Hi,

Bad luck ! I installed Felicia just before this announcement

Is there a way to upgrade from the 32bit version to this one ?

Sorry, you will need a fresh install to have the 64 bit Edition. I have never seen an upgrade path from 32 to 64 bit.

[jibe]

Sorry, you will need a fresh install to have the 64 bit Edition. I have never seen an upgrade path from 32 to 64 bit.

Yes, I was afraid of that... However, I think that there is a way to loose as less as possible of the tweakings, saving the config files. But I'am afraid of 2 things doing that :
- Some may be not compatible
- I could forget some of them

Did somebody did this and/or can advice me about doing this way ? Supposing I saved and reinstalled the right config files, and the 32 bits install was Ok, is there some risks that the final 64 bits installation will be unstable ?

[Fred]

jibe,

The problem with upgrading from 32 bit to 64 bit is that if it is going to be a true 64 bit system, as opposed to a 64 bit compatible system, every executable file in the system, and most of the support files have to be replaced. It winds up being a wholesale replacement operation.

Your text configuration files found in your /home directory should work just fine with the 64 bit version, with only minor exceptions.

Fred

[jibe]

Yes, but what about /etc/ config files ? Most of them are text files...

Let's say : I save my /home and my /etc, reinstall totally, and put back my /home and /etc. I should retrieve the same (supposing I re-installed all packages) as what I had before, just with a 64 bits system instead of my old 32 bits. Am I wrong ?

And if I can do this way, what will I save ? All /etc or just some files (which ones) ? Others elsewhere ?

[rivenought]

I know that in /home, you can save your .mozilla-thunderbird settings for your email. There are a couple of other hidden settings such as .tomboy, .purple, and the like that you may want to put in a special place and copy back in later. I also copy the Rhythmbox folder from the .gnome2 hidden file.

I saved the Firefox bookmarks, but not the whole .mozilla file. I wanted a clean upgrade from 32 to 64, and I knew it was OK to transplant those items. If you are moving from Mint 6 to Mint 6, you really should not have any problems. Some people even leave their /home partition unformatted and just install to their / partition. That is your decision. The more you do this, the better you will get. Have fun.

[DShelbyD]

I've run into a major issue with this new x64 edition on my HP Compaq notebook Intel T8100 Dual Core with 2MB dual booting with WinXP (because it's a business notebook).

Installation went fine, upgrades, all OK. After leaving long enough for the screen to blank, say, 30 minutes, I could not wake the machine. The HD light was glowing red. Resetting the xserver did not work from the keyboard (Ctrl-Alt-Backspace), and neither did a soft-reset with Ctrl-Alt-Del. with no ability to get to anything from a black screen with a larger X cursor than should be there at my resolution, I had to hold the on/off button to force it to turn off. This scenario has happened a both times I've left the machine on to go to screensaver and blank screen during the past 24 hours. A couple of hours ago I was running in Mint once again, shut down the computer because I could not login to my webmail account (only this machine would not accept my username/password while others would), and turned the machine back on a couple of hours later. The xserver will not start, and the message is "error writing /etc/mtab.tmp: No space left on device." I've been able to Ctrl-Alt-Del a couple of times, hoping things would re-set, but now it won't shut down and I'm seeing "Will now restart" for the past 5 minutes just sitting there and not restarting. I think it's hosed. There are the CLI shutdown messages (stopping Samba, etc. etc.) that end in "Will now restart." I tried to edit xorg.config from the CLI, but got the "no space" issue, and I'm just stuck with a system that will not get to the Desktop.

Does this sound like the sort of "instability" Clem mentioned in the note with the announcement on DW?

[clem]

No, this sounds like there's "no space left" on your "device" Either your partition is too small, or you need to clear some space. Almost every process logs to files and requires a minimum of space on the hard-drive, when it gets full the system becomes unusable.

Clem

[stevefed5291]

Just upgraded from 32 bit last night, and so far I'm lovin it. Good job guys!

[harryc]

Nice release. I see one problem that is obvious if you use Thunderbird. I cannot create folders in Thunderbird.

[spacegypsy]

Just burned it and trying it out now.

Looks really good!!

Can't wait for next KDE version of Mint...........

[newW2]

@harryc
Odd issue you mention:

I cannot create folders in Thunderbird.

I just did that (made folders in Thunderbird) this morning.

[DShelbyD]

No, this sounds like there's "no space left" on your "device" Either your partition is too small, or you need to clear some space. Almost every process logs to files and requires a minimum of space on the hard-drive, when it gets full the system becomes unusable.

Clem

Clem, thanks. I understand what you are saying. What is not understandable is how the space became full, when I had a root partition of 8.5GB and a home partition of around 10GB. It may be that the swap of 2GB was inadequate. At any rate, I've blown it away and just re-installed. This time I've increase the swap to 4GB and correspondingly reduced the /home size by 2GB.

[IDK]

x86_64 Mint 6 is more fast and stable than x86? Whether there is a sense to replace х86 with the version х86_64?

p.s. Core2 Duo/2Gb

[hyperx]

I installed today the Linux Mint 6 x64 on my Dell Inspiron 1720 and i'm glad to be back! All the hardware works well. Great job and special tnx for the team. Even my HTC Touch HD is syncing with evolution (Synce) and now i don't need a MS-OS anymore. It's very stable and no problems/errors for now.

[lonoy]

Brilliant. A big thank you to all involved.