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19.3 has worked extremely well for my very basic needs. Although I've had no security problems so far, I don't know enough about security to know whether my credit union and credit card accounts are safe enough with https alone. From other threads I've read here about upgrades there seem to be varying opinions, at least one of which is that Linux users are such a small percentage of computer users that data thieves don't bother with it.

Also, are there more secure ways to store login and password information for easy access than what's offered on Firefox?

Thanks in advance!

Any operating system that no longer gets security updates, is highly insecure when connected to the internet. Including Linux. Period.

Steven67 wrote: ⤴Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:47 pm Also, are there more secure ways to store login and password information for easy access than what's offered on Firefox?

Yes. A combination of KeePassXC with the KeePassXC browser add-on for Firefox works well and is widely regarded as quite secure.

Thank you. I found this thread which indicates that four upgrades must be done sequentially to go from 19.3 to 21.1:

viewtopic.php?t=394058&sid=b54997b5a448 ... 645dc2282

If I purchased 21.1 on a USB stick or disk from the Linux Store, could I then just back up my home files and then install 21.1 that way?

Thanks again.

Steven67 wrote: ⤴Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:01 pm Thank you. I found this thread which indicates that four upgrades must be done sequentially to go from 19.3 to 21.1:

viewtopic.php?t=394058&sid=b54997b5a448 ... 645dc2282

If I purchased 21.1 on a USB stick or disk from the Linux Store, could I then just back up my home files and then install 21.1 that way?

Thanks again.

You can go to any 20.x version and be good until April 2025. You will have the practical same security support as would be on 21.x.

You can download and "burn" the iso to a USB stick and then install: https://www.linuxmint.com/download_all.php -for no fee,
and there is the Official Instructions for that: https://linuxmint-installation-guide.re ... en/latest/
and yes, you can do that, although you might also run the Backup Tool(found in the main menu) from the old install, and you would be able to get a list of many of the programs that were installed and you export that and use it on the new install to bring most of it back up with just a few clicks.

Yes. A combination of KeePassXC with the KeePassXC browser add-on for Firefox works well and is widely regarded as quite secure

While Moem makes pretty wise recommendations..if you are hardcore concerned about your digital security....just ensure you log out of all of those bank sites/credit union sites and set the internet browser you use to never remember passwords for either those sites or period.

The most unhackable password is the one you DON'T leave online...regardless of the business ..regardless of the browser...regardless that you must manually type every time and keep a physical sticky note or small notepad handy with them hand written and ensure no one else has access to them but you. Nothing beats that short of not doing any banking online and that is IF that(those) credit union(s)/banks's server site or domain security is sensible and not a complete turd.

I had purchased a USB stick for 19.3 a while back. Will 20.x overwrite 19.3 on that USB, since it really isn't "burnt"? Or can I just delete 19.3 from the stick and then put 20.x on it?

I have plenty of USB sticks, so I don't have to use that one; I'm just curious about whether it will work.

Will 20.x overwrite 19.3 on that USB, since it really isn't "burnt"

I don't understand what you're asking exactly

If you already used the Usb Image Writer application aka program to prep that USB drive as a 19.3 LM installation drive, then you'll need to format it again and do the same process only with the 20.3 LM installation iso file of you want to use that same USB drive to install LM 20.3

Burned...written. *shrugs* I use the term " prepped ". tomATO..tomato. *shrugs*

IF ..you're wanting to have multilpe distro or operating installation .iso files on a single drive. Ventoy would be your easiest bet imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWXMGpV8_Dc will show you exactly how to prep a thumb drive for it. I have windows 7, windows 10, LM 20.3, LM 21.1 ( both are cinnamon), Fedora 34, and I think whatever newest version of Arch as well ..all on the same drive

Steven67 wrote: ⤴Mon Jun 05, 2023 9:58 pm I had purchased a USB stick for 19.3 a while back. Will 20.x overwrite 19.3 on that USB, since it really isn't "burnt"? Or can I just delete 19.3 from the stick and then put 20.x on it?

I have plenty of USB sticks, so I don't have to use that one; I'm just curious about whether it will work.

If you "write"/"image"/"burn" an iso to any usb stick, it will effectively erase the entire stick.

In fact, you are even wasting your time if you try to delete files, and erase stuff, or try to format it, or whatever, -because the iso imaging process ignores everything anyway and proceeds to write it's own entire mbr and it puts the files in place. The only new thing is the actual image of the design of the iso.

But if you're using a setup like Ventoy it's a different story, and you can just drop another iso file onto the stick and it will not erase and give you the option to boot 19.3 or whatever other iso's you have on there.

motoryzen wrote: ⤴Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:26 pm ..if you are hardcore concerned about your digital security....just ensure you log out of all of those bank sites/credit union sites and set the internet browser you use to never remember passwords for either those sites or period.

I've never seen any banking or other sensitive site that would allow a user to stay logged in, or let their browser fill in the password. But they may very well exist even though they really shouldn't.

motoryzen wrote: ⤴Mon Jun 05, 2023 7:26 pm The most unhackable password is the one you DON'T leave online...regardless of the business ..regardless of the browser...regardless that you must manually type every time and keep a physical sticky note or small notepad handy with them hand written and ensure no one else has access to them but you. Nothing beats that short of not doing any banking online and that is IF that(those) credit union(s)/banks's server site or domain security is sensible and not a complete turd.

I respectfully disagree. If I had to hand type all my passwords, I would be tempted to pick short ones that are easy to remember. Since KeePassCX remembers them for me (offline, just locally, not online) I can use longer, more complicated, safer passwords.

I do agree that it's much safer if the password needs to be entered every time. For banking, that should really be the standard. If that is what you mean, we're in full agreement.

Steven67 wrote: ⤴Mon Jun 05, 2023 6:01 pm Thank you. I found this thread which indicates that four upgrades must be done sequentially to go from 19.3 to 21.1:

viewtopic.php?t=394058&sid=b54997b5a448 ... 645dc2282

If possible a data backup and clean reinstall is best. Web updates aren't reliable enough, in Mint and irts Ubuntu base.

I now remember that "reformat" was the term I was looking for as far as clearing out 19.3 on the USB stick. It appears that I don't have to fool with that. Thanks, zcot!

Two questions remain:

1) Is it possible to go to 20.3 from 19.3, or should I only attempt 20 initially?
2) I want to copy my current home directory/data to my outboard ssd (Crucial X6) so that the new copy only updates the changed/edited files and adds any new ones since last time. I did it once some months back, but have since forgotten the procedure. I realize that I need to do that again should the new install have problems. I also have daily system snapshots, but do not know whether they persist when a new install is performed.

Could someone point me in the right direction to do that? I'll save the instructions this time so I needn't ask this again.
Thank you all for your patience.

Is it possible to go to 20.3 from 19.3

Nope. the upgrade goes from ##.3 of one version to the ## of the new main version ( such as 19.3 to 20 even )

But you can easily upgrade from 20 to 20.1 and onward through Update Manager given those upgrades are still available since they are supported until 2025 I think...

2) I want to copy my current home directory/data to my outboard ssd (Crucial X6) so that the new copy only updates the changed/edited files and adds any new ones since last time

If I'm understanding this correctly....rsync can handle this very well but be careful of any options The below is an example of my /home backup to a separate ssd

the --delete option tells the system that the target drive ...if it has data that I no longer have on my /home partition/folder....that to delete that exact no longer there- data in the target drive.

SO..thus..be careful and pay attention to what you want to have in the end..versus not

rsync -avhu --info=progress2 --delete --exclude=".cache" '/home/taco/' '/mnt/sdb1 rsyncbackup/'

Steven67 wrote: ⤴Tue Jun 06, 2023 4:49 pm I also have daily system snapshots, but do not know whether they persist when a new install is performed.

Yes, they do. You can do an update to 20 and then immediately go back to a previous snapshot and you will be back at 19.3 if the daily has not run yet. So be aware of that and it will not present a problem as long as you pay attention to what's going on.

If you want to take management of the snapshots you can just use the Timeshift interface to delete previous ones. Maybe you will decide to switch the setting to manual only during the transition phase. For example you do the upgrade and end up deciding 2 days later you're going back, we'll it's possible maybe you can't go back if the setting are strictly automated and the old stuff was cycled out due to daily snapshots and your setting for the count limitation. Of course you can do a manual snapshot at any time(like just before you attempt a major upgrade).

19.3 to 20 is a major version upgrade, and a big deal, and you might have a struggle with something, and might fail too where you have to fall back to a snapshot then go again using a different method. But 20 to 20.1 or 20.3 are minor upgrades and are typically so easy and flawless.

motoryzen wrote: ⤴Tue Jun 06, 2023 10:14 pm But you can easily upgrade from 20 to 20.1 and onward through Update Manager

On that note, you can actually go from 20 directly to 20.3 in one step at this point. This isn't offered until after the .3 releases and the Official instruction is tested and lined up, and in theory it should be the same equal easy upgrade: viewtopic.php?t=235992

For example you do the upgrade and end up deciding 2 days later you're going back, we'll it's possible maybe you can't go back if the setting are strictly automated and the old stuff was cycled out due to daily snapshots and your setting for the count limitation

This is where a System Image Backup or Full Disk Clone shines. ( Foxclone is your friend. AndyMH - the dev for it - is a often active member here )

It doesn't matter what you do in terms of upgrades or updates. etc. A system image or Full Disk clone if done properly and nothing interrupts the restoration process..has ALWAYS...saved my bacon when nothing else would and put me back to before a specific OS version be it Windows or Linux Mint if I needed to go back ..always.

Thank you all. I am pretty sure I got the home directory onto the outboard ssd, but must have bollixed something up in the process because my login goes into a loop and keeps coming back to the login screen, so I can't install the updated version. Does this problem need a different thread?

Downloaded Linux Mint 20 with my other laptop and put it on my 19.3 usb drive, then installed it on the first laptop. That seems to have taken care of the login loop problem. Now to get the home directory back on to the first computer...

Thanks, everyone! I realize this is very basic stuff to most users, but, speaking as a newbie, I'm afraid my head won't fit through a doorway for an hour or so, even though all I did was ask questions, read stuff and follow directions.