[SOLVED] Linux Mint 19 upgrade to 19.1 upgrade failure

bodge99 · 12-19-2018, 05:00 PM

Hello All.

I'm looking to upgrade a laptop running Mint 19 (and 19.1 beta) with Cinnamon DE to the release Mint 19.1 using the Update Manager.

The 'Upgrade to "Linux Mint 19.1 Tessa" ' procedure fails with an error message "The upgrade did not succeed. Make sure you are connected to the Internet and try to upgrade again." This message is actually totally bogus ("fall through" error message??).

I think that I've traced the error to the last section of /usr/bin/mint-release-upgrade-root . This is a python3 script which seems to check for either gksu or kdesudo before proceeding.

I don't know about kdesudo as I don't run KDE, but I do know that gksudo/gksu was dropped by Ubuntu (and then by Mint) a little while ago.

My python skills are rudimentary so I don't know how to patch this file.

The relevant code is:-

Code:

if os.path.exists("/usr/bin/gksu"):
    launcher = "gksu  --message "<b>%s</b>"" % sentence
elif os.path.exists("/usr/bin/kdesudo"):
    launcher = "kdesudo -i %s -d --comment "<b>%s</b>"" % (icon, sentence)

command = "%s %s %s %s" % (launcher, tool, codename, window_id)
os.system(command)

Yes, O.K. I do appreciate that the "best way" to upgrade is by wiping and reinstalling but I like to try solving problems as they occur.. It's a good way of learning something new.

Any ideas or pointers??

Bodge99

bodge99 · 12-19-2018, 05:46 PM

As a quick fix, I've installed gksu as used in an earlier version of Ubuntu.
For those looking for this, run the following in a terminal:-

Code:

 wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/universe/libg/libgksu/libgksu2-0_2.0.13~pre1-9ubuntu2_amd64.deb
 sudo apt install ./libgksu2-0_2.0.13~pre1-9ubuntu2_amd64.deb

 wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/universe/g/gksu/gksu_2.0.2-9ubuntu1_amd64.deb
 sudo apt install ./gksu_2.0.2-9ubuntu1_amd64.deb

I found this at https://www.cilicia.us/wp/?p=2195

I would still like to find out how to modify the python3 script if anyone has any suggestions...

Bodge99

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:00 PM

The official upgrade from Mint 19 to Mint 19.1 hasn't yet been released. How did you carry out the upgrade?

If you're running a Mint 19.1 beta already then that doesn't need to be upgraded to Mint 19.1 proper, just updated in the normal way (although do see https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3669 for an extra note on this).

bodge99 · 12-19-2018, 06:24 PM

Mint 19.1 has been released.. See https://linuxmint.com/

If you perform an update (either by using apt or with the update manager), you'll see that a newer version of the update manager is pulled in.

You can now upgrade to Mint 19.1 from there.

Bodge99

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodge99

Mint 19.1 has been released.. See https://linuxmint.com/

Bodge99

Yes, but the upgrade path hasn't yet, as of writing.

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:31 PM

The very fact that you are dealing with a script that mentions KDE (dropped by Mint in Mint 19) and gksu/kdesudo (also dropped by Mint in Mint 19) shows that you are not dealing with an official upgrade script, at least not for Mint 19->Mint 19.1. Far preferable to wait until the official upgrade path through the Update Manager is released by Mint within the next few days.

In response to something else you mentioned in your OP, I personally fresh install for every major upgrade (Mint 17, 18, 19, etc.) but upgrade through the Update Manager for point releases (Mint 18.1, Mint 18.2, etc.). It works a treat, but you should stick to the Mint-supplied instructions.

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodge99

If you perform an update (either by using apt or with the update manager), you'll see that a newer version of the update manager is pulled in.

You can now upgrade to Mint 19.1 from there.

Bodge99

Interesting, Bodge. It doesn't for me, and I'm using the main Mint repo at http://packages.linuxmint.com. Which repo are you using? Of course, there's always the possibility that they had the updated version of Mint Update up there and then realised that folk like yourself were having issues and so pulled it while they could fix the problem.

bodge99 · 12-19-2018, 06:43 PM

I **AM** using the official upgrade script.. See the Linux Mint website..

I agree with you that a clean install is best.. That is the exact way that I normally use..

Right now, I have 2 laptops to upgrade (1 left to do). Mine has 12 working Linux distros on it at the moment.. (don't ask!!).
I wanted to quickly upgrade Mint as I'm demonstrating it to someone tomorrow.

The second laptop belongs to SWMBO. She wants the latest Mint ASAP. The laptop has been down for a motherboard swap which has taken a little time to complete - hence the impatience!

Bodge99

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodge99

I **AM** using the official upgrade script.. See the Linux Mint website..

I agree with you that a clean install is best.. That is the exact way that I normally use..

Right now, I have 2 laptops to upgrade (1 left to do). Mine has 12 working Linux distros on it at the moment.. (don't ask!!).
I wanted to quickly upgrade Mint as I'm demonstrating it to someone tomorrow.

The second laptop belongs to SWMBO. She wants the latest Mint ASAP. The laptop has been down for a motherboard swap which has taken a little time to complete - hence the impatience!

Bodge99

Can you please show me where there the upgrade path is mentioned on the website. Thanks.

Edit: All I see in the blog entries is "Announcements will be made shortly with instructions on how to upgrade from Linux Mint 19."

By the way, small world, a close friend of mine is from Bedlington.

bodge99 · 12-19-2018, 06:49 PM

Hydruga:

I performed an apt update earlier.. this pulled in a newer Update Manager. I found the upgrade option under "Edit".

I'm using the University of Kent UK Mirror Service as the main mirror.

I've noticed a few changes in 19.1, one annoyance (for me anyway) is that I've had to re-enable scrollbar arrows **AGAIN**.

I'm **SURE** that I saw a mention of the upgrade procedure on the Mint website.. I can't find it now..

Bodge99

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:53 PM

Bodge, I've just heard back from the Mint developers to say that the upgrade path hasn't been released yet, so there's something unusual going on here...

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodge99

Hydruga:

I'm using the University of Kent UK Mirror Service as the main mirror.

I've noticed a few changes in 19.1, one annoyance (for me anyway) is that I've had to re-enable scrollbar buttons again.

Bodge99

I can talk you through the scroll button issue (if you mean the steppers on the scrollbars). Basically you have to make the mod to your user config rather than the main system config so that it doesn't get over-written on updates. Can you please open a new thread asking about that?

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 07:00 PM

Which version of Update Manager are you currently running, and when did the update to its new version take place (see View->History of Updates in Update Manager)?

bodge99 · 12-19-2018, 07:16 PM

I've got another Mint 19 in a VM, I'll check the exact versions as I go.. (tomorrow)

History of updates gives these for mintupdate and mint-upgrade-info (Mint 19.1):-

2018-12-19 23:31:58 mintupdate (old)5.4.1 (new)5.4.6
2018-12-19 16:59:32 mint-upgrade-info (old)1.1.1 (new)1.1.2

Bodge99

hydrurga · 12-19-2018, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodge99

I've got another Mint 19 in a VM, I'll check the exact versions as I go.. (tomorrow)

History of updates gives these for mintupdate and mint-upgrade-info (Mint 19.1):-

2018-12-19 23:31:58 mintupdate (old)5.4.1 (new)5.4.6
2018-12-19 16:59:32 mint-upgrade-info (old)1.1.1 (new)1.1.2

Bodge99

Thanks. I need to confirm one thing. In your opening post, you said that "I'm looking to upgrade a laptop running Mint 19 (and 19.1 beta)". Which was it running, 19 or 19.1 beta, when the upgrade path appeared? It can't be both.