MX Permanent Secure Upgrade Path? [Solved]

[asinoro]

I try to figure out the way where MX could be upgraded without reinstalling from one main version to the other permanently like Debian without problems. This is a question mainly to developers!

References Points:
1. https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... ading.html
2. https://mxlinux.org/migration/
3. https://mxlinux.org/wiki/system/upgradi ... nstalling/

From the above documentations, since MX Linux is based on Debian stable, I noticed that the biggest problem to the correct and secure upgrade is the obsolete packages. This is because the most MX packages consider obsolete for the Debian database.
So, I thought maybe if they are saved with the app "user-installed-packages", after removing them following the Debian documentation (1.) and the MX documentation point (3.). These basic packages could be installed after the upgrade procedure, avoiding the possibility of conflict with the database of Debian.
For this procedure, probably will need to use the Debian repositories during the upgrade, and after the upgrade the MX repositories.
Is this possible?
The upgrade path I think is the weak point of MX.

[Eadwine Rose]

Feel free to help out develop a solution for it

[asinoro]

Feel free to help out develop a solution for it

I would like to do it, but first I don't have another computer to try it, and secondly most important I am not a developer.

[CharlesV]

I dont think you would need to be a developer really, however the lack of a second computer could be a problem. If your main computer is strong enough, then a Virtual Machine would be where I would work anyway.

There are many parts to this type of upgrade, but the starting point could be what you outlined. Creating a process of what needs to be done, and then walking through what can be done and what needs more attention and help could be a great spot to start something like this.

[asinoro]

I dont think you would need to be a developer really, however the lack of a second computer could be a problem. If your main computer is strong enough, then a Virtual Machine would be where I would work anyway.

There are many parts to this type of upgrade, but the starting point could be what you outlined. Creating a process of what needs to be done, and then walking through what can be done and what needs more attention and help could be a great spot to start something like this.

Unfortunately, my laptop is weak in processors and RAM, additionally my question to developers has a ground, since MX gives the option to boot from systemd, which probably is better for permanent upgrade, and later to switch to SysVinit. Maybe my question for permanently upgrade path will trigger something that the developers didn't think before. We are humans, not machines!

[CharlesV]

Have you tried the steps as outlined *by the developers* here ?

https://mxlinux.org/wiki/system/upgradi ... nstalling/

The steps are listed and show the path and how to.

[asinoro]

Have you tried the steps as outlined *by the developers* here ?

https://mxlinux.org/wiki/system/upgradi ... nstalling/

The steps are listed and show the path and how to.

Not yet, and don't ask me why! But the unofficial path means not official, which means not permanent and reliable. This also means, that could work for one user but not for the other, in a percentage not acceptable.

[Eadwine Rose]

Which means: unsupported. Install over it using a new version. Not that hard, if you have made proper backups you'll be done and ready on your new system in 2 hours.

[anticapitalista]

Have you ever tried to do a Debian full upgrade from one release to another?
I'm sure the vast majority of new (Debian desktop) users haven't done so since that Chapter 4 Upgrades from Debian 11 (bullseye) is way beyond most users comprehension.

[CharlesV]

I have been a tech for windows since 1989 and work with linux since 1994 and I can tell you for a fact that there are FAR too many variables to guarantee what I would call "acceptable percentages".

I cannot tell you how many times I have recovered machines where some application or issue caused a crash at the end of an update, or unpredictable / unstable. The reality is, if you install fresh, and then install applications after that, you are creating the best system you can run - and while it may seem like its "much more work" ... most of the time the result is far better.

The method outlined here to 'install fresh" and then reinstall the applications that you had on the old system (or as many as possible.), is about the best possible solution... and the devs have thought through and created a very good process to minimize the pain of 'reinstall'. Using the MX User Installed Applications tool can really help cut through most of the pain. And the devs have made the installer save and carry your data and configs to the new install. (as outlined in the MX Install docs)

Reading and working with the install this way... provides one of the best 'upgrades' I have seen for linux.