Installing One Distro Over Another

Synergy23 · 07-02-2013, 10:26 PM

I currently have Linux Mint dual booting with Windows Vista (it came with the laptop... I only use Windows to play SC2). However, it is the vastly outdated Linux Mint 11.

Rather than upgrade Mint to a new version, can I simply install Ubuntu 13.04 directly over Mint just as easily?

pierre2 · 07-03-2013, 12:13 AM

Quote:

However, it is the vastly outdated Linux Mint 11.

I'm using Mint 10 - on this PC

but yeah:- you install the newer O/S directly over the old O/S.

- if you have separate /, /home, /swap partitions, then that also makes things a bit easier,
when shifting over to another O/S.

otherwise, just overwrite the existing /, /swap - with the new O/S.

Synergy23 · 07-03-2013, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierre2

I'm using Mint 10 - on this PC

but yeah:- you install the newer O/S directly over the old O/S.

- if you have separate /, /home, /swap partitions, then that also makes things a bit easier,
when shifting over to another O/S.

otherwise, just overwrite the existing /, /swap - with the new O/S.

Thanks! Good to know.

Now if only I could figure out why I am having no luck whatsoever booting a preloaded Ubuntu USB stick

purple52 · 07-05-2013, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synergy23

Thanks! Good to know.

Now if only I could figure out why I am having no luck whatsoever booting a preloaded Ubuntu USB stick

Try using PLOP http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanagers.html which might help . Does your BIOS recognize the USB device?

Ion Silverbolt · 07-12-2013, 03:16 PM

Having a seperate home folder helps a lot when installing over. Sometimes old .config files can conflict with newer installs, as well as permission issues can seep in. (It varies a lot depending on the distro)

The safe approach is to backup your home folder to a usb hard drive or something (or at least copy the files and configs you want to keep), and then do a fresh install from scratch. During install, assign home to it's own partition for easier reinstallation and backup.

Once you're install is done, migrate all the media files and config files you want to keep over into your new home.

If you already have a dedicated home partition before install, sometimes it's just easier to rename the users home folder. That way you get a new "fresh home folder, and all your stuff is still backed up to whatever you renamed the old home folder to.

cascade9 · 07-12-2013, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synergy23

I currently have Linux Mint dual booting with Windows Vista (it came with the laptop... I only use Windows to play SC2). However, it is the vastly outdated Linux Mint 11.

If you've let Mint 11 with 18 months of support get that out of date, maybe installing 13.04 with 9 months of support (yes, you read that correctly, 9 months) isnt a great idea? Its only got 6 motnsh left now.

Maybe LTS 12.04 (or a different distro) would be a better idea.

If you dont already know about unity, you should probably have a look at it....its replaced the old gnome 2.X desktop used in earlier versions of ubuntu.