dinsdag 24 april 2012

Linux Mint Debian 201204 "stable" is er !

The team is proud to announce the release of LMDE 201204.
This release features three of the best Linux desktops available at the moment: The traditional and functional MATE 1.2 desktop, the innovative and beautiful Cinnamon 1.4 and the lightweight and rock-solid Xfce 4.8.
Both the MATE/Cinnamon and Xfce editions use the MDM display manager. MDM will look familiar to many people, as it brings back GDM 2.20 and all its features: Remote login, configuration tools, fast-user switching, theme-ability, language selection…etc.
Yahoo joins DuckDuckGo and is featured as default in the list of search engines which financially support Linux Mint.
Highlights
  • MATE 1.2
  • Cinnamon 1.4
  • Xfce 4.8
  • MDM
  • Yahoo
  • Kernel 3.2
  • Update Pack 4
  • Hybrid ISO images
If you’re new to LMDE, welcome to Linux Mint Debian!
Screenshots

LMDE 201204 with MATE 1.2 (default environment)

LMDE 201204 with Cinnamon 1.4 (installed by default and available from the login screen)

LMDE 201204 Xfce

Important links

LMDE in brief

  • Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is a semi-rolling distribution based on Debian Testing.
  • It’s available in both 32 and 64-bit as a live DVD with MATE/Cinnamon or Xfce.
  • The purpose of LMDE is to look identical to the main edition and to provide the same functionality while using Debian as a base.

FAQ

1. Is LMDE compatible with Ubuntu-based Linux Mint editions?
No, it is not. LMDE is compatible with Debian, which isn’t compatible with Ubuntu.
2. Is LMDE fully compatible with Debian?
Yes, 100%. LMDE is compatible with repositories designed for Debian Testing.
3. What is a semi-rolling distribution?
Updates are constantly fed to Debian Testing, where users experience frequent regressions but also frequent bug fixes and improvements. LMDE receives “Update Packs” which are tested snapshots of Debian Testing. Users can experience a more stable system thanks to update packs, or switch their sources to follow Testing, or even Unstable, directly to get more frequent updates.
4. How does LMDE compare to the Ubuntu-based editions?
Pros:
  • You don’t need to ever re-install the system. New versions of software and updates are continuously brought to you.
  • It’s faster and more responsive than Ubuntu-based editions.
Cons:
  • Although it’s using Romeo for unstable packages, LMDE continuously changes as it receives updates and new software. Compared to a frozen version of Linux Mint which changes very little once it’s publicly released, it’s not as stable. Things are likely to break more often but fixes can also come quicker. For this reason, LMDE requires a deeper knowledge and experience with Linux, dpkg and APT.
  • Debian is a less user-friendly/desktop-ready base than Ubuntu. Expect some rough edges.

Additional notes:

  • About the installer: The live installer is developed from scratch with Debian in mind. It’s configurable and it can be re-used by other Debian-based distributions. We noticed a lack in live technologies and in live Debian installers, so we’re happy to take the lead on this. If you’re a developer and you’re interested in using it, have a look at its source repository and don’t hesitate to contact us so we can help you fork it and merge upcoming changes between our two projects.
  • About the media: It comes as a liveDVD. Locales work differently in Debian and the package base requires more space.
  • Dedicated chat room: #linuxmint-debian is open to LMDE users on irc.spotchat.org.

donderdag 5 april 2012

Update Pack 4 is out!

Introduction

Update Pack 4 was released as the “latest” update pack today. If you’re not using Linux Mint Debian, please ignore this post.
In Update Pack 4, the following significant changes occur which might cause regressions on your system:
  1. Gnome 2 gets “upgraded” to Gnome Shell
  2. The Linux kernel is upgraded to version 3.2

Changing your repositories

Please skip this paragraph if you already updated your APT sources for Update Pack 3.
Before you apply the updates for Update Pack 4, make sure you’re pointing to the correct repositories.
Edit your APT sources by running the following command in the terminal:
gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
Within this file, replace the following:
  • Replace security.debian.org with debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security
  • Replace debian-multimedia.org with debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia
Your APT sources, should now look like this:
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
Save and close the file.

Using the Update Manager

… to update itself

The Update Manager always updates itself before other packages. If you see an update for “mintupdate-debian“, accept it and wait for the Update Manager to restart itself.

If there’s a new Update Manager available, it will only list itself as an update

… to check your APT sources

At the time of writing this blog post, the latest version of mintupdate-debian is 1.0.5. From this version onwards the Update Manager is able to check your APT sources and tell you if they are properly configured.
  1. 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.

Check the system configuration and read the Update Pack information

… to know more about Update Pack 4

In the “Update Pack Info” window, make sure to read all the information related to Update Pack 4. Some of it might be irrelevant to you, but it will only take you a minute and it might you save you hours.

… to upgrade to Update Pack 4

When you’re ready and you know all that there is to know, press the “Install Updates” button.
During the update you’ll be asked a few things. One is quite important.. the new kernel will ask you where to install Grub. Answer with the location of your current Grub menu (which on most systems is “/dev/sda“).

FAQ

Will upgrading to Update Pack 4 mean I will lose Gnome 2?

Yes. But you will also gain access to MATE (which is almost the same as Gnome 2). To install MATE install the package “mate-desktop-environment”.

Is Cinnamon included in Update Pack 4?

Yes. To install it, simply install the package “cinnamon”.

Can I keep Gnome 2 and ignore Update Pack 4?

Although it’s not a long-term solution.. yes, you can. Please read the following blog post for more info on Gnome 2, Update Pack 4 and alternative desktops.

Will LMDE get new ISO images with Update Pack 4?

Yes, in the coming days/weeks, LMDE will be released in two editions featuring Update Pack 4:
  • The traditional XFCE edition
  • The main LMDE edition featuring MATE 1.2 as the default desktop and Cinnamon 1.4 as a secondary desktop. MATE will work with Compiz (also installed by default) and Cinnamon will work in Virtualbox, so you’ll be able to enjoy both desktops and see which one you like best.