I'd like to upgrade Debian 7 to Debian 9 on the Internet, would anyone have an idea of the expected size of the download involved to complete a basic upgrade?

I plan to do this on a broadband USB modem and I probably need to ensure that I am not going to reach the limit of the gadget which is likely to break everything.

Thank you for your help.

is this a server or a desktop environment? Most probably you need to check the size of the debian install ISO (not upgrade, but full install). In best cases - probably - you will need at about the half of that, but it highly depends on what is installed (so perhaps 1/10 is enough).

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wouldn't you have to update from 7 to 8 first, and then from 8 to 9?

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A full desktop environment requires about 1G 1.5G of download. A server maybe 100-400 MB depending on what services you have running.

Having said that, upgrading from 7 to 9 is doomed to fail. You'll run into dependency problems. At best 7 -> 8 and 8 -> 9 can be successful. Again, a server environment will be more likely to succeed than a flow blown desktop.

Be sure to perform apt get upgrade first on every existing version you dist-upgrade.

If you do apt-get -D dist-upgrade you'll download everything without actually upgrading. So you are sure your download succeeded. Or you can spread your download over a longer period of time.

jlinkels

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+1 that!!! Try a LQ Search: only Debian forum, Show Results as Threads (vs Posts), Keyword: upgrade, Search Titles Only

Meaning: unfortunately, a 'fresh install" (safely backup everything you want to save, including all configurations you've done over the past yearS!!!)

Sorry to pass bad Linux news (note my n00b 1st & only Thread )

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I would prefer a fresh install and a light eg: WM\DE if not much room?

So for me: netinst or CD or DVD .iso then

Code:

apt

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I would also recommend installing from a DVD.iso downloaded & burned to a pendrive, safer & quicker.

Hopefully, you did put your /home on a separate partition, but in any case, back up all your personal files to external media, before upgrading, just in case.

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Guess you could maybe still get a netinstall and load up only what you want. Does Deb still have a netinstall?

It would be kind of hard to figure out the upgrade. Don't think debian used jigdo.

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Eg., again: https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/u...weekly-builds/

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OK then.

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Thank you for the answers.

I just got mobile Internet today, I'd love to buy a set of DVDs having done that for my current Debian 7 but I am cancelling my credit card because the national telco (Telstra) found it convenient to unexpectedly withdraw $AU40.00 one month and $AU20.00 the next even though I had had no business with them for nearly 5 years and a complaint to the bank went unanswered, so I presume anybody can do the same to my or your account here. I am quite happy to make a direct deposit when purchasing online but all the CD/DVD sellers offer only credit card options.

My question: is it as safe to do a "netinstall" from mobile broadband than doing it from the old conventional "home-line" Internet connection (wired)? I want to make sure there is no unexpected risk (mobile broadband being new to me). I have separate partitions for everything on desktop and nothing of importance on laptops.

Thank you for your help.

Your main risk with mobile broadband would be in public places, someone could potentially see what's going through the air anywhere nearby but if it's just Linux and updates who cares...

Eg:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4813856/


I always set up Firewalld* and ad\script blocking in my browsers.

This could lead us down a whole nother thread, you could start one or just search out how to stay safe on the net and\or how to keep my data safe from attacks &c?