CLEAN INSTALL LINUX MINT 20

WHAT I WANT TO DO
My own desktop computer OS is Mint 18.3 with 2GB RAM
My sons desktop computer OS is Mint 17.3 with 4GB RAM
I want to install Mint 20 LTS on both computers so they are supported until 2025

We’ve had Mint for the last 4 years, the 6 years before that I had Ubuntu. Linux OS have always been installed by a friend who also sorted any problems, but unfortunately he is no longer available to help, so now I must learn to do it myself, I have never tried this before and I dont understand terminal commands, although I can copy and paste if necessary.

ALREADY DONE
I’ve downloaded Mint 20 from the official Linux site, and using instructions on the same site I’ve verified that the iso is authentic and signed as Good.
With the Mint format tool I formatted a 16GB USB flash drive in FAT 32, then dragged the iso onto the USB flash drive.
I’ve checked that Mint 20 will work on both computers by altering the boot order in BIOS to boot from the USB. On my computer the logo appeared followed by the GRUB menu (I think that’s what it’s called), top item “start linux mint” was highlighted, then it crashed and I had to unplug. Online search suggested try “start in compatibility mode”, this worked although the pages seemed squashed and too wide for the screen, but had a good look around Mint 20 and apart from the squashed appearance, all worked perfect. On my sons computer it opened from “start linux mint”, pages not distorted at all and worked perfect. Also tried a couple of You tube videos on both machines to check sound and video, no problems.
As our current OS are a bit old, and also as I am not familiar with terminal commands, I’ve read that a clean install would be much better than the upgrade route, but as I’m afraid of losing everything if it goes wrong, an article suggested that “Timeshift” would save the day, so I’ve installed “Timeshift” on both computers.

QUESTIONS
1) How do I put a Timeshift snapshot onto a USB flashdrive? (I assume that a clean install will wipe the hard drive – including Timeshift) When I insert USB it shows on Timeshift > Location, but if I select USB, get message “selected device does not have Linux partition”.
2) Why will the USB not launch from “start linux mint” on my computer, and why is the appearance wrong in “compatibility mode”? Is it because I have only 2GB RAM, if so, can I upgrade to 4GB RAM? My computer is 10 years old, but I believe it could handle 4GB max. The computer manufacturer has advised that my RAM is DDR2 which they no longer stock, but say it should be available.
3) My computer has a spare 40GB hard drive fitted (by the friend) that I use to back up my photos, can this safely be left in situ whilst doing a clean install of Mint 20? If not and it is necessary to disconnect it first, how do I do this?
4) What critical decisions will I be asked to make during the install process?
5) Hopefully not needed, but if the install goes wrong, how do I use Timeshift from the USB flash drive to get Mint 18.3 back?

Sorry this is a bit long winded, but I’m venturing into unknown territory. You can tell that I don’t really know what I’m doing, but any help will be much appreciated as now I need to learn how to sort this out for myself. Thank you in advance for your help.

Screenshot of both computers hardware attached.

/home/bill/Documents/My computer Screenshot at 2020-09-28 16-02-07.png

/home/bill/Documents/Steven's computer Screenshot at 2020-09-28 15_48_01.png

septuagenarian,

Before you do anything else, copy and paste all your documents, photos and other data to the existing 40GB backup drive (if it has enough space) or to a new USB external drive such as this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-Elements...mputers&sr=1-2

Yes, leave the 40GB drive in place on PC #1, but remember that you need to have an external (500GB) USB drive or similar to backup personal data for PC #2. This assumes that PC #2 currently has no additional internal backup drive.

I suspect that you have downloaded Linux Mint Cinnamon which is too much for at least one of your PCs.

Try again using the Linux Mint MATE or Xfce version.

Alternatively, purchase a DVD for Linux Mint MATE 64-bit:
https://thelinuxshop.co.uk/linux-mint-mate-p-282.html

2 members found this post helpful.

I have not installed Mint 20 but have installed versions from 17.x to 19.3. Those installers have been identical or close to it. Probably 20 will be, too.

Back up your data before doing a clean install. I cannot advise this too strongly. And install on only one computer at a time. Once the first is satisfactory, the second should be a breeze.

Download the documentation from the Mint web site.

1. Can't help here.

2. The pictures of your hardware did not come through. IMO, try the OS installation before upgrading hardware.

I have a 10 yr old desktop with an I5 cpu and 4 GB of ram. The Mate
version of Mint 19.3 is running well on it. I suggest Mate over Cinnimon.

Dragging an .iso file to the USB stick will not install the file on the stick. Use USB Image Writer. You will probably have to download it from a repository.

The first screen of boot up probably has an option for starting from your choice of boot drives. Possibly holding down the F12 key, but different manufacturers use different keys. Changing boot order in the BIOS is a more complex option.

3. That 40 GB hard drive can safely be left in situ.

4. There are something like 8 or 10 screens with decisions to make. Only one is critical. Screen 1 asks what language and keyboard to use. Screen 4 (5?) asks if you want to do a clean install, install beside another OS, or do something else. Once you hit the NEXT button on this screen, you are committed. By the way, the command line should not be neeeded.

5. Can't help here.

Good luck.

1 members found this post helpful.

septuagenarian,

Just to add that Timeshift is an application that provides functionality similar to the System Restore feature in Windows and the Time Machine tool in Mac OS.

Timeshift protects your existing system by taking incremental snapshots of the file system at regular intervals. These snapshots can be restored at a later date to undo all changes to the system.

Timeshift is not designed to backup your data. It is designed to restore your current system in the event of problems.

Timeshift is of no use in this instance because you are going to change your existing system partitions on 2 PCs to new ones running Linux Mint 20.

You need to backup, via copy and paste, both sets of personal data to internal or external drives before doing fresh installations.

If you click on Mint Menu (Start) > All applications > Disks > Disk at the top left is sda, the main drive.

Under Volumes you should see 2 or 3 partitions and their various sizes.

It would be useful to let us know those sizes for each PC.

Lower down is sdb, an internal backup drive (40GB) for at least one PC.

If you already have 3 partitions on each PC, this blog may help you to preserve an existing Home partition:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...-distro-37074/

If that is the case, you only need to change the root (system) partition sda1 from Linux Mint 17.3/18.3 to Linux Mint 20 with the fresh installation.

NB However, you still need to make some adjustments to the Home partition (sda3) as per the blog instructions.

This video tutorial (start from around 10.00 minutes) shows how to create 3 partitions on a new drive:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_4Kh5kE3xA

I hope this is helpful for you.

1 members found this post helpful.

Hi, many thanks for your prompt replies.

I'm pleased that my existing 40GB backup drive can safely be left in place, but there is only 10GB free on it, so I was intending to use the built in "Mint Backup Tool" to save Personal Data and Software selection onto a 32GB flash drive before I start anything (the last time I backed-up using copy and paste-it took about 21GB). Will this tool do the same job as if I copy and paste everything?

The version of Mint that I have been using for the last 4 years is MATE, so I have already downloaded Mint 20 MATE onto my flash drive, and as suggested, I used USB Image Writer.

It's a good idea doing one computer at a time, I will do my sons first because his OS is the oldest, also if I hit any problems I will be able to communicate with you using my computer.

I've used [inxi -Fxz] and also [dmidecode -t memory | grep -i size] to obtain details of hardware and RAM on both computers (I found these commands on a Linux tutorial page), then took a screenshot and saved each one to my home folder. This seems to have worked, but I can't find how to drag and drop the screenshots onto this page to give you the information, how can I do this? In the meantime, I've just opened a terminal and repeated the commands on my computer, then clicked "select all",then copied and pasted onto this page below, but surely there must be a simple way to drag a screenshot onto this page?


Hardware and RAM details of my computer:

bill@bill-System-Product-Name ~ $ sudo inxi -Fxz
[sudo] password for bill:
System: Host: bill-System-Product-Name Kernel: 4.4.0-21-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.3.1)
Desktop: MATE 1.18.0 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3)
Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine: Mobo: ASUSTeK model: M2N68-AM SE2 v: Rev X.0x
Bios: American Megatrends v: 1103 date: 01/26/2010
CPU: Dual core AMD Athlon II X2 245 (-MCP-) cache: 2048 KB
flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4a svm) bmips: 11653
clock speeds: max: 2913 MHz 1: 2913 MHz 2: 2913 MHz
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA C61 [GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a] bus-ID: 00:0d.0
Display Server: X.org 1.18.4 drivers: nouveau (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
tty size: 80x24 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio: Card NVIDIA MCP61 High Definition Audio
driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:05.0
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-21-generic
Network: Card: NVIDIA MCP61 Ethernet
driver: forcedeth port: e480 bus-ID: 00:07.0
IF: enp0s7 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 540.1GB (13.6% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: IC35L060AVV207 size: 40.0GB temp: 29C
ID-2: /dev/sdb model: Hitachi_HDS72105 size: 500.1GB temp: 28C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 457G used: 67G (16%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 1.88GB used: 0.05GB (2%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sdb5
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 30.0C mobo: 27.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3426 sys-1: 0
Info: Processes: 174 Uptime: 21 min Memory: 1167.6/1747.6MB
Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
Client: Shell (sudo) inxi: 2.2.35
bill@bill-System-Product-Name ~ $ sudo dmidecode -t memory | grep -i size
Maximum Memory Module Size: 2048 MB
Maximum Total Memory Size: 4096 MB
Installed Size: 2048 MB (Double-bank Connection)
Enabled Size: 2048 MB (Double-bank Connection)
Installed Size: Not Installed
Enabled Size: Not Installed
Size: 2048 MB
Size: No Module Installed
bill@bill-System-Product-Name ~ $


My sons computer also has a dual core CPU, but he has 4GB RAM.

Please let me know if you need any further details.

Hi beachboy2

Thanks for the explanation, I realise that Timeshift is not a backup tool but is designed to restore the original OS, I intend to backup each computer onto a 32GB flash drive, but I just want to be able to get the present OS back and working in case I make a mess of the new installation, then at least I will still have a working computer and the chance to try again.

Am I right to assume that a clean install would wipe the hard drive, including Timeshift? If so, that is why I asked how to put a Timeshift snapshot onto a flash drive.

I recently watched a you tube video about doing a clean install and that suggested selecting "Erase disc and install Linux Mint", but I note from your blog that I should select "Something else", does that mean that all the contents of my existing "Home" folder will automatically transfer into Mint 20?

I intend to upgrade my sons computer first, but think I will have to print off your blog instructions before I start, I'm afraid that at present I don't have a clue about what partitions and ext 3 or ext 4 mean.

Regarding the disc sizes and partitions, if you can please tell me how to drag a screenshot onto this reply page I will try to send the details of both computers.

septuagenarian,

Personally I would forget about Timeshift and concentrate on backing up your personal data which is the most important thing.

The contents of your existing "Home" folder will NOT automatically transfer into Mint 20.

From what I can see, you not appear to have a separate Home folder.

EDIT
Once we have the screenshots for both drives we will have a better idea of your setup. At the moment it looks like sda is the 40GB backup drive and sdb is the main drive. Strange.
Please do not get these mixed up!!

In the partitioning suggestion below sda is your main drive and sdb is the backup drive.

In that case when you get to Something Else, it is best to create delete all existing partitions on sda (please do NOT delete sdb your backup drive!) and then:


Create 3 new Primary (not Logical) partitions in the free space. Make sure to select Beginning for the location of each partition.

Highlight the free space and click on Change.

First create sda1:
sda1....formatted (X in the box) as ext4 as the root partition (/)......Size: 25000MiB
Click on OK.

Highlight the free space and click on Change.

sda2.....not formatted (no X in the box) as the swap partition.............Size: 2000MiB.
Click on OK.

Highlight the free space and click on Change.

sda3......formatted (X in the box) as ext4 as the Home partition (/home)......Size: Remainder of hard drive.
Click on OK.

Install on sda.

I strongly recommend that you copy and paste the partitioning instructions above onto a LibreOffice Writer document and print it.

With regard to attaching screenshots to your reply, click on Manage Attachments in Additional Options, below the Submit Reply button.

Click on Browse, select the screenshot (s) and click on Open.

Then click on Upload.

Then click Submit Reply.

If you right click on Documents, then left click on Properties you will see the size of that particular folder.

Repeat for Pictures, Music, Videos, Desktop folders etc.

Then you will know the total size of your personal data and be able to compare this to the size of your backup drives.

NB Do remember that a nominal 32GB drive will only have say 28GB available.

I find using Copy & Paste the simplest way to backup existing data.

1 members found this post helpful.

This should be the screenshots, if I've got it right!

Attached Thumbnails

       

septuagenarian,

Thanks for the screen shots.

In summary you have:

Your PC with 2GB of RAM, a Hitachi 500GB main drive (sdb) and a 40GB backup drive (sda).

The main drive (sdb) has a root partition and a swap partition. There is no separate Home partition as I suspected.

Your son's PC with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB Seagate drive (sda). Similarly, this drive has a root partition and a swap partition, but no Home partition.

Once you have copied and pasted all personal data to internal (for your PC) and external (son's PC) drives double-check that the personal data exists on both backup drives before going any further!

Then on your PC, boot from the Linux Mint MATE flash drive. Make sure to use the Hitachi 500GB main drive.

As mentioned above, when you reach the Something Else stage, you need to delete both existing root and swap partitions, prior to creating 3 new Primary partitions.

Take things slowly and good luck.

1 members found this post helpful.

septuagenarian,

Dragging the ISO file to a USB drive is not the correct procedure as pholland has pointed out.

One way to create a bootable USB drive is to download Etcher on the PC which has the Linux Mint 20 ISO file:
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Click on the Download button, select Open with Archive Manager, click OK.
Click on Extract, click on Extract, Close.
The Appimage will now be your Home folder unless you selected Desktop or Downloads earlier.

Plug in the USB flash drive. Whatever is on there will be wiped.
Right click on the file and click on Open.
Click on Flash from file > select Target > Flash.

1 members found this post helpful.

Sorry I did not make things clear on my original posting, but I realise that it is wrong to drag the ISO file onto the flash drive, and when I downloaded Mint 20 MATE onto my flash drive I used USB Image Writer as it was already installed in the Applications.

Before I begin saving existing folders, just now I'm in the middle of doing a Spring clean through all folders on both computers to get rid of old files, music albums no longer listened to etc. so that unwanted rubbish is not carried onto Mint 20 (I've dumped over 2GB so far, so this should make it easier to fit onto my USB flash drive).

I understand the importance of saving everything before starting a clean install, but what happens regarding drivers? Mint 18 was installed over 4 years ago, and I will have drivers for my printer, my scanner and also a webcam installed on my computer at present, so do these get saved or do they have to be downloaded again after installing Mint 20?

Will keep you updated on progress.

septuagenarian,

You will almost certainly require new drivers for your printer, scanner and webcam.

It would be useful to know the exact make and model number of each item.

For example, with HP printers you would download and install hplip:
https://developers.hp.com/hp-linux-i.../install/index

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My printer and scanner are both Canon, and I can download the drivers from the Canon site. The webcam is Logitech and I have just found the box it came in which fortunately contains a CD with the necessary driver in case I need it, so I should be OK thank you.

As you suggested I am using copy and paste to backup all music, photos, documents etc. folders in "Home" onto a flash drive, but do I need to backup my emails, and if so, how? (I use Google gmail).

One thing still causing concern relates to Question 2 of my original posting:

2) Why will the USB not launch from “start linux mint” on my computer, and why is the appearance wrong in “compatibility mode”? Is it because I have only 2GB RAM, if so, can I upgrade to 4GB RAM? My computer is 10 years old, but I believe it could handle 4GB max. The computer manufacturer has advised that my RAM is DDR2 which they no longer stock, but say it should be available.

As stated, Mint 20 worked perfect from the USB live boot on my sons computer, but using the same USB live boot on my computer it would only work in Compatibility mode, and although it worked fine, the appearance was distorted. When the time comes to click "install", will it install properly or will it always have a squashed appearance?

septuagenarian,

Gmail is not a problem because it is web-based.Just open Gmail and enter your login details.

I don't have time to answer the rest because the football starts in 2 minutes.

1 members found this post helpful.

septuagenarian,

It's half-time.

Boot from the LM 20 MATE flash drive on your son's PC.

Have the printout handy and create 3 Primary partitions.

Install LM 20 MATE and then worry about your own PC later, when hopefully you have just been successful.

What is the exact specification of your own PC's RAM? Size, type, rating etc.

1 members found this post helpful.