Linux: Installing/Upgrading

[last updated: 2025-09-09]
Disclaimers
Linux home page
Linux versions
(link to:) linuxmint.com/download
Create bootable USB stick
----------

• Installing Linux means to put a working version of Linux on your computer.
  It means overwriting/erasing everything that's on your computer prior to the install.
      (However this may not be true, as "dual-boot" installs are possible... see more later/elsewhere...)

• or... Test/Evaluate Linux without installing:
  However you can use this procedure (ie. create bootable USB), that will allow you to boot a Linux environment onto a Windows PC from the USB stick,
  then allow you to test and evaluate it, without in any way disturbing your Windows install or any of your saved files.
  When you're done testing the Linux environment, then shut down your PC, and remove the Linux USB stick, and reboot your computer,
  it will come up with Windows just as before, unchanged.
  --------------------------------------

• Procedure:
  • If you're doing a complete install, overwriting whatever is on your computer, then First save your browser bookmarks, because otherwise you'll lose them in the install,
    Then save all your files, because they'll all be over-written in the new install.

    
    Create bootable USB stick

  • boot computer from usb stick
    test/evaluate
  • install onto computer from usb stick
  • After installation, Restore Environment if desired.
    --------------------------------------
  • Notes from my installs:
    • Install Linux dual-boot on Dell tower
      This procedure installed Linux on a fresh partition. However the files on the Windows partition were not affected.
    • Install Linux 21
    • Install Linux 21.1 on MP60

  ------------------------------------------------------------

• Upgrading Linux means to go from one version of Linux to another, eg. going from Linux 19 to Linux 20. Doing an upgrade preserves all your personal files. It also (AFAIK) preserves programs and packages that you've installed prior to the upgrade.
  • Note you can use the same procedure that you used for a "fresh" install to do an upgrade,
    ie. create a bootable USB stick with the new version, boot from it, ...
    at this point in the procedure I'm a little sketchy...
    I'm pretty sure, if you click the "install" icon on the desktop,
    that you'll be given the opportunity to same all your files and programs etc...
    but I'm not 100% sure ...

    -----

    In any case, you can instead just do a new install with the new, upgraded version, and treat it like a fresh install,
    having previously saved all your files and bookmarks of course.
    The downside to doing it this way, other than the hassle of backing up (which you should be doing regularly anyway) copying back after the install,
    is that installed packages won't be saved, AFAIK...

  • Upgrade Dell 4400 from Linux 18.3 to 19
  • Upgrade from Linux 19 to 20

• (probably move this section somewhere else...)
  To install a .deb file:
  Right-click on the .deb file, select Open with GDebi Package Installer, click Install Package
• Alternatively, you can also install a .deb file by opening a terminal and typing:
  $ sudo dpkg -i package_file.deb

.

.

.

eof