Upgrading from 18.3 to 19

[JerryF]

Has anyone had any problem going from 18.3 (Xfce) to 19 (Xfce)? I don't mean using the upgrade technique found here https://www.tecmint.com/upgrade-to-linux-mint-19/, but using the Install from a live USB/DVD, then choosing the Something else option.

My USB 3.0 drive that has a full install (not a Live USB) had a / and /home partition. I assigned the / 18.3 partition as the new 19 / partition, and chose Format the partition. Then I assigned the /home as /home but without the Format option.

All seemed to go well, but 19 would have glitches here and there. Programs wouldn't open, some file permissions were incorrect, and some other things I can't recall.

I ended up doing a complete reinstall of 19 Xfce (which included formatting the /home partition as well) onto the USB. Working like a charm now.

Data backup wasn't an issue. I use this USB as my "portable" Mint.

[karlchen]

<Side note>

[...] going from 18.3 (Xfce) to 19 (Xfce)? I don't mean using the upgrade technique found here https://www.tecmint.com/upgrade-to-linux-mint-19/, [...]

This is an instruction on how to perform an in-place upgrade from Mint 18.3 to Mint 19.
To be precise this is just a minimally rephrased copy of Clem's genuine tutorial How to upgrade to Linux Mint 19, pimped up with a few screenshots.

</Side note>

[gm10]

All seemed to go well, but 19 would have glitches here and there. Programs wouldn't open, some file permissions were incorrect, and some other things I can't recall.

Since you migrate your program settings along with your home folder it's conceivable that some programs find settings they cannot handle, although that's unusual on an upgrade. Depending on where the files with the incorrect permissions were located it is also possible that you did not have the box checked to format the / root partition when installing despite how you remember it. If the permissions were off in the / root partition then that would be my guess, if in the /home partition then that's just the nature of things, your previous user might have had a different user id, a recursive chown can fix that.

It's hard to answer without more details which can't be had since you wiped it all now.

[JerryF]

<Side note>

[...] going from 18.3 (Xfce) to 19 (Xfce)? I don't mean using the upgrade technique found here https://www.tecmint.com/upgrade-to-linux-mint-19/, [...]

This is an instruction on how to perform an in-place upgrade from Mint 18.3 to Mint 19.
To be precise this is just a minimally rephrased copy of Clem's genuine tutorial How to upgrade to Linux Mint 19, pimped up with a few screenshots.

</Side note>

I tried that, with the simulation first and there were so many "error" warnings and took hours to try and repair.

[JerryF]

...
Depending on where the files with the incorrect permissions were located it is also possible that you did not have the box checked to format the / root partition when installing despite how you remember it.
...

I definitely had the box checked to format, because I made sure (3 times) before executing.