Upgrade to new release is too complicated

[Wiggler]

I think it's so complicated that is better do a fresh install rather than doing such steps and this is what I've done so far.

I always did a fresh install especially from a LTS to another.

The process of upgrading should've been more automated for a distro that is geared towards newcomers.

[Moonstone Man]

The process of upgrading should've been more automated...

I think that expectation fails to recognise a major point in software development, especially WRT the underlying OS and the Cinnamon DE. Both of those are under active and heavy development. It should always be expected that something will go wrong; just look at Microsoft deleting user files during upgrade, and rendering many machines completely useless. Setting aside the fact that it is reasonable to expect some issues with an in-place upgrade, there are cost and commercial pressures too. There comes a point where it simply isn't viable to continue streamlining an upgrade process because the progress of development would be impacted. Would you prefer that the Linux Mint team dump all their resources into a 100% guaranteed upgrade path, or would you prefer that they continue to work on important features?

It's a simple trade-off, and more could be said about the complexities, impacts and costs of continuing to streamline an upgrade process. To many people, it's reasonable to view in-place upgrades as a mere convenience, not a right, and those people who have more experience in or understanding of their OS will nearly always forgo the upgrade and perform a clean install. So, there you have yet another trade-off. All of these points require the team to make decisions that affect us all.

... for a distro that is geared towards newcomers.

Ah, the cloven hoof of imaginary things has popped out from under your dress. Linux Mint has absolutely no expressed '[gearing] towards newcomers.' That is your assumption being expressed as fact, and it's wrong in both cases.

The purpose of Linux Mint is to provide a desktop operating system that home users and companies can use at no cost and which is as efficient, easy to use, and elegant as possible.

[Wiggler]

I think that expectation fails to recognise a major point in software development, especially WRT the underlying OS and the Cinnamon DE. Both of those are under active and heavy development. It should always be expected that something will go wrong; just look at Microsoft deleting user files during upgrade, and rendering many machines completely useless. Setting aside the fact that it is reasonable to expect some issues with an in-place upgrade, there are cost and commercial pressures too. There comes a point where it simply isn't viable to continue streamlining an upgrade process because the progress of development would be impacted.

I've used many distros before chosen Mint, the process of upgrading in other environment are not so complex and problems can happen on any distro. I'm not saying that. We all know Linux Mint is over recommended to newcomers due to the easy-to-use, Windows-like desktop environment, being based on Ubuntu which is a very popular distro with huge community. There are tons of reasons for Mint be what is it.
I just think the process could be less harmful, get it?

Would you prefer that the Linux Mint team dump all their resources into a 100% guaranteed upgrade path, or would you prefer that they continue to work on important features?

It depends on what "important features", but better trying to do both slowly. Improvement tends to take time.

It's a simple trade-off, and more could be said about the complexities, impacts and costs of continuing to streamline an upgrade process. To many people, it's reasonable to view in-place upgrades as a mere convenience, not a right, and those people who have more experience in or understanding of their OS will nearly always forgo the upgrade and perform a clean install. So, there you have yet another trade-off. All of these points require the team to make decisions that affect us all.

This problem is also caused by Ubuntu. If it were a rolling release distro (not bleeding edge), probably such issue wouldn't happen, but since there are different LTS's; things get a bit hard to manage.
I used to use Fedora and it was pretty annoying updating, even though it wasn't hard, but unstable in most cases.

Ah, the cloven hoof of imaginary things has popped out from under your dress. Linux Mint has absolutely no expressed '[gearing] towards newcomers.' That is your assumption being expressed as fact, and it's wrong in both cases.

It's the assumption everyone has about Mint and thats why it's very recommended to newcomers rather than Arch, Gentoo, Slackware.

And Ubuntu, Zorin, Manjaro, Pop!_OS, elementaryOS also are like Mint is this regard, out-of-the-box-, with tools to make things easy, less usage of terminal, user-friendness, short learning curve, similarities to Windows on its workflow, appearance.

The purpose of Linux Mint is to provide a desktop operating system that home users and companies can use at no cost and which is as efficient, easy to use, and elegant as possible.

Far from being the only reason for people to use Linux Mint. Others distros can also apply to this.

[Moonstone Man]

Far from being the only reason for people to use Linux Mint.

That's hardly the point.

It's the assumption everyone has about Mint ...

It certainly is not my assumption. It only takes one black swan to prove that all swans are white is false.

[Wiggler]

Far from being the only reason for people to use Linux Mint.

That's hardly the point.

It's the assumption everyone has about Mint ...

It certainly is not my assumption. It only takes one black swan to prove that all swans are white is false.

Why do think Mint is very popular? Because "The purpose of Linux Mint is to provide a desktop operating system that home users and companies can use at no cost and which is as efficient, easy to use, and elegant as possible."

Or because it's easy to use, manage, install, has GUI for almost everything, based on a popular distro, huge community, has similarities to Windows which most users are used to? Mint "just works", has a very traditional approach a lot of people love. Me included.

It can be used for everyone, it's easy to learn, the learning curve is not as hard as it is on Arch, Gentoo, for example. Can't even compare.

[Hoser Rob]

I've been doing a clean reinstall rather than a release upgrade fro some time but not because the point release upgrade is complicated but because it's not reliable anough. This is true in both Mint and its Ubuntu base and has been for years.

[Moonstone Man]

I've been doing a clean reinstall rather than a release upgrade fro some time but not because the point release upgrade is complicated but because it's not reliable anough. This is true in both Mint and its Ubuntu base and has been for years.

I would never do an upgrade, I always clean install, and I make regular backups. You're quite right, it's never reliable enough.

[Pierre]

I've been doing a clean reinstall rather than a release upgrade fro some time but not because the point release upgrade is complicated but because it's not reliable anough. This is true in both Mint and its Ubuntu base and has been for years.

I would never do an upgrade, I always clean install, and I make regular backups. You're quite right, it's never reliable enough.

this time around, I've done Two in-place upgrades & they both had some issue(s).
& so an Clean Installation, it was .. that worked, strangely enough.

[Moonstone Man]

this time around, I've done Two in-place upgrades & they both had some issue(s).

You're game

[Pierre]

ie: both of my in-place "upgrades" did Fail

but, I've done this before .. so this was Not on this Laptop .. my Main Machine.
and so, an Clean Installation was done, and that did work .. okay.

it's why I've got Several PCs

[bob466]

I always do a clean Install on a spare Drive...the safest way .