Upgrade to Linux Mint Debian Edition 6
Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 has been released, featuring a fresh kernel, updated drivers, and numerous enhancements. In this guide, we will demonstrate how to upgrade your Linux Mint Debian Edition 5 to version 6.
How to upgrade to LMDE 6 – Mintupgrade
To upgrade from LMDE 5 to LMDE 6 on your computer, you should use the mintupgrade tool. Despite LMDE being based on Debian, it is recommended to use mintupgrade because it’s considered simpler and safer.
The installation of the mintupgrade tool is straightforward. To get it up and running, begin by opening a terminal on your Linux Mint desktop. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard or by searching for “Terminal” in the app menu. Once the terminal is open, use the following command.
sudo apt install mintupgrade
Once the mintupgrade tool is installed on your Linux Mint system, you can begin the upgrade process. First, you need to download the latest upgrades from the Linux Mint servers. You can accomplish this by using the mintupgrade download command.
sudo mintupgrade download
When you execute the mintupgrade download command, a graphical user interface (GUI) will appear on the screen titled “Upgrade tool,” displaying “Upgrade to LMDE 6 ‘Faye'”. Click the “Let’s go” button to proceed.
Once you’ve selected “Let’s go,” you’ll enter “Phase 1: Preparation.” Click the “OK” button to permit the mintupgrade tool to conduct tests to ensure that your computer is prepared for the upgrade.
Upon clicking the “OK” button, Linux Mint will begin checking your APT cache. This process may take a few seconds. Once completed, the mintupgrade tool will lead you to the “System snapshots” screen, which states, “If the upgrade isn’t successful, a system snapshot will allow you to go back in time and revert all the changes.” To create your pre-upgrade snapshot, simply select the “Fix” button.
After clicking the “Fix” button, you’ll be prompted to configure snapshots if you haven’t done so already. You can follow our guide on how to set up backup snapshots on Linux Mint for assistance with this step. Once you have your snapshot set up, you’ll return to the “Phase 2: Simulation and download” page. To proceed, click the “OK” button.
When you click the “OK” button, the mintupgrade tool will conduct an upgrade simulation. This simulation is designed to verify that the upgrade will proceed smoothly. To initiate the simulation, click the “OK” button.
Once the upgrade simulation is finished, you’ll be directed to “Phase 3: Upgrade.” To start the upgrade process, click the “OK” button. Please note that this upgrade may take some time to complete, so exercise patience during the process.
Once the upgrade is finished, you will have successfully upgraded Linux Mint Debian Edition 5 to 6. At this stage, reboot your computer. After the reboot, log in again. When you log in, you’ll be using Linux Mint Debian Edition 6. Enjoy your upgraded system!
How to download and try out LMDE 6 without upgrading
If you want to try out LMDE 6 fresh rather than upgrading, here’s what to do. First, download the Etcher USB tool. You can download the Etcher tool at the official website. Once it’s downloaded, install it and launch it.
With the Etcher tool launched, head over to LinuxMint.com, and download the latest release of LMDE 6. When the download is complete, follow the step-by-step guide to create a GUI installer.
- Find the “Flash from file” button, and click on it with the mouse. When you select this button, a pop-up window will appear. Browse for the LMDE 6 ISO file on your computer, and select it.
- Insert your USB flash drive into your computer. Then, click “Select target,” and choose your USB drive as the target.
- Find the “Flash!” button in the Etcher application, and click on it with the mouse. When you select this button, the USB creation process will begin.
After creating your LMDE 6 USB, reboot your computer into the BIOS and configure it to boot from USB. Once you’ve loaded up the LMDE 6 installer, find the “Install Linux Mint” button, and select it. Once you’ve selected the “Install Linux Mint” icon, follow the on-screen prompts to install LMDE 6 on your system.
