Warnings

  • Update Packs are for LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) users only.
  • If you are using a regular edition of Linux Mint, do not follow the instructions below and ignore this post.

Introduction

Update Pack 8 was released as the “latest” update pack today. 

How to upgrade

1. Perform a system backup (otherwise you won’t be able to go back)

When things go wrong and you have a backup, the only thing you lose is time.

Make a backup of your system. We recommend the following tool: http://redobackup.org/

2. Switch to the official repositories (otherwise things will break)

Point to the official repositories to make sure everything is up to date:

  • Run “gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list” or “gksu pluma /etc/apt/sources.list” in a terminal to edit your APT sources.
  • Replace the content of the file with the lines below and save the file:

deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia testing main non-free

3. Switch to an UP8 mirror (otherwise it will take forever)

As everyone downloads the UP, the official repositories will be extremely busy. You can safely point to a mirror as long as it is up to date with UP8.

Here is the current status of the LMDE mirrors:

  • UP8 (safe):
    • http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/
    • http://mirror.internode.on.net/pub/linuxmint-debian/latest/
    • http://mirror.oss.maxcdn.com/linuxmint/debian/latest/
    • http://linuxmint-apt.killerhorse.eu/debian/latest/
    • http://mirrors.ircam.fr/pub/linuxmint-debian/latest/
    •  http://lmde-mirror.gwendallebihan.net/latest/
    •  http://mirror.rts-informatique.fr/linuxmint/debian/latest/
    • http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/debian.linuxmint.com/debian/latest/
    • http://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/Linux/linuxmint/debian/latest/
    • http://mintlinux.mirror.triple-it.nl/debian/latest/
    • http://mirror.komsys.org/pub/linuxmint/debian/latest/
    • http://ucmirror.canterbury.ac.nz/linux/mint/debian/latest/
    • http://mirrors.serverhost.ro/mint/debian/latest/
    • http://debian.lth.se/lmde/latest/
    • http://tux.rainside.sk/mint/debian/latest/
    • http://mirror.metrocast.net/linuxmint-debian/latest/
    • http://mirrors.xmission.com/linuxmint-debian/latest/

To select a mirror:

  • Run “gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list” or “gksu pluma /etc/apt/sources.list” in a terminal to edit your APT sources.
  • Replace http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/ with the mirror of your choice.
  • Save the file.
  • Run “apt update” in a terminal.

4. Check your APT sources

  1. In the Update Manager, click on the “Update Pack Info” button
  2. Make sure “Your system configuration” shows up as green and doesn’t show any warnings or errors.
  3. If you see a warning or an error, follow the instructions given and repeat the process until they’re gone.

5. Read about the Update Pack (otherwise you’ll be asking things we already answered)

In the “Update Pack Info” window of the Update Manager, make sure to read all the information related to Update Pack 8. Some of it might be irrelevant to you, but it will only take you a minute and it might save you hours.

6. Upgrade the packages

When you’re ready and you know all that there is to know, press the “Install Updates” button.

7. Join us

You can chat with other LMDE users or with the dev. team while the system is upgrading. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you encounter issues.

From the menu you can launch “Xchat”, or join #linuxmint-debian on irc.spotchat.org with any IRC client.

FAQ

Will LMDE get new ISO images with Update Pack 8?

Yes.

The team is proud to announce the release of Linux Mint 16 “Petra” Xfce.

Linux Mint 16 Petra Xfce Edition

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment which aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly. This edition features all the improvements from the latest Linux Mint release on top of an Xfce 4.10 desktop.

New features at a glance:

For a complete overview and to see screenshots of the new features, visit: “What’s new in Linux Mint 16 Xfce“.

Important info:

  • Recommended packages and 32-bit libraries
  • DVD playback
  • EFI Support
  • PAE required for 32-bit ISOs
  • mint4win

Make sure to read the “Release Notes” to be aware of important info or known issues related to this release.

System requirements:

  • x86 processor (Linux Mint 64-bit requires a 64-bit processor. Linux Mint 32-bit works on both 32-bit and 64-bit processors).
  • 384 MB RAM (1GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
  • 5 GB of disk space
  • Graphics card capable of 800×600 resolution
  • DVD drive or USB port

Upgrade instructions:

  • To upgrade from a previous version of Linux Mint follow these instructions.
  • To upgrade from the RC release simply apply any level 1 and 2 updates available in the Update Manager.

Download:Md5 sum:

  • 32-bit: cf18e01f38fc81da81076ab902aa2ac6
  • 64-bit: 2629963a2a7413d402ea321f95d5c372

Torrents:

HTTP Mirrors for the 32-bit DVD ISO:

HTTP Mirrors for the 64-bit DVD ISO:

Enjoy!

We look forward to receiving your feedback. Thank you for using Linux Mint and have a lot of fun with this new release!

The team is proud to announce the release of Linux Mint 16 “Petra” KDE.

Linux Mint 16 Petra KDE Edition

KDE is a vibrant, innovative, advanced, modern looking and full-featured desktop environment. This edition features all the improvements from the latest Linux Mint release on top of KDE 4.11.

New features at a glance:

For a complete overview and to see screenshots of the new features, visit: “What’s new in Linux Mint 16 KDE“.

Important info:

  • Recommended packages and 32-bit libraries
  • EFI Support
  • PAE required for 32-bit ISOs
  • mint4win

Make sure to read the “Release Notes” to be aware of important info or known issues related to this release.

System requirements:

  • x86 processor (Linux Mint 64-bit requires a 64-bit processor. Linux Mint 32-bit works on both 32-bit and 64-bit processors).
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8 GB of disk space
  • Graphics card capable of 1024×768 resolution
  • DVD drive or USB port

Upgrade instructions:

Download:

Md5 sum:

  • 32-bit: 1d05326903d52a0608f9661d774721e9
  • 64-bit: ce590f819c125730bedf234bd374e4d8

Torrents:

HTTP Mirrors for the 32-bit DVD ISO:

HTTP Mirrors for the 64-bit DVD ISO:

Enjoy!

We look forward to receiving your feedback. Thank you for using Linux Mint and have a lot of fun with this new release!