19.3 to 20

borgward · Post by **borgward** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:13 pm

Can someone upgrade from 19.3 to 20 when it is released or would it be better to do a fresh install of 20?

Neil Edmond · Post by **Neil Edmond** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:30 pm

Can't really say yet, since we are not there, but it's very likely to be best with a fresh install, as always with a major version change.

borgward · Post by **borgward** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:41 pm

Neil Edmond wrote: ⤴Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:30 pm Can't really say yet, since we are not there, but it's very likely to be best with a fresh install, as always with a major version change.

That confirms my thought. A friend is installing 19.3 Cinnamon. First Linux install for her on brand new laptop. I am thinking I will suggest that she do a fresh install of 20 Cinnamon when it is available next year. I know 19.3 is supported till 2023, but would be nicer to have something supported until much later. I am running 18.0 Cinnamon. Will probably do fresh install of 20 when it comes out.

sudowhammy · Post by **sudowhammy** » Sat Dec 21, 2019 3:49 pm

Given my experience from upgrading 18.3 to 19 (which destroyed the installation), I would do a fresh install.

pbear · Post by **pbear** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:35 pm

borgward wrote: ⤴Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:41 pmA friend is installing 19.3 Cinnamon.

The simple trick for relatively painless reinstalls is to have detailed notes of all the setup steps, e.g., settings changed, apps installed and copies of any terminal commands needed. Can be a Text Editor doc or a work processing doc, whichever the user finds easier. Have your friend backtrack and write up everything she has done so far, then be conscientious about keeping track of everything else going forward. Makes life much easier.

DAMIEN1307 · Post by **DAMIEN1307** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:53 pm

I usually never install the first, brand new, "OOOOH SHINEY", OS when it first comes out, as you may notice in the forums, there are sometimes problems that need to be ironed out for the OS to be a daily driver for some.

I always wait for at least the first point release to be available and only then do i install the newest versions of any OS so as to have the benefit of the updates that have solved some of those "teething" problems...just my 2 cents worth...DAMIEN

absque fenestris · Post by **absque fenestris** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 4:02 pm

The easiest way is to install a new SSD right away. The old, with the older system version, you can build into an external case and have an emergency hard disk at hand.

Portreve · Post by **Portreve** » Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:49 pm

As someone who's come out of the "traditional" world of OSs, I'm kind of old-school about this sort of thing.

The only time I do an in-place upgrade is when that's the only way to get the current version of the OS (z.B. if you have a Mac for which 10.7 or 10.8 is the most current fresh-install-downloadable version, but you can upgrade to, say, 10.13.x) and even then I only do an in-place upgrade from a clean install of that copy of the OS. Over the decades I've seen or experienced too many problems to just ignore common sense.

dimspace · Post by **dimspace** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 11:16 pm

In defence of in place upgrades. Ive gone from 17, to 18, to 19 via the upgrade method and never had a problem.

(first time ive had any issues at all was 19.2>19.3)

That said, since 18.1 ive been using XFCE as my DD but my install is Cinnamon, so come 20 I may bite the bullet and do a clean install of 20.0 XFCE (and just install Nemo which is the one cinnamon app I use)

bob466 · Post by **bob466** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 5:10 am

Holy Crap Batman...I'm still running Cinnamon 19.1.

lsemmens · Post by **lsemmens** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:43 pm

Portreve wrote: ⤴Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:49 pm As someone who's come out of the "traditional" world of OSs, I'm kind of old-school about this sort of thing.

The only time I do an in-place upgrade is when that's the only way to get the current version of the OS (z.B. if you have a Mac for which 10.7 or 10.8 is the most current fresh-install-downloadable version, but you can upgrade to, say, 10.13.x) and even then I only do an in-place upgrade from a clean install of that copy of the OS. Over the decades I've seen or experienced too many problems to just ignore common sense.

Agreed! Back in the day that was the safest route. When I "upgraded" from windwoes 7 to 10 I did an in-place upgrade to ensure the product registration would stick and then immediately blew it all away and installed W10 by itself. Given that in-place upgrades can sometimes introduce new problems (W10 was a huge contributor to those) I will always recommend a fresh install, especially when major problems or upgrades occur. Linux is way better at in-place upgrades and I happily let them occur. But.....they should only be used for point releases in my book.

AZgl1800 · Post by **AZgl1800** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:19 pm

borgward wrote: ⤴Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:41 pm
Neil Edmond wrote: ⤴Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:30 pm Can't really say yet, since we are not there, but it's very likely to be best with a fresh install, as always with a major version change.
That confirms my thought. A friend is installing 19.3 Cinnamon. First Linux install for her on brand new laptop. I am thinking I will suggest that she do a fresh install of 20 Cinnamon when it is available next year. I know 19.3 is supported till 2023, but would be nicer to have something supported until much later. I am running 18.0 Cinnamon. Will probably do fresh install of 20 when it comes out.

oh, please do NOT do that.
X.1 of any version is just a drawing board.

Let 20.3 arrive before you try to push something new on her.
I never use .1 or .2, I want the OS to work for me, not try my patience when things go wrong.

and if you give your friend 20.1, I guarantee she will be unhappy.

there is nothing amiss with 19.3 Cinnamon, it runs great now, and will continue to do so for 4 years at least.

Why are you so convinced that '20' is going to be the Cat's Meow?

Moonstone Man · Post by **Moonstone Man** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:29 pm

AZgl1500 wrote: ⤴Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:19 pm oh, please do NOT do that.
X.1 of any version is just a drawing board.

Let 20.3 arrive before you try to push something new on her.
I never use .1 or .2, I want the OS to work for me, not try my patience when things go wrong.

The illogic in that sentiment doesn't seem to be evident to you. If it were worthy advice then nobody ought to use x.1 or x.2, thus x.3 would be no better than x.1. Furthermore, LM 19.3 has whole new versions of Cinnamon and xfce, at least, not to mention the kernel upgrade, so your logic dictates that you shouldn't even use x.3. In fact, the full extrapolation of the logic is that you would never use linux at all.

AZgl1800 · Post by **AZgl1800** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:41 pm

Kadaitcha Man wrote: ⤴Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:29 pm
AZgl1500 wrote: ⤴Tue Dec 31, 2019 9:19 pm oh, please do NOT do that.
X.1 of any version is just a drawing board.

Let 20.3 arrive before you try to push something new on her.
I never use .1 or .2, I want the OS to work for me, not try my patience when things go wrong.
The illogic in that sentiment doesn't seem to be evident to you. If it were worthy advice then nobody ought to use x.1 or x.2, thus x.3 would be no better than x.1. Furthermore, LM 19.3 has whole new versions of Cinnamon and xfce, at least, not to mention the kernel upgrade, so your logic dictates that you shouldn't even use x.3. In fact, the full extrapolation of the logic is that you would never use linux at all.

what seems illogical to you, seems to be very logical to me.

x.1 and x.2 are still in the midst of making improvements, and things can go awry.
I just don't have the patience to deal with that anymore.....

for a friend, whom I am suggesting that they learn to like Linux, why give them something that is NOT polished yet?

x.3 in Cinnamon is so close to Windows GUI that most users can just put on their slippers, pick up a cup of tea, and start enjoying their computer, and not once have to wonder what is behind the display.
they may never even find "Terminal", and so what?
If they can use their browser to surf the 'net,
and use an 'office' environment to continue to do what they used to do with MS Office, why not?

Last year, 4 very close friends, who have never delved with anything but Windows GUI, never heard of the Command Line, but were very aggravated by the blue screens of death and the constant loss of using their computers when they did NOT want to be interrupted, asked me to install the version of Linux that was on my laptop 18.3 Cinnamon which I did.

that is now 18 months, only 1 "road call" to fix something.
a new printer showed up.... Teamviewer fixed their new printer, and they still don't know how to get behind the Display...

why should they?

My sister lives 1500 miles away from me....
I put 18.3 Cinnamon on her Dell, and all she ever does with it, is to use Opera.

She is a retired MedTech from a hospital, and does NOT want to have to fix a computer.
it just plugs along, letting her browser do what it should.

Moonstone Man · Post by **Moonstone Man** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:16 pm

AZgl1500 wrote: ⤴Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:41 pm what seems illogical to you, seems to be very logical to me.

I look forward to the release of Mint 20, just so I can watch you running around madly posting, "oh, please do NOT install that."

borgward · Post by **borgward** » Wed Jan 01, 2020 12:39 am

I am running 18.0. Seems like .1, .2 , etc is just more bells and whistles. I will install 20.0 on a new drive. If anything is amiss I will just insert my old 18.0 drive and wait until 20.something begins to work. I have never had a problem with XYZ.0 going wonky. I have had problems with things not working when I went from .0 to .1,.2..

Grateful4Linux · Post by **Grateful4Linux** » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:33 pm

pbear wrote: ⤴Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:35 pm
borgward wrote: ⤴Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:41 pmA friend is installing 19.3 Cinnamon.
The simple trick for relatively painless reinstalls is to have detailed notes of all the setup steps, e.g., settings changed, apps installed and copies of any terminal commands needed. Can be a Text Editor doc or a work processing doc, whichever the user finds easier. Have your friend backtrack and write up everything she has done so far, then be conscientious about keeping track of everything else going forward. Makes life much easier.

I made a lot of notes when I installed Linux Mint for the first time this past year. I was looking for a linux note program and found CherryTree in the Software Manager. I have found it to be extremely helpful for organizing everything related to Linux Mint - especially install and set-up notes.

The really nice thing about CherryTree is that I've been able to insert various types of files right into my notes, so I'm able to include web pages, photos, my background wallpaper, sound files, and software etc right there with whatever text notes and explanations I need. It has been so helpful already, when I've needed to redo or undo certain changes, or just to jog my memory about some of the changes I made early on. I love that my Linux Mint CherryTree notes have everything I need for setting up my system the way I like it, and loads of information that can help with future troubleshooting and maintenance.

As far as the main topic goes, I have read this thread with great interest. I originally thought I would do a clean install for 19.3, but the upgrade went great (other than Cinnamenu disappearing, but I read about that ahead of time.) So far 19.3 is fantastic, and I think the more recent kernel is better for my WiFi. I didn't even realize that in place upgrades are often possible between major releases, so I thought for sure I would be doing a clean install next year if I want version 20. Now I'm not sure what I'll do. I'm just so happy to be switched over to Linux Mint from Windows, and it's been a surprisingly easy transition!

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