Upgrading to Mandriva 2007 Spring [solved]

[yossarian]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm a newbie to Linux. I installed Mandriva 2007 (my first Linux ever!) a few weeks ago and I am very impressed.

 

I want to update my OS to Mandriva 2007 Spring release, but without losing the configuration and the preferences (identities, users' preferences, mail, bookmarks, etc.). Is there a way to do that through the configuration tool, or through the Live CD?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Guest elwis]

Yep, I'm eager to get an answer to this one also. :)

[ianw1974]

Yes, you can do it. Two ways.

 

urpmi.removemedia -a

 

then use easyurpmi to add the 2007.1 sources, and then:

 

urpmi --auto-select --auto

 

to update. Or, download the CD/DVD iso of 2007.1 and upgrade using the CD/DVD media once burnt.

 

All settings will me migrated and updated during the upgrade.

[dexter11]

A somewhat easyer way (though it's basically the same but a bit more user friendly) is to visit http://www.mandrivauser.de/smarturpmi Choose the mirrors you like the best but in the end you can save it as a script. Save the script, navigate to it in a file manager, give it execute permission (right click, choose Properties and on one of the tabs you have to check a checkbox). Open a terminal and run the script and wait for it to finish.

[yossarian]

Could you please provide us some more details regarding the option of installing thruogh the CD? Does it work with the installation from the Live CD? And should I format my hard drive or use the partitioning tool, and if so, how?

 

Thanks!

[ianw1974]

Never done it from LiveCD, and unsure it would work from that. You'd be better downloading the full CD set, or the DVD for this if you intend to do from CD media.

 

Else if nice fast internet connection, use the urpmi sources and do that way, as the CD/DVD won't have the immediate updates for 2007.1 whereas using urpmi, you'll get everything bang up-to-date immediately.

 

One thing though, before rebooting after the urpmi upgrade method, ensure you install a new kernel using urpmi. You need to find it with:

 

urpmf --name kernel | grep 2.6.17

 

and then pick the latest one, something like kernel-2.6.17.14mdv or something like that.

[scarecrow]

Personally, I would do a

telinit 3

before using urpmi --autoselect --auto (to keep most services and gui shut down), and I would also keep my fingers crossed... :D

Most times it works, but noone will sware on that.

Edited April 19, 2007 by scarecrow

[ianw1974]

2006 to 2007 worked perfectly fine for me. Usually more of a problem going from anything too old to too new. 2007.0 to 2007.1 should be a piece of cake though.

 

Which reminds me, forgot to check my Corporate Desktop 4 beta, as it was downloading 2GB of updates today :o

[arctic]

In order to minimize the risk of something breaking, I also suggest that, before you launch "urpmi --auto-update" or "urpmi --auto-select --auto" (--auto-update is the recommended procedure), you go to an init 3 environment (=text mode only)

 

process is:

press ctrl+alt+f1

log in as root, then type

init 3

then perform

urpmi --auto-select -auto

or

urpmi --auto-update

[yossarian]

OK, thanks to everybody for all your advice. I'm going to try and do it via the net later today, so if you don't see me back by tomorrow, it didn't work...

[neddie]

Does it work with the installation from the Live CD? And should I format my hard drive or use the partitioning tool, and if so, how?

I can't (yet) vouch for the install of 2007.1, but I installed 2007.0 from the One Live CD and can highly recommend it - it worked like a charm, and at least for me worked much better than installing from the mini-install CD.

 

During the install process it asks about how to set up the partitioning as part of the process. Either reuse the partitions you've already got, or reorganise them as you want.

 

To me that sounds a lot easier than remembering to select the right kernel, and init 3, and all that stuff. Granted you have to download a whole iso and burn it to cd but there should be much less finger-crossing necessary.

 

Of course, you have to set up your easy-urpmi sources too (or for those who insist on enormous confusing screens and deliberately confusing names, smart-urpmi instead) after the install. And of course you've backed up everything important before starting, right?

[yossarian]

I can't (yet) vouch for the install of 2007.1, but I installed 2007.0 from the One Live CD and can highly recommend it - it worked like a charm, and at least for me worked much better than installing from the mini-install CD.

 

I also installed Mandriva 2007 from the Live CD, and also for me it worked much better than the the full CD's installation, but this time I'm talking anout upgrading, and not a fresh installation, so I'm sure you can easily understand my concerns.

Edited April 19, 2007 by yossarian

[neddie]

but this time I'm talking anout upgrading, and not a fresh installation, so I'm sure you can easily understand my concerns.

I too was upgrading (from 2005 to 2007.0) and it went very smoothly. One important thing to note though is that my /home is on a separate partition to the main / partition. It doesn't have to be this way, it depends how you chose to install it. Because my /home was on a separate partition, when I installed 2007 to /, my /home partition and all the user stuff wasn't touched.

 

If you're not sure, you can type

df

in a console to display your partition information and see whether they're separate or not.

[theYinYeti]

Choose the mirrors you like the best but in the end you can save it as a script

You can actually do the same with EasyUrpmi :)

Copy-paste the given commands from your browser to a text editor (check there are no superfluous line-breaks), then save in a file, eg: /tmp/update.easyurpmi, and:

- either execute the command: sh /tmp/update.easyurpmi,

- or GUI way: navigate, right-click, execute permission, double-click, wait...

 

Yves.

[dexter11]

AFAIK live cds contain an archived image (sqashfs) so you either install it as it is or you don't install it. Neddie did your package selection change after upgrading from the live cd?

Smarturpmi generates an interactive file which not just updates the sources but updates\upgrades the system for you. You don't have to know the various urpmi commands.