HOWTO: Convert Debian Wheezy XFCE to LMDE XFCE

[maxibuntu]

I just converted Debian Testing (Wheezy) XFCE to Linux Mint Debian Edition XFCE. It's a rather simple procedure.

I have no problems with Wheezy, on the contrary, it is fabulous. But I need to upgrade the systems of some Ubuntu Lucid users. I've been playing around with Precise/Unity for a a few months now and ultimately decided it is still not mature and contains too much commercial bloat. What's more I am tired of reinstalling Ubuntu releases on a number of computers every few years. So I decided to upgrade those computers to LMDE, because it is a rolling distro and makes use of upgrade packs (In Wheezy upgrading is too much for the n00b). But it also means I have to run LMDE on my own computer, because I change apt-configuration and other configuration now and then and ssh/rsync it to the other boxes (yes, I could do that in virtulabox too).

Here's how to do it:

Change your /etc/apt/sources.list. Delete the debian repos and add the following mint repos:

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

Create an /etc/apt/preferences file with the following content:

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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

Modify /etc/lsb-release to look like this:

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DISTRIB_ID=LinuxMint
DISTRIB_RELEASE=1
DISTRIB_CODENAME=debian
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Linux Mint Xfce Edition"

Update the package database, install the linuxmint keyring and mint packages (I use sudo but you can use "su -" of course):

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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install linuxmint-keyring
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --reinstall synaptic
sudo apt-get install mint-artwork-debian mint-artwork-xfce mint-backgrounds-debian mint-backgrounds-xfce mint-common mint-info-debian-xfce mint-translations mint-x-icons mint-x-theme mintconfig-xfce mintdesktop-xfce mintsystem mintupdate-debian python-webkit

(mintupdate-debian needs python webkit)


Then fire up synaptic and search for 'mint' to see if there's more Mintstuff that you might want to install. The Mint software center is called mintinstall. The ubuntu based software-center doesn't seem to work on LMDE (ImportError: No module named LinuxMint).

Wheezy has some slightly newer libraries than LMDE. During upgrades you might encounter broken packages that depend on older libraries. If that happens try to uninstall such a libary and reinstall it. It will reinstall the older LMDE version.

#UPDATE

I have later removed four packages I don't need:

- mint-artwork-debian, mint backgrounds-debian, mint-x-theme (I use other themes and backgrounds).
- mintconfig-xfce (XFCE comes with a configtool of its own which is good enough for me).

[lizbeth]

You have overlooked the fact that you can not install mint-meta-codecs or mint-meta-debian-core which are standard on any LMDE system. If you did manage to install them, I'd like to know how because I haven't found a work around.

[rop75]

These packages are available in the repos, if you can't get them by using apt-get install or synaptic, maybe you should change your sources. Anyway, if you don't want to edit your sources file, you can always download those packages from the linuxmint page (they are available in the main repository): packages.linuxmint.com/list.php?release=Debian ... It is not the best solution but it might help.

BTW: If you a are going to edit your sources.list, choose the right mirrors, please have a look at this thread: viewtopic.php?f=185&t=112047

[squeezy]

You have overlooked the fact that you can not install mint-meta-codecs or mint-meta-debian-core which are standard on any LMDE system. If you did manage to install them, I'd like to know how because I haven't found a work around.

You'll have to locate the missing dependencies in order to install these meta packages. I'm posting from a Debian Wheezy installation right now that I converted to LMDE, running the MATE desktop.

You can go to snapshot.debian.org to get the missing deps. On a 64-bit system, I believe you need pidgin-facebookchat, gstreamer0.10-esd, and defoma to enable the meta packages to install. For a 32-bit system you have to add gstreamer0.10-pitfdll as well.

I simply went to snapshot.debian.org and downloaded the most recent versions of these that I could find. Since they're deprecated anyway, nothing really seems to care about them being there, except the meta packages.

Also, installing the pidgin package gets you into a little extra dependency chase if I recall, but installing it, then running sudo apt-get -f install fixes it right up.

My Wheezy install is running with all the proper Mint meta packages, the Mint preferences file, and pointing at Debian Wheezy sources (in addition to the Mint packages repo) with zero problems. I also run MATE's Wheezy repo since it is updated when Mint's MATE packages are not. It's pinned in the preferences file at the same level as Mint (700).

Wheezy isn't really going to change too much between now and its release as Stable so I expect this setup will be good for some time yet.

[lizbeth]

Thanks for that. I went there to snapshot didn't see it at first, but i found it..... The crazy thing is I have it installed on my lmde cinnamon system. I looked it up in synaptic, it's there. I have the same repos in the one I'm converting but it's not there.

[lizbeth]

GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.Error.Failed: An authentication agent already exists for the given subject


Any idea what this means?

[lizbeth]

Well I got those in. Still no sound in VBox. I double checked all the sound files. pulse audio doesn't seem to be working though.

[dwainehead]

mmm I get this error after adding the minuxmint-keyring and running apt-get update

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E: Release file for http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/dists/testing/InRelease is expired (invalid since 110d 20h 3min 42s). Updates for this repository will not be applied.


Not the 1st time I've tried this and got this error....

[squeezy]

Sounds like you have your basic installation working, that's good. Not sure about your pulseadiou situation. It worked straightaway for me, although I did remove it in favor of ALSA-only since I use my PC to record with using Ardour/Jack, and Jack an pulse don't play nice together. If you notice, my mint-meta-debian-mate package has a different date than what's in the repos. I modded it to remove the hard dependency on pulse.

The crazy thing is I have it installed on my lmde cinnamon system. I looked it up in synaptic, it's there. I have the same repos in the one I'm converting but it's not there.

In the Mint ISOs for LMDE, you'll notice these packages are listed in the Local/Obsolete view in Synaptic. They're holdovers from earlier ISOs and no longer reside in a referenced repo, that's why they're listed in that view. If you install and update from a newer Debian base, you won't find these packages in the repo, as you found out.

It seems Mint just keeps building from existing ISOs when they make a new spin. I wish they'd start from a fresh base each time. They'd find these outdated dependency issues in their meta packages then.

[squeezy]

mmm I get this error after adding the minuxmint-keyring and running apt-get update

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E: Release file for http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/dists/testing/InRelease is expired (invalid since 110d 20h 3min 42s). Updates for this repository will not be applied.


Not the 1st time I've tried this and got this error....

This is because Mint pulls a copy of the Debian repo at a point in time, and it's never updated again until the next Update Pack begins development. Apt gives an error if it thinks the repo being used is too old and possibly contains outdated packages. You have to create an apt config file with a parameter in it to ignore expiration warnings. I forget the exact command, but it's documented here in the forums. You'll find it easily with a search.

If I was at my Mint computer I could find it for you, but alas...my wife's Win7 laptop.

[Monsta]

You have to create an apt config file with a parameter in it to ignore expiration warnings. I forget the exact command, but it's documented here in the forums.

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$ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80mintupdate-debian
Acquire::Check-Valid-Until "false";

BTW, this file is included in the mintupdate-debian package.

[maxibuntu]

@lizbeth: I did not overlook the packages, but i simply did not install them because I don't need them. I like to keep my system and my menus as lean as possible so I don't use all the non-essential ease-of-use toys. I mainly converted from Wheezy to LMDE because of the update packs, it is the only LMDE feature that's important to me.

Mint-meta-codecs wants to pull in mint-flashpluging and that doesn't work here. So I opted for flashplugin-nonfree.

Mint-meta-debian-core wants to pull in the following:

- grub2-themes, mint-backgrounds-debian - I use other themes or no themes at all and so have no need for the stock themes and backgrounds.
- gtk2-engines-* - Not needed, I cleaned my system entirely from gtk2 applications.
- mint-search-addon, mint-stylish-addon - I don't need Firefox tweak (and I'm using Iceweasel anyway, because FF is updated too often to my taste, I'll take the security risk for granted).
- mintbackup - I have my own rsnapshot backup scripts.
- mintnanny - I simply edit /etc/hosts from Gedit.
- mintupload, mintwelcome - Don't need them.
- mintwifi, ndis* - I don't have WiFi on my desktop.

There are 4 more packages that I got rid of after I wrote the original post:

- mintdesktop-xfce - Not needed
- mint-artwork-debian, mint backgrounds-debian, mint-x-theme - Again, I use other themes and backgrounds.
- mintconfig-xfce - XFCE comes with a configtool of its own which is good enough for me.

[lizbeth]

I am nearing a perfect release for lmde lxde but i lost my mouse scroll.

[lizbeth]

I am nearing a perfect release for lmde lxde but i lost my mouse scroll.