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LTS v Mint 6

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 4:32 pm
by g4reth
I'd be interested to know what people would suggest to someone relatively new to Linux considering installing Linux Mint at this stage in the release cycle (or I guess at any stage, really)? Would it be more sensible to download and install Linux Mint 5 (the LTS version) - in other words is this seen as being a more stable version? - or wait for Mint 6 in order to get the latest and greatest?

Allied to this is a question re: 'backporting' - what exactly is it and would the new features in Mint 6 be automatically updated in Mint 5?

Any help much appreciated - thanks to all for a great community-driven distro!

Re: LTS v Mint 6

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 5:35 pm
by sarahmarienc
If you would like to try MInt, I would suggest Mint 5 since it is stable. Also, there will be (from my very limited understanding) an upgrade option from stable Mint 5 to stable Mint 6 (when stable Mint 6 comes out) As far as I have read it is best to upgrade from stable version so this is what I would recommend. Be sure and read the information about partitioning your harddrive so that you don't lost any of your personal files in the upgrade. It's in the post in this forum titled "things to consider before installation" or something quite similar.

As per your question regarding backporting, I admit I know very little about this. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able to come along and assist you in that area.

Best regards and welcome to Mint. I've been here about 3 months and used Ubuntu for about 2-3 weeks prior. Mint is just the better choice for me. I hope you will find it to be a great choice for you as well :)

Re: LTS v Mint 6

Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 10:31 pm
by akaNed
As things satnd right now, I think you would be fine with either Mint 5 or Mint 6 RC1. More than likely, from the sounds of things, the RC of Mint 6 is pretty close to stable. So, you would probably be fine installing that if you woud like.
As far as upgrading, I have always done a new install, but then I tend to install new distros every few months. If you set up your partitions when you install, with a separate partition for your /home directory you can just install a new distro/version without having to wipe out your home directory and all your settings. You will need to reinstall any programs you have installed, but there are many ways to automate this process.
In short, if you want long term support...Mint 5, otherwise Mint 6.

Re: LTS v Mint 6

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 4:13 pm
by g4reth
Cheers guys. I've decided to install Linux Mint 5 (I'm using it now) and see how things stand when 6 is released.

Exciting times!

Re: LTS v Mint 6

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:54 pm
by exploder
I chose to keep Mint 5 rather than 6. On my hardware Mint 6 runs so much better. The version of xorg Ubuntu used that our base is built on does not seem mature enough to me. Our packages are just fine and work well in both releases. Hardware support seems to be the deciding factor for some of us. I think you made a wise choice.