MX Linux or kernel 5.18 for boot recovery

[Petermint]

LM 21 boot was slow most likely due to fstab error. I edited fstab to comment out some optional entries. The next boot failed in a weird way. I booted from the LM 21 Cinnamon install USB stick and the keyboard would not work. The first working option was to download MX Linux, boot MX, then edit fstab. I did not test the LM LXDE option and did not have an older LM to boot. Best I can guess is, the kernel 5.18 in MX is the minimum for a reliable boot on my machine. Can an LM 21 boot stick be set up with kernel 5.18?

Under LM 20, I had to move up to 5.15 and a new Nvidia driver to make the machine work but there was never a problem with the keyboard. I used mintupgrade to get to LM 21 and there were no problems for a few weeks. The slow boot fstab type problem occurred when I removed an internal SSD. The SSD was not set to mount and I forgot to remove it from fstab.

I decided to comment out the fstab entry as I may reuse the SSD. Some sort of error wrecked the boot. it should have no effect as there were no changes to the boot entries. Whatever it did internally, it let the machine boot up through the login but then damaged the keyboard usage. I could use the mouse to start terminal but could not type anything in.

Several reboots and boots into the LM 21 USB stick. Sometimes the keyboard would work enough to type in the command to edit fstab but it would open read only or with the keyboard inactivated. The mouse always worked.

I do not know why the keyboard failed. I tested with an external keyboard and that did not work.

On another machine, I downloaded MX Linux with the latest kernel, 5.18. Booted MX from a USB stick. Everything worked. I edited fstab to comment out all the optional entries. LM boots perfectly now. I will keep the MX stick in my emergency kit.

MX Linux has a pig of an interface. Horrible. I know it is designed for infinite flexibility and you might need that in some cases. One of the problems is every popup pops up in the middle overlaying all the others. It is really difficult to organise everything. It combines the worst of Apple design with one of the reasons I moved away from Ubuntu.

Something else with 5.18 would be good. Something like LM 21 Cinnamon with kernel 5.18 would be ideal for emergency recovery.

[all41]

what is your goal?
also +1 re MX imo

[Pierre]

it's not such an bad idea, to utilise another Linux System,
for any recovery event.
and dual_boot between both of them,
which is something that most of my PCs now will do.

the MX-Linux is based upon the Xfce Desktop, on their Main Edition,
although, like this LinuxMint System, there is other Desktop Editions available.
- including out very own Cinnamon Desktop.

[Petermint]

I selected their only advanced kernel option as the others had 5.15, the same as LM 21. I have Gen 11 + Nvidia.

Code: Select all

MX-21.2_x64 “ahs”, an “Advanced Hardware Support” release for very recent hardware,
with 5.18 kernel and newer graphics drivers and firmware. 64 bit only. Works for all users, but especially if you use
AMD Ryzen, AMD Radeon RX graphics, or 9th/10th/11th generation Intel hardware. 

[Petermint]

what is your goal?

To have something that works when LM 21 fails to boot. 5.18 appears to have whatever 5.15 provides but in a stable form. I keep a separate boot stick for Clonezilla in case I need to restore from an image but, in this case, did not have a recent image.

Learning to use the MX system in the middle of an emergency recovery was too hard. Just need simple GUI. File Manager to browse broken system. Easy xed style edit of files. Simple network connection to my phone hotspot. I do not know if MX lets you save network connections on the USB stick.

[Hoser Rob]

... I downloaded MX Linux with the latest kernel, 5.18. ....

MX is Debian based. It uses mainline kernels, not Ubuntu's like Mint 21. Don't get confused there.

MX Linux has a pig of an interface. ...

Which MX interface? They have several desktop options.

[Petermint]

Which MX interface?

The only MX with 5.18 has Xfce with a mess of confusing menus and bars and options.

[Hoser Rob]

The only reason the only version available for download with the 5.18 kernel at this moment is the Xfce version is because it's new. Others will follow soon. The kernel version has nothing to do with the desktop. And the Xfce version is ... Xfce. It's not much different from the Mint version.

[dave0808]

Which MX interface?

The only MX with 5.18 has Xfce with a mess of confusing menus and bars and options.

I have to disagree. Perhaps because I am/was already a part-time Mint XFCE user. When I installed MX the other week, I thought the default desktop layout was nice and clean. The panel at the left-side is efficient on wide-screen displays, and if you don't like it, it's a couple of clicks to change it back to the bottom. Asides from the lack of Mint's standard programs, e.g. xed (which is only really an minor issue when using the terminal) I found the rest to be fairly familiar.

The start menu is, to my recollection, the same as Mint XFCE uses and I think the icons are a pleasant change.

OK, one weird thing on the standard panel (being on the left) is that the shutdown button is at the top, and the start button at the bottom. This is slightly counter-intuitive if you're used to the start button being "the first thing in the panel", and therefore expect it to be at the top. However, this is trivial to change.

I've not delved into the depths of MX Tools though, as I've not had the need to do so.

Still, you can't please all the people, all the time. And a dull world it would be if you could.

[Petermint]

In the MX 5.18 boot system, there are so many differences in layout, icons, program names, defaults, hidden popups, and everything else, it is too much to learn when the only thing you are trying to do is recover a machine. I will also download LXDE. Could LXDE be set up with persistence for the download of different kernels and Nvidia drivers?

[dave0808]

In the MX 5.18 boot system, there are so many differences in layout, icons, program names, defaults, hidden popups, and everything else, it is too much to learn when the only thing you are trying to do is recover a machine.

Are you referring to a Live USB with MX on it? If so, then it must be different for the 5.18 kernel.

I've MX 21.2 and it just prompts to set the language and keyboard, which defaults to American English, so for most on here, is a good enough default just to arrow up and boot MX, especially to recover a machine. For sure, you can go into the Advanced section but I'm not seeing all the bits you have referred to.

Within the MX Tools are utils for: "Live-USB Kernel Updater" and "Live USB Maker". Perhaps with a combination of those 2 things, you can get a Live USB that suits you? I've not tried them myself and I'm very new to MX. Your post just caught my eye.

[Petermint]

See https://mxlinux.org/download-links/

MX-21.2_x64 “ahs”, an “Advanced Hardware Support” release for very recent hardware, with 5.18 kernel and newer graphics drivers and firmware. 64 bit only. Works for all users, but especially if you use AMD Ryzen, AMD Radeon RX graphics, or 9th/10th/11th generation Intel hardware.

[dave0808]

I think I'm done with MX Linux. I've not really used it that much over the past couple of months and in that time I've had 1 desktop freeze, which required a Ctrl-Alt-Backspace reset, and just now whilst browsing this forum, I clicked on the start menu, which dumped me back to the login screen.

An interesting experiment, but I need a reliable "second" system and this does not appear to be it. Looks like I'll go back to dual Mint boots.