Linux Mint Debian Stable (For Those Running This Setup)

[KBD47]

Thanks squeezy! You said what I was thinking but I was having trouble putting into words.
So it looks to me like, if I want to go with Stable sources, for the long run I need to drop that Minto repo. I'm thinking that if I just install a Xfce4 desktop onto my Mate/Cinnamon LMDE and run Stable sources it should be fine. Without the Mint repo I'd have to manually install and update Firefox and Thunderbird, or just use Iceweasel & Icedove. It looks like I can directly install some apps from the web, if they don't conflict or cause dependency problems.
Here is my concern with Testing and security: http://secure-testing-master.debian.net/ It does not get security updates as soon as Stable, and sometimes not at all as it is waiting for patches from Sid. So if you stick Latest in the mix where updates are even later in coming...and you see one of my concerns with Testing/Latest.
My take on it then is that LMDE offers an excellent out of the box snapshot/system that works up front very well, but to keep it like that you either put a self-imposed freeze and don't update anything, just use it until it becomes unusable and replace it, or stick to Latest repos, which offers updates few and far apart, and no guarantee the updates will not bork your install (though Latest will be a safer bet than pointing directly to Testing). Or do as I likely will and set the repos to the New Stable when it arrives, get more rapid security updates but be responsible for updating the apps yourself.
This is a hard choice for someone who doesn't just want to play around and experiment with their system, but actually wants a reliable, dependable LMDE.
Much food for thought
Thanks.
kbd47

[craig10x]

A bit off topic...but i have a question for you debian experts
I want to try a little experiment on a debian distro which involves installing Google Chrome Stable (not chromium) using terminal commands only...
If someone could post for me the necessary terminal commands to do that, i would be most appreciative

[GeneC]

Craig

To get Google-Chrome using terminal commands it would have to be in the repos, it is not.
You have to download it from the web site. (get the .deb)
https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/



Installing something from commad line (If in the repos you have in your sources list)

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sudo apt-get install <package name>

[craig10x]

Thank you, Gene

[KBD47]

Just for the heck of it tonight I decided to use a LMDE Xfce that was released close to the time Debian 6 Stable was released, to turn it into LMDE Stable. I used LMDE 201104 Xfce and changed the sources to Debian Squeeze and backports, removing the Mint source. I ran about 180 updates, rebooted, added Iceweasel and Icedove to replace Firefox and Thunderbird, also downloaded and installed Google Chrome to have a more up-to-date browser. The only issue I ran into was that the font config was changed and the fonts didn't look quite as nice, but I used some tweaks I saw on the Debian Forum and got the fonts looking decent again. The whole thing is running surprisingly well.
kbd47

[KBD47]

I also wanted to note that I took the LMDE 201101 Gnome and set it for Debian Stable sources. It was a bit more of a bear than the Xfce LMDE. I could only enable: main, updates, and security to begin with because of breakages and so many updates (about 400), after installing those updates I added back in multimedia and backports. But the Mint source has to be left out to prevent borkage. If LifeInTheGrey is watching this thread, he should be happy to know that his guide essentially works, but the Mint specific stuff has to be left out of LMDE Debian Stable now. You get to essentially keep what's there, but no Mint specific updates. Nevertheless it a totally solid and nice OS

[defcon]

pidgin-libnotify is not working in stable. Please push pidgin-libnotify from testing into it

[Berkah]

...use a LMDE Xfce to turn it into LMDE Stable.
...but I used some tweaks I saw on the Debian Forum and got the fonts looking decent again.

What were these tweaks?
The idea sounds great to me, I am just thinking about doing the same - IF my NVIDIA Card will allow it... (works good on LM 13 Mate).

[LifeInTheGrey]

Just as a heads up, I specifically chose the 201101 LMDE ISO because that was exactly 1 month before Squeeze was released; using the 201104 LMDX ISO is fine, but it was released 2 months after stable, so on a number of packages you are actually using later versions than Squeeze. Not saying its a bad idea (all that matters is that its stable, right?), just figured I would point that out.

By the way, I don't like being a negative nancy but based on recent Mint developments I kind of feel the writing is on the wall for LMDE. XFCE is returning to Ubuntu roots, Ikey (original LMDE dev) left and now has his own distro (SolusOS, which is frickin WICKED btw), and Clem stated that Fluxbox and other versions are officially no longer supported because resources were spread too thin and they couldn't do it any more. LMDE has taken a distant backseat to other editions for over a year now, and it just seems inevitable that its the next rung on that shortening ladder. LMDE spawned the interest that took me from casual user to low-level system tweaker, so I would hate to see it go, but it just seems like there is nowhere to go but downhill.

[Berkah]

well, that has been my feeling, too...
That's why I am looking for a nice, solid, usable Debian-based XFCE system.
So far, I am trying different solutions...

[LifeInTheGrey]

well, that has been my feeling, too...
That's why I am looking for a nice, solid, usable Debian-based XFCE system.
So far, I am trying different solutions...

I've been running Debian Testing with XFCE for the longest time (first 4.8, now 4.10), I use it on my home theater pc, web development laptop, and netbook. I actually just install a super minimal installation and build the system by installing packages from command line. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I have a step by step tutorial if you (or anyone) is interested. Takes like an hour. It also includes the Linux Mint packages repo for things like Firefox, so if the XFCE mint menu port makes it to the Debian repo you'll be set.

Your mom has a custom signature.

[Berkah]

...I have a step by step tutorial if you (or anyone) is interested. ... It also includes the Linux Mint packages repo for things like Firefox, so if the XFCE mint menu port makes it to the Debian repo you'll be set.

YES, I am interested in getting this tutorial!
Would be such a great help for me!
Thanks!!

[LifeInTheGrey]

YES, I am interested in getting this tutorial!
Would be such a great help for me!
Thanks!!

No worries, it'll just be a few days. I am on vacation right now, but I should be home Sunday and can make it available for you then.

[Monsta]

On the subject of conflicts: it seems that dropping Mint repo is not enough. You'll have to prevent some packages from updating, and it's not only xchat (btw, what exactly is that breakage mentioned in the tutorial? is that info still relevant?), but also libcairo2, fontconfig-config and libfontconfig1 - or else your LMDE Stable is gonna end up with stably ugly fonts

Also, it seems that despite mintMenu 5.2.4 (the last mintMenu version to support Gnome 2) is seen in the corresponding package directory, it's inaccessible from this LMDE setup...

[Berkah]

On the subject of conflicts: it seems that dropping Mint repo is not enough. You'll have to prevent some packages from updating, and it's not only xchat (btw, what exactly is that breakage mentioned in the tutorial? is that info still relevant?), but also libcairo2, fontconfig-config and libfontconfig1 - or else your LMDE Stable is gonna end up with stably ugly fonts

Also, it seems that despite mintMenu 5.2.4 (the last mintMenu version to support Gnome 2) is seen in the corresponding package directory, it's inaccessible from this LMDE setup...

Where can I get more detailled help regarding those issues? Thanks a lot!!!

[Monsta]

Where can I get more detailled help regarding those issues?

Well, I thought this thread is the place...

[Berkah]

Where can I get more detailled help regarding those issues?

Well, I thought this thread is the place...

I appologize for my (dumb) question... Still trying to learn hard...

[Monsta]

Oops I meant no offence... I meant I need some details myself (that's why I'm writing here).

[Berkah]

Oops I meant no offence... I meant I need some details myself (that's why I'm writing here).

No offence at all!!!
Actually, I appreciate all the help I can get here! Tx!

[Monsta]

So I think I've figured it out... and looks like LifeInTheGrey's tutorial needs some corrections.

1. Change repositories
   
   • There's a couple of typos in the last line (the domain name is .org; the non-free section does not exist on the server).
   • Had to change debian-multimedia.org to deb-multimedia.org - the maintainer was asked to stop using the word debian and he agreed
   • It's not safe to track Mint repos anymore as there will be conflicts when you'll try to upgrade some of the packages.
   • I didn't completely disable them though - I left "import" intact. The packages that are updated from there are inxi, python-sexy, Firefox, and Thunderbird. Looks like it's safe for now (if you don't try to install anything related to MATE from there, of course ).
   So here's the modern /etc/apt/sources.list:
   

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   deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian import
   deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian squeeze main contrib non-free
   deb http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib non-free
   deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org squeeze main non-free
   
   deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian squeeze-updates main contrib non-free
   
   deb http://backports.debian.org/debian-backports squeeze-backports main contrib non-free
   deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org squeeze-backports main

2. Change repository preferences
   
   • If you don't want your fonts to become ugly after dist-upgrade, it's better to pin some relevant packages.
   • I don't know if you still need to pin xchat and xchat-common after turning off most of the Mint repos. I left these lines intact for now.
   • I didn't change the priority of Debian repos to 700.
   So here's the modern /etc/apt/preferences:
   

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   Package: *
   Pin: release o=linuxmint
   Pin-Priority: 700
   
   Package: *
   Pin: origin packages.linuxmint.com
   Pin-Priority: 700
   
   Package: *
   Pin: release o=Debian
   Pin-Priority: 500
   
   Package: xchat
   Pin: version 2.8.8-1linuxmint1
   Pin-Priority: 1000
   
   Package: xchat-common
   Pin: version 2.8.8-1linuxmint1
   Pin-Priority: 1000
   
   Package: libcairo2
   Pin: version 1.10.0-1ubuntu2
   Pin-Priority: 1000
   
   Package: fontconfig
   Pin: version 2.8.0-2ubuntu1
   Pin-Priority: 1000
   
   Package: fontconfig-config
   Pin: version 2.8.0-2ubuntu1
   Pin-Priority: 1000
   
   Package: libfontconfig1
   Pin: version 2.8.0-2ubuntu1
   Pin-Priority: 1000

3. Purge Openoffice
   
   Actually, this item is here so the ordered list numeration won't break
4. Run first update
   

   At a couple of points it should ask you do you want to install the package maintainer's version or keep the current one on your system. This is up to you, of course, but I always install the package maintainer's version.

   In my case, all these questions were related to Mint-branding stuff, like the contents of /etc/issue or the gdm3 greeter themes. So I kept the current versions.
   And it's always good to read the diff file before answering Y or N.
5. Install new kernel
   
   • There's no need to track Testing to install a newer kernel as 3.2.0 is available in the squeeze-backports repo. Though it's not advised to get it if you use ndiswrapper - read this post for more info.
   • It's long obsolete, but I can't resist mentioning that 2.6.39 is not recommended because of this problem. Alright, this issue is already fixed (as of 3.2.0), so nevermind.

Ok, that's it. I haven't played with the rest of the tutorial. Post your corrections if you find something's wrong or missing.