[SOLVED] linuxmint updater has ubuntu updates

[jghh+]

I'm a newbie and confused about which updates to download/ install in linuxmint cinnamon serena 18.1. There are 160 updates listed in my update manager, but none of them are for linuxmint except for 1 to update my update manager. The other 159 seem to be for ubuntu, kubuntu, lubuntu firefox, etc. and do not list linuxmint in their text. Are linuxmint the ubuhtu updates all supposed to be downloaded and installed? I'm asking how I can tell which should be downloaded and installed and which, if any, should be ignored.
I've used windows since 95 and heard about linux last year and decided to install it on this old windows vista computer. I tried an
old ubuntu 10.04, liked it, and just love linuxmint cinnamon serena 18.1. Don't think I'll upgrade until I'm more familiar with linux in general The user guide and numerous other queries have not answered ny question about what or which updates to use. Perhaps someone could give me an answer or link, guidance, etc. Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

[WharfRat]

Hello jghh+

Welcome to Linux Mint and the Linux Mint forum

Mint's base is Ubuntu so the updates you see are all legitimate and should be applied.

There's a description here

[jimallyn]

Mint is "based on" Ubuntu, and much of the software Mint uses comes from Ubuntu. And Ubuntu gets much of that from Debian. One of the nice things about Linux and the software we run on it is that it is all "open source." That means that anybody can use it as they wish, including using it in another Linux distribution.

[Cosmo.]

There is in the starting post one strange detail. The OP writes, that he sees 160 updates, one of them for the update manager. Actually an available update for the update manager should hide all other updates, until the update-manager update has been applied. That means, that you should not see this one and the other 159 all together. Do at first a refresh on the update manager and see, what you get. An update for the update-manager has to get applied in any case at first.

[jghh+]

Thanks for the welcome WarfRat Thanks for your info & solution Jimallyn. Now I can really get into linuxmint. Thank you Cosmos for your help. I'd already installed/updated the package manager and that's when I saw the other 159 updates. Now I will install all updates within my safety parameters of 1, 2, and some three's until I become more knowledgeable with linuxmint.
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Thanks Linux Mint Forums for being there for all of us. I'm so happy I got answers & learned how to use a forum.