(SOLVED) How to protect Linux Mint against unstable updates?

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

Good morning you all,

I've been a Windows 10 and Linux mint user for years now on a dual boot system
and after encountering some update issues on Windows Home, I decided to move on to the 10 pro version allowing me to defer feature and quality updates to protect my system against receiving unstable updates and I was wondering if it was possible to defer updates on Mint to protect my system against all the unstable updates that could mess it up. Do you know if there is such a possibility on Mint to make sure that I only receive stable updates?

Thank you
Mike

[RIH]

Every update is meant to be stable already..
Programmers don't tend to create updates just on a whim they are usually attempts to solve issues that already exist on your system.

However, Timeshift is the Mint solution to fix issues when things do go wrong. Take a snapshot before you update, use it if you have an issue..

Personally I don't use Timeshift. If things go wrong I will just re-install Mint - I do back up my personal data in 3 different places though.

I guess if I had to manipulate the installation to make it work then I might be cautious with any updates that touched that manipulation.
On both my machines I have never needed to do anything special when installing Mint. I just do it & it works.
Hence I install every update immediately it hits my machine. In the years since I have been using Mint (from 16) I have never had issue..

[spamegg]

Definitely, Timeshift is the way to go.
Mint updates should be very stable in general. Recently (a few weeks ago) there was an unstable update to Nemo that was crashing the desktop. It was fixed by the devs within hours.
In addition to Timeshift, you can read release notes in the Update Manager to see what changes are done, and maybe choose to wait on the updates a bit if you think an update will be unstable. Of course this is a double edged sword, the update can be an important security update.

[JOPETA]

Don't want to discuss, times are changing and yes Timeshift is the safest and recommended way to undo unwanted changes, but In LM 19 and 19.1 (supported untill April 2023) is still possible filtering software updates by levels. Notice I said software not security or kernels updates.

[Pjotr]

In Mint 20.1 you can still lock the most vital system parts to their current versions, like this:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... e.html#ID3
(item 3)

[cliffcoggin]

Do you know if there is such a possibility on Mint to make sure that I only receive stable updates?

How will you know a particular update is stable unless you install it first? You can not, so you need a way to revert to the previous version in case of problems which is why Timeshift is installed.

In practice I regard all updates as stable and reliable so I install them immediately, a policy that has not so far failed.

[Larry78723]

I seem to remember a bad update to LM19 about 2 years ago. It was corrected by Clem within hours.

[deepakdeshp]

I don't remember a bad update for the past 6 years.

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

Thank you guys for your help.
So Timeshift seems to be the only answer in this case


[/quote]
How will you know a particular update is stable unless you install it first? You can not, so you need a way to revert to the previous version in case of problems which is why Timeshift is installed.
[/quote]

Hey Cliff,

What you can do on Windows 10 Pro is to defer the updates up to 60 days if you wish and the idea behind it is to postpone it enough, let's say 10 days, to let the developpers work on the bad updates that would have been released to the public so the idea is to not install the possible unstable updates at the same time as the general public but later which by then, if any unstable updates were found, they would have been replaced with a more stable update within a week and it wouldn't have affected your computer in the first place since you had postponed them which is what companies usually do to prevent any issue but apparently something similar isn't available on Mint or maybe the way the updates are being worked on is different, maybe they work a little longer on them before releasing them to the public I'm not sure

[cliffcoggin]

I realise that, and you can do the same on Linux Mint. In fact you can choose when, which, and if updates are installed at all, but you would be foolish to ignore updates on the premise that you know better than the Mint developers. The recommendation is still to install all updates as soon as convenient.

[linux-rox]

Right, it's easy to decline Mint updates, indefinitely (not just 60 days), but it's a bad idea. The relevance of Timeshift is that it reduces (even eliminates) the need to worry about updates, as it's relatively easy to revert the system in the (unlikely) event an update causes a problem. And the kernel (in which are located most of the drivers) has its own sub-system for testing and reverting if necessary.

Also, it seems to me you're mixing apples and oranges. Windows does all its updates by one process, Mint has three. What you see in Update Manager are ordinary updates, including bug fixes and security patches. It's not impossible for those to have a problem, but it's uncommon. Point upgrades include feature changes and/or new system apps. The next one will be 20.1 to 20.2. That's entirely manual. Does not happen unless and until you specifically select it from the Edit menu in Update Manager. And if the upgrade goes sideways, you still have Timeshift.

Then there are major upgrades, the next of which will be LM20 to LM21. Again, entirely manual, either by an upgrade script or reinstall (personally, I always reinstall). That upgrade is the one it makes sense to wait a while before jumping on the bandwagon, IMHO, as lots of stuff gets fixed between initial release and the first point upgrade. Closing the circle, though, no reason to fear or defer ordinary updates.

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

Thank you for clearing this out

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

In Mint 20.1 you can still lock the most vital system parts to their current versions, like this:
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... e.html#ID3
(item 3)

By the way I really like your website, very well explained. It has become a reference to me when I have questions

Since there seems to be very few unstable updates according to what you guys say,
do you know if this is because the Mint team are testing their updates much longer than Windows do before releasing them to the public?
I'm curious.

[Moonstone Man]

do you know if this is because the Mint team are testing their updates much longer than Windows do before releasing them to the public?
I'm curious.

Most updates from the Mint team are innocuous and the Mint team generally don't release updates except perhaps for Firefox, one or two X-Apps and urgent bug fixes if there are any required. It's updates from Ubuntu that you will see the most of. You would have been advised to use timeshift, or take regular disk images with Foxclone or Clonezilla, prior to applying a major update. You can't go past any of that advice.

As for testing time, Microsoft have crippled their Quality Assurance team by dismantling it, and now they just do in-house testing before unleashing pain on the unsuspecting public. Ubuntu and other Linux distributions have a repository called proposed, where testers subscribe to it and perform testing. Problems still get through because there's absolutely no accounting for all the hardware out there.

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

do you know if this is because the Mint team are testing their updates much longer than Windows do before releasing them to the public?
I'm curious.

Most updates from the Mint team are innocuous and the Mint team generally don't release updates except perhaps for Firefox, one or two X-Apps and urgent bug fixes if there are any required. It's updates from Ubuntu that you will see the most of. You would have been advised to use timeshift, or take regular disk images with Foxclone or Clonezilla, prior to applying a major update. You can't go past any of that advice.

Maybe that's why I've never had any issue with mint
I've also been using Timeshift which I think is a great tool that should be implemented on Windows because that's very convenient
I know Windows has a recovery option but I don't know if that's similar or not

I think Mint would be the perfect solution if software would take the step to not restrict them to Windows and Mac.
Unfortunately they don't and we have to be on dual boot or install Virtualbox which I haven't done yet because of performance concerns, not knowing if that would slow Linux down or use half of my resources

[Moonstone Man]

...t or install Virtualbox which I haven't done yet because of performance concerns, not knowing if that would slow Linux down or use half of my resources

Post the output of inxi -Fxz from a terminal and enclose it in code tags [code]output.here[/code]. You'll see the code tags icon </> when you reply, 5th button from the left above the reply text area. We'll be able to tell you what's possible with VirtualBox.

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

...t or install Virtualbox which I haven't done yet because of performance concerns, not knowing if that would slow Linux down or use half of my resources

Post the output of inxi -Fxz from a terminal and enclose it in code tags [code]output.here[/code]. You'll see the code tags icon </> when you reply, 5th button from the left above the reply text area. We'll be able to tell you what's possible with VirtualBox.

Thank you for your help.
I'm on a dual boot Windows 10 Pro / Linux Mint and would like to install Windows 10 Pro in the virtual box if that's possible

Here it is:

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-70-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Xfce 4.14.2 Distro: Linux Mint 20.1 Ulyssa 
  base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 3781 v: N/A serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Dell model: 0GVCM1 v: A01 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell v: 1.11.0 
  date: 01/12/2021 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 19.6 Wh condition: 21.8/42.0 Wh (52%) 
  model: SMP DELL VM73283 status: Charging 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-7020U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Amber Lake rev: 9 L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 18399 
  Speed: 592 MHz min/max: 400/2300 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 506 2: 501 
  3: 516 4: 502 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
  resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2F) v: 4.6 Mesa 20.2.6 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio vendor: Dell 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-70-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet vendor: Dell 
  driver: r8169 v: kernel port: e000 bus ID: 01:00.0 
  IF: enp1s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter 
  vendor: Dell driver: ath10k_pci v: kernel port: e000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
  IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
  Device-3: Qualcomm Atheros type: USB driver: btusb bus ID: 1-7:5 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 39.76 GiB (4.3%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Toshiba model: MQ04ABF100 size: 931.51 GiB 
RAID:
  Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci 
  v: 3.0 bus ID: 00:17.0 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 367.44 GiB used: 39.69 GiB (10.8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda7 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 46.0 C mobo: 39.0 C sodimm: 36.0 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0 
Info:
  Processes: 192 Uptime: 5m Memory: 7.67 GiB used: 1.37 GiB (17.9%) 
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 
  inxi: 3.0.38 

[Moonstone Man]

Code: Select all

System:
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-7020U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
...
  Processes: 192 Uptime: 5m Memory: 7.67 GiB used: 1.37 GiB (17.9%) 

There's no reason not to try to run a VM. The machine's CPU is a bit on the lighter side so don't expect to play games or perform miracles. You can run Windows 10 in a 4GB RAM VM and feed it two cores, but it won't be a speed demon. Give it a try. Microsoft will allow you download and install Windows 10 without a key, you just won't be able to make adjustments to suit your personal preferences. At least that way it won't cost you a valid key just to see if it runs well enough to be a solution for you.

[Mike-Linux-Mint]

Okay, I'll try then
And just in case it doesn't work as expected, is it easy to remove from Linux?

Again, thank you

[Pjotr]

There's no reason not to try to run a VM.

Good tip.

Microsoft will allow you download and install Windows 10 without a key, you just won't be able to make adjustments to suit your personal preferences. At least that way it won't cost you a valid key just to see if it runs well enough to be a solution for you.

There's an even better solution: a completely free and legal, fully functional prefab VM with Windows 10, from Microsoft itself:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/m ... tools/vms/