Upgrade to Trisquel 10 or 11 ?
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My Thinkpads X200 and x230 are currently running Trisquel 9 Etiona. I will be upgrading soon but, which version should I use ?
My thinking is do an online upgrade to 10 with the X200 and a clean install of 11 to the x230. But will 11 have more recent drivers and software and therefore be the better choice for both ? Or is 11 too far to jump straight from 9 ?
The online upgrade from 8 to 9 went OK on the X200 but for some reason the boot process takes a very long time. With the original fresh install of 8 the boot was very quick.
Decisions decisions.
If you are strictly doing an "upgrade" you must go to 10 next because skipping versions on upgrade is not supported (although once upgraded to 10 you could then upgrade to 11 if you wish.) If you are instead willing to do a fresh install you may select either 10 or 11. This can be desirable in some cases if you have too many Trisquel versions to upgrade through.
But will 11 have more recent drivers and software and therefore be the better choice for both ?
Yes.
Or is 11 too far to jump straight from 9 ?
As jxself wrote, if you upgrade (e.g., with sudo do-release-upgrade), you must go to Trisquel 10 and then you can upgrade Trisquel 10 to Trisquel 11.
11 Aramo is now up and running on the X200. It had to be scrubbed the first time due to an extended boot up. It was taking minutes on a 256Gb SSD.
I re-formatted the drive and installed 10 from DVD disc and once that was up and running did the online upgrade to 11. With the new install, from power on - It takes approx 40 seconds to get to a working desktop.
Great to hear it!
Could you please let me know how you re-formatted your drive... I mean, if you could explain the basics of the process in the most basic terms, that would be much appreciated... I'm still quite new to GNU/Linux and am tasked with installing Trisquel 11 in two computers, my partner's as well as my own x200.
My first attempt wasn't great, so I hope that deleting and reformatting correctly will make for a better start.
Hi, To format the SSD go into Control Centre, Hardware, Disks, Drive Options, Format Disk.
back up any data you want to keep to an off board source first.
Thank you iceburn!
I am OK with that part, what I am not sure is which format to choose.
Also, would it help to create partitions before installing and if so, how many and which formats.
There is a default install to take the whole disk and another one to install Trisquel alongside existing operating systems. I do not know what are the defaults in Trisquel 11's installer but the root partition (i.e., the partition mounted at /) used to be rather small, preventing the future installation of many programs taking much disk space, such as video games. If it is still the case, it is a good idea to choose the "Something else" type of installation. With it, there is an additional partitioning step so, no, you do not need to partition the disk before launching the installer. You can for instance opt for a swap partition as large as the RAM (so that hibernation is an option), a 50 GB root partition and a separate partition for /home that would take the rest of the disk (with a separate /home, you can install a new GNU/Linux system while keeping the existing user data). You can choose ext4 for both / and /home. It is the most common filesystem.
Thank you Magic Banana! Great info, as usual! I will refer to it when I get to that stage.
The problem I have at the moment seems more basic.
I formatted the SSD and had problems with the installation, it booted, but wasn't right at all... I can't even begin to explain what happened, as I don't know what I've done wrong or what exactly was the problem (couldn't even install firewall).
I've installed Trisquel before (Nabia) and it was fine, because the drives I used were already formatted, but this time was different. I think I formatted the SSD incorrectly (before installing), so I need to delete and start again, hopefully format the drive as it should be.
Sorry for the beginner's confusion, have to confess I'm feeling a bit like a donkey :)
That was so sweet Magic Banana! Thank you!! I am glad to say I agree with you, failing could be called learning :)
I am afraid I have to go back to that very basic question though, the formatting of my screwed up SSD:
- Do I delete and format it? GPT?
- Do I add a partition? EXT4?
- Could I add all partitions ready to install?
- If so, in which order and in which formats?
I have the info from your previous message, but am still not sure of the details... that is what gets us beginners - the basics (and where to look for them).
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EDIT - If I install with the separate home partition, which sounds ideal, how does the encryption work?
I am a translator!
My advice would be to use the "use whole disk" option with automatic partioning, selecting the suboptions to have ciphering and LVM (Logical Volume Management).
This creates an unciphered /boot partition, a physical volume for ciphering containing a volume group containing 3 logical volumes, one for root, one for /home, one for swap.
If I am not wrong, the installer uses ext4 for /home (this was changed, it was using xfs before). The lvresize command with the -r option can shrink/enlarge a logical volume containing an ext4 file system and resize the file system at the same time, without loosing data. (Note: backup before anyway because it happens to make mistakes). If you ever need to do that, I can provide the commands.
Sure, you could do the same with the "something else" option but since you can also resize after installation, I don't see much point to bother with that.
Thank you Avron!
Do you mean "use whole disk" during installation? Can I just start the computer with the problem SSD and the automatic partition would sort it out?
(Note: backup before anyway because it happens to make mistakes). If you ever need to do that, I can provide the commands.
Yes please, that would be very helpful!
Do you mean "use whole disk" during installation?
I am pretty sure it is what Avron means. It is one of the three types of installation Trisquel's graphical installer proposes at the beginning of the process, after asking the language it should use.
Can I just start the computer with the problem SSD and the automatic partition would sort it out?
If it is not a hardware problem (such as damaged sectors), then yes.
Yes please, that would be very helpful!
Can you actually access the files on the problematic SSD from Trisquel 11's live system. If so, you may plug an external drive and copy the user files (and maybe some system files, if you changed some) from the file manager. Once done, you would launch the installer. After the reboot into the installed system, you can move the files on the external drive back to the SSD.
You want regular backups. Trisquel ships with Back In Time by default. It is great in my opinion.
Thank you, that is great Magic Banana!
I will try again and let the installer do its own partitions (+ could have a go at resizing it, if needed, as Avron explained).
As for the problem SSD, it could well be as you said:
If it is not a hardware problem (such as damaged sectors), then yes.
Is there a way to test it for damaged sectors?
The problem could also be the computer itself, which is a TP x200 I recently got from ebay (to keep as an extra). It came with old Libreboot 20160907 and I wonder if it could have been tampered with.... it seems to behave differently from my main computer, also a x200 (with Trisquel 10), which also has Libreboot 20160907, but came from a trustworthy seller and has always run beautifully.
Can you actually access the files on the problematic SSD from Trisquel 11's live system. If so, you may plug an external drive and copy the user files (and maybe some system files, if you changed some) from the file manager. Once done, you would launch the installer. After the reboot into the installed system, you can move the files on the external drive back to the SSD.
It was a fresh install of Aramo from live USB, so luckily there is nothing that needs saving.
Another thought though, as I am keeping Nabia, maybe I could restore home and any system files directly from it to Aramo (if Nabia is in an UltraBase and Aramo is the main drive)
You want regular backups. Trisquel ships with Back In Time by default. It is great in my opinion.
Thank you for mentioning this as well! I have been using Back In Time, but never had to restore... time to learn that too :)
Is there a way to test it for damaged sectors?
Drives can self-test. I believe the easier way to ask that is with GNOME Disks (the package is named gnome-disk-utility, and you can even install it in Trisquel's live system):
- Launch GNOME Disks;
- Select the device on the left (as GNOME Disks asks);
- Click on the three stacked dots in the title bar and on "SMART Data & Self-Tests...";
- Click on the "Start Self-test" button and choose "Extended";
- Input your password;
- Wait and look at the assessment column above.
I wonder if it could have been tampered with.
The SSD may have simply run a lot before you got it.
It was a fresh install of Aramo from live USB, so luckily there is nothing that needs saving.
Great. You can directly install Trisquel 11 Aramo from the live system.
Another thought though, as I am keeping Nabia
Are we talking about the same computer? If so, you cannot use the "whole disk" type of installation: it would erase Trisquel 10 Nabia.
I have been using Back In Time, but never had to restore... time to learn that too :)
One of the reason why Back In Time is great is that *all* the files at a specific date are in a directory whose name is that date plus a number (and "last_snapshot" points to the latest one): you can simply copy/paste the files. When those files are unchanged between backups they are not resent (and do not take several times the same amount of space): hard links are used.
I am so glad to be part of Trisquel and this great forum :)
Thank you for explaining the self-test so clearly Magic Banana, now I can do it with confidence!!
The SSD may have simply run a lot before you got it.
I'll try to explain (and do my best to be concise)...
The SSD in question came from my old Mac computer which was badly hacked (quacked)... I used urandom command to overwrite that SSD, hoping to get rid of all hidden files/partitions (reason I was lost when it came to format it, I mean, after running urandom).
The tampering I am most concerned with is to do with the 2016 Libreboot in the x200 from ebay (that I installed Trisquel 11 from live USB) --- could that old Libreboot have been tampered with?
Are we talking about the same computer? If so, you cannot use the "whole disk" type of installation: it would erase Trisquel 10 Nabia.
Two computers, both x200 with Libreboot, my good one (with nice installation of Nabia) and the one I am trying to sort out (with fresh/problematic install of Aramo).
Thank you also for the great information on Back In Time, Magic Banana, very nice... way to go!
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EDIT: Is there another way a x200 can be tampered with, which I should investigate?... I suspect the wi-fi physical lock is not working either, but that could well be paranoia :)... and is there a way to disable wi-fi completely?
Is there another way a x200 can be tampered with, which I should investigate?... I suspect the wi-fi physical lock is not working either, but that could well be paranoia :)...
Doing a fresh install on a disk that you have overwritten with random data, malware would have to hide in firmware to survive... and firmware is often proprietary software with no substitute. You already use Libreboot, right? It is free firmware (the BIOS/UEFI) that you can reinstall, if you wish (but it is probably unnecessary).
is there a way to disable wi-fi completely?
You can always remove the card.
Magic Banana, you've put my mind at rest, TANK YOU!!
I am a translator!
Could that old Libreboot have been tampered with?
It is not impossible that someone has made a modified version Libreboot with some feature a user would not want and flashed it on your X200. If you are afraid of this, you could reflash Libreboot. This is a nice hacking exercise but it is important to be very cautious because in case of failure/mistake, your X200 may not boot anymore and then you need extra hardware to reflash.
I did reflash Libreboot on my X200 once. There are some ongoing development with Libreboot so that I would like to reflash a newer version at some point, one that has the mitigation for the lack of microcode update (there are also versions with non-free microcode updates). According to a recent message from Leah, this should be possible now, so I'll read more.
Right! Thank you Avron, I see what you mean!
I am aiming to update Libreboot as I had good advice from Leah, she was great!
I'm gathering the courage to get on with it though. It would be my first time to flash anything, and to be honest, I am not even sure what exactly flashing/reflashing means.
is important to be very cautious because in case of failure/mistake, your X200 may not boot anymore and then you need extra hardware to reflash
Glad I am busy and haven't found the time to think about it :)
I am not even sure what exactly flashing/reflashing means.
It simply means "overwriting a firmware" (here, a BIOS image).
Glad you picked on that and thank you for making it clear. I wasn't sure if there was a bit more to it.
I am a translator!
This is rewriting the content of the flash memory that is used at boot, which contains Libreboot or what was put by the manufacturer. The command used to do it is "flashrom".
As a side note: Trisquel Standard Edition uses the MATE desktop environment, so the disk utility is simply called "Disks", all other things equal.
This page does not reflect it yet: https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/trisquel, I am going to refresh it for future reference. Work in progress.
A similar list may be a welcome addition to the documentation pages for the various non-standard desktop environments available in the repo.
Thank you for the info and the link prospero.
I have been looking for that page and forgot it was titled "About Trisquel" (bookmarked!)
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