LMDE new installation gets hosed by first round of updates

[scoy]

I have been a user of Ubuntu for years and when the later versions started having issues with my displays I moved over to Debian for stability. Getting a bit bored of that I decided to try Mint for the first time and still wanted the dependability of Debian's base.

Running the latest LMDE Cinnamon Edition from a Live USB instance proved that I did not have display issues, I was able to install my favorite work software, and enjoyed the new Cinnamon environment. So I moved on to handy Install Mint option.

Issue 1: The installer did not setup my partitions in an optimal way for me. Had to manually change everything. But was able to get the install completed and reboot into the new Local OS.
Issue 2: Housekeeping 101 - run through all updates before customizing my new desktop. I run Update Manager - click Install Updates and after about 35 minutes I get a message about failures and cannot complete. (sorry I don't have the exact error as I got frustrated and have to post this from another machine)
So I close update manager and open Synaptic to see Broken filter is needed. I look at the broken list and its extensive with critical packages. This post http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=198&t=145926&p=767667&hilit=updates+broken#p767667 talks about it. Performing the suggested command (sudo apt-get -f install) does resolve those broken packages.
I probably should have not done this but I rebooted thinking that i will start fresh and check for updates again - cinnamon constantly crashed and i could not use the environment - so i have to flip to Gnome to do the rest.
Going back to Update Manger i still have 900+ updates. Run those and get this error at the end: "E:initramfs-tools: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1"
Going back to Update Manager i have 500+ updates. Run those and finally it completed without errors! Time to reboot to see if I can use Cinnamon.

Finally I can move on!! Everything is up to date and working - including Cinnamon.

All in all I am not impressed with the fluidity of the initial install. It seems really buggy and frustrating to have to spend 3+ hours to get a new install up and running clean.
If anyone has suggestions on a better way to go through the process let me know - maybe post a better install guide that addresses these possible issues. I am hesitant to go through this again with my laptop.

Either way maybe this will help set expectations for others going through an install.

System info:
HP Z400 Desktop
nvidia quadro nvs 290
5GB Memory
Dual Samsung SyncMaster 953BW displays

[cwsnyder]

Update 7 is not expected to be rolled into the .iso files until after Mint 16 is released, and possibly a couple of months later. This is not an optimal time to install LMDE. I have been running LMDE since about November 2010, and Debian since July 2008, for a view of my perspective.

Issue 1: By default, to keep from confusing the n00bs, LMDE installs only a / (and possibly a swap as well) partition, with everything installed in that partition. This is a decision by the maintainers. If you don't like it, you can do as you have done and do your partitions manually. As far as I have read in any of the blogs, that will probably remain that way.

Issue 2: See the first paragraph. Whenever possible with that many updates I run from the command line to view any possible problems, so I can't confirm this one.

The major advantage of LMDE over even Debian is that it is a semi-rolling release. Once LMDE was installed, I didn't have to re-install when Debian went from Squeeze (6.x) to Wheezy (7.x), and didn't even have to edit my /etc/apt/sources.list, except for any non-standard repositories.

The major disadvantage is the one you found: Soon after a new Debian release the old Testing repositories are not immediately replaced by Unstable repositories, then there is a delay in getting an Update Pack, and a further delay before the latest Update Pack is combined into the new .iso's for new installers.

[scoy]

cwsnyder - thank you for the information - It would be typical that I chose the wrong time to move to a new release.

The rolling release is very attractive to me and I hope that it will go well moving forward. I do feel confident that the installation ISO will eventually have more of the updates rolled in so that the installation is smoother. I just wonder how many will be as turned off as I was and instead jump ship. I am going to tough it out.

There have been a few more bugs and pieces of software that are preventing me from being completely back up to speed with where I was with Debian. The main issue is not being able to get Citrix running again due to certain files being too new for the Receiver installer.

[cwsnyder]

You can add repositories to LMDE in your /etc/apt/sources.list in the same manner as in Debian if you need newer releases than are available in LMDE, just make sure the priorities for the repositories are set properly.

[Monsta]

Running the latest LMDE Cinnamon Edition

I run Update Manager - click Install Updates and after about 35 minutes I get a message about failures and cannot complete. (sorry I don't have the exact error as I got frustrated and have to post this from another machine)

You probably stumbled upon this: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=198&t=146220

I probably should have not done this but I rebooted

Exactly. You've rebooted into a half-upgraded system. You were lucky that it booted normally and you were able to fix what's broken. A lot of users made the same mistake and ended up with a system capable of booting only in the so-called "recovery mode" without GUI and network.

[paulbonner]

cwsnyder - The main issue is not being able to get Citrix running again due to certain files being too new for the Receiver installer.

I've had the same problem. The issue, as far as I've been able to glean from various forums--is that the 64-bit Citrix Receiver remains dependent upon some 32-bit libraries (lib-asound2 for one) that aren't being carried forward in the most recent 64-bit Debian kernels. The workaround I've arrived at isn't elegant, but it works: install a lightweight 32-bit distribution in a VirtualBox VM and install the 32-bit Citrix Receiver there. That works for me because I have very little need to copy anything back and forth between my LMDE system and the system I'm accessing with Citrix, but your mileage may vary if that's an issue for you.

[Monsta]

The workaround I've arrived at isn't elegant, but it works: install a lightweight 32-bit distribution in a VirtualBox VM and install the 32-bit Citrix Receiver there.

I suggest you read [url=http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=190&t=122296]this thread[/url] (and maybe Debian wiki too). Multiarch is a useful thing to know in the modern Debian world.

[ddurdle]

Adding some of my thoughts as well.

I have a lot of 32-bit only apps for work that I need on my system. I often ran into problems during UPs. When UP6 came around, I followed the documentation to move to multiarch, but I also created minimalistic chroot 32bit environment where I could install all my work apps to. Then I just create icons on my LMDE 64bit system to invoke them as they were just another application installed natively. I based my chroot off of LMDE 32bit UP6. I made sure everything works etc, and I keep a UP6 repository on a bluray disk incase I need a package some day (so I don't need to upgrade it). It essentially ensures that you have a foolproof system with your critical software not being affected by upgrades.

Its a very similar idea to storing a vm, but without the overhead.