Suggestion for improving the installer

[Brian777]

I just upgraded my desktop from LMDE 4 to LMDE 5. I have my root directory and my home directory on separate partitions, so I just had to move some free space from /home to / as a safety factor (this took 13 hours) and then I was able to perform the installation without losing any of my files from /home. But since then I have had to reinstall numerous software packages (both programs and libraries) that were lost when the root partition was wiped and rewritten. This has taken many hours.

I strongly prefer in-place upgrades, such as I used in migrating from LMDE 3 to LMDE 4. That way I don't lose anything.

In the absence of that, it shouldn't be too hard to have the installer provide a new option for people who are upgrading an existing installation so that the installer will read the list of packages that are currently installed and then try to reinstall any of them that are missing (using either the most recent version or the same version, at the user's choice) once the upgrade is complete. That would make it immensely less painful to recover from an upgrade and get the system back to the capabilities it had prior to the upgrade.

[SMG]

I strongly prefer in-place upgrades, such as I used in migrating from LMDE 3 to LMDE 4. That way I don't lose anything.

There is a new Upgrade Tool which debuted for updating LMDE4 to LMDE5. The announcement was made here How to upgrade to LMDE 5 on May 8th and links to the Linux Mint Blog post How to upgrade to LMDE 5 which describes the steps to use the new tool.

Would that have fit your need better than doing a fresh install?

That tool will also be able to do an in place upgrade from LM20.3 to LM21 when LM21 is released later this summer.

[RIH]

In the absence of that, it shouldn't be too hard to have the installer provide a new option for people who are upgrading an existing installation so that the installer will read the list of packages that are currently installed and then try to reinstall any of them that are missing (using either the most recent version or the same version, at the user's choice) once the upgrade is complete. That would make it immensely less painful to recover from an upgrade and get the system back to the capabilities it had prior to the upgrade.

This ability already exists in the Ubuntu based Mint systems (I am not sure about LMDE, as i don't use).
By using the included Backup Tool it is possible to:
1. List out all Applications added to the current version of Mint into a text file that can be Restored to a newly installed system. The tool will only automatically re-add Applications that you installed via the repositories. Anything else is left as a list that you need to manually install.
Obviously, it will not install an Application that does not exist in the new system repositories, again these are listed out for user manual action.
2. Copy the users /Home directory (including hidden system files) that can then be restored to the new system.

This is the method that I have used for the last major upgrades - from 19 to 20.
I prefer a clean install in order to not carry over any unneeded baggage from my old system.
It also gives me an easy opportunity to re-examine exactly what Applications I need to install.
i don't keep my user data on /Home but on another partition (for ease of backup) so I no longer bother to have a separate partition for root & /Home which further eliminates the issue of just how big or small root needs to be..

[insomniacno1]

I welcome this new upgrade tool with open arms, as it has been long awaited. I always disliked having to wipe and do clean install, and hope that in the future, will be a thing one only do when everything else has been tried.

That said, it would be a good improvement if the upgrade tool could upgrade 20.2 or lower versions to the newest major release version, not everyone is happy about the new layout in 20.3, I know I'm not and the reason I have not yet upgraded - I'm using 20.2 Cinamon.

So, as of now, having to first upgrade to 20.3 and then use the upgrade tool to upgrade to 21 seems to me as bad move on the developer teams part.

I hope they will consider this option.

I used linux as my Main OS since Windows 7 went EOL(I used it as a secondary OS since XP), I tried Windows 10 but didn't like it and first used Xubuntu then Peach OSI( until the developer died from COVID-19, last year and development stopped). I tried the new Ubuntu versions, but liked Linux Mint and the people using it attitude toward not-hardcore users better. In the Philippines there is a word for the experience I have had with support on Ubuntu over the many years: Mayabang

As a tech blogger and 35 years in IT, as support, technician and install, I find the Linux Mint family warm and welcoming compared to other distros.

We need to help eachother, in order to have a better world.

I always disliked having to tell a customer to re-install their system, and tried as much as possible to avoid that, until this became the official policy of the support business and how callcenters were run, and even then I tried to avoid it, which caused some clashes with my bosses from time to time.

[smurphos]

not everyone is happy about the new layout in 20.3, I know I'm not and the reason I have not yet upgraded - I'm using 20.2 Cinamon.

What new layout? The themes got a bit of a revamp for 20.3 (and will again for 21 out of necessity to support GTK4), but there has been no major change to the default Cinnamon panel layouts since 19.1.....

[SMG]

That said, it would be a good improvement if the upgrade tool could upgrade 20.2 or lower versions to the newest major release version, not everyone is happy about the new layout in 20.3, I know I'm not and the reason I have not yet upgraded - I'm using 20.2 Cinamon.

I have no idea to what you are referring with regards to a new layout. I'm using Cinnamon and nothing was changed in the layout when I upgraded from LM20.2 to LM20.3.

So, as of now, having to first upgrade to 20.3 and then use the upgrade tool to upgrade to 21 seems to me as bad move on the developer teams part.

If all you are doing is getting from LM20.2 to LM21, then you'll only be using it for a few minutes while you upgrade. Not sure why that would be much of a concern.

[insomniacno1]

Because of internet here, I have to choose what I download and if it is really something that I need. And the fact that I have to install an PPA in order to get my current legacy layout back, if I upgrade to 20.3, is not something that Im keen on.

I like to keep my customizations between versions.

Others might have another reason.

But lets say that I were using LM19, then I would have to upgrade to all newer versions before upgrading to the major version(this is how it is now).

An option to upgrade from any previous versions to the newest and keep your customizations, would be favorable.

[smurphos]

Because of internet here, I have to choose what I download and if it is really something that I need. And the fact that I have to install an PPA in order to get my current legacy layout back, if I upgrade to 20.3, is not something that Im keen on.

I'm still not sure why you think upgrading (via Update Manager) to 20.3 will damage your customisation and 'legacy' layout - it won't. If it's the theme tweaks to Mint-Y that you object to, the pre 20.3 themes are all still available - just with legacy added to the package name and they are available in the main Mint repo - no PPA required.

But lets say that I were using LM19, then I would have to upgrade to all newer versions before upgrading to the major version(this is how it is now).

Nope a Mint 19 user can upgrade in one go to 19.3 via Update Manager (there's no option to just go to 19.1 or 19.2), then from 19.3 to 20 using the legacy CLI mintupgrade tool, and then should they wish too, in on go via the Update Manager to 20.3.

Many folks (me included) are happy to upgrade via Update Manager for the point release upgrades (they are generally quick and painless). Personally for the major release (i.e 20.3 to 21) later this year I still prefer a fresh install. It's quicker (and less bandwidth) for me to fresh install, and apply my personal tweaks, remove unwanted and reinstall wanted software etc than a major upgrade, plus a good opportunity to clean out the crud and review what of my personal tweaks are needed still in the new package base. But then again I have a 'method' to make this process quick and painless.