[richs-lxh]

One thing I have noticed after using various Linux distros over the years is the amount of breakage you see after an Upgrade or Dist-Upgrade.

People lose their Xorg configuration settings, their graphics card drivers don't work, and they lose 3D acceleration which means no Compiz, no Games, no eye-candy and usually eye-ache as you search Google over and over again trying to find a fix.

Xorg has changed a lot, and so have the graphics card drivers over the last year, which hasn't helped, but the main problems are caused by upgrading Xorg and your graphics card drivers while logged in to a graphical desktop. If you are an (ex)Ubuntu user you will see how Synaptic is always recommended to upgrade, well, with the way Xorg has been behaving, it is not a good idea.

To Safely Upgrade:

1. Hit Ctrl+Alt+F1 to get to the Console (you may have to hit enter a couple of times to see the login prompt)
2. Login with your username and password.
3. Stop the other graphical desktop (Gnome or Xfce) that you have just switched out of with:

Code:

sudo killall gdm

4. Update your system

Code:

sudo apt-get update

5. Upgrade your system

Code:

sudo apt-get upgrade

See a whole heap of Xorg related updates there?. Install them all.

You are now up to date.

To get back to your desktop:

Code:

startx

*IMPORTANT NOTE* This method doesn't guarantee that you will not get a borked system. Nor does upgrading with Synaptic mean you will. It's just that avoiding trouble "just in case" is better than taking risks and getting a headache trying to solve this stuff.

I have just performed an upgrade with DL 3.5 Xfce edition, and started Compiz to prove it works. In the past I have upgraded in the graphical environment and lost 3D acceleration, Compiz and got the Google headache. Hence this post to save you some Aspirins 

Rich

[schwim]

Hi there Rich and thanks so much for this tutorial.  It's how I've always updated, thanks to you.

I have a question though.  Recently, I've begun to notice that a bunch of packages are being kept from upgrade(mostly xorg related) stating that they're being held back but not giving me a reason why.  Although I can't seem to copy the text during the upgrade process, I would guess that over 50 packages are in the list of items being held back.  About 3/4 of them seem to be xorg related.

Is this normal?  Is it done because most people don't want to update xorg due to chance of breaking it?  If I do want to update, how would I force an update of items being held back?

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[schwim]

Well, it seems that nobody ever replies to my posts on this forum anymore, but I'm a glutton for punishment, so I'll try again....

I managed to update almost everything by using dist-upgrade, but there's still some packages that are being held back.

schwim@schwim-linux:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade           
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  avidemux brasero ffmpeg gpac gpm gstreamer0.10-lame
  gstreamer0.10-plugins-really-bad libavdevice52 libavformat52
  libevent-execflow-perl libquicktime1 libquicktimehv mencoder mjpegtools
  mplayer totem
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 16 not upgraded.

Anyone have any idea how I might go about upgrading the few holdouts?

thanks,
json

[Palemoon]

Well, it seems that nobody ever replies to my posts on this forum anymore, but I'm a glutton for punishment, so I'll try again....

I managed to update almost everything by using dist-upgrade, but there's still some packages that are being held back.

schwim@schwim-linux:~$ sudo apt-get upgrade           
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages have been kept back:
  avidemux brasero ffmpeg gpac gpm gstreamer0.10-lame
  gstreamer0.10-plugins-really-bad libavdevice52 libavformat52
  libevent-execflow-perl libquicktime1 libquicktimehv mencoder mjpegtools
  mplayer totem
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 16 not upgraded.

Anyone have any idea how I might go about upgrading the few holdouts?

thanks,
json

Hey,

I'm not sure if this will help you, but take a look at "Resa's" reply in this post. He talks about packages being held back and it may or may not help your problem.

This post:
http://dreamlinuxforums.org/index.php/topic,6062.msg40752.html#msg40752

Ed

[schwim]

I bet that's it.  I'm just going to leave them pinned then

Thanks very much for pointing me to the thread!

[bookie56]

Hi guys 

Thanks Palemoon for putting in that link!

schwim

Now I am not the diplomat that my friend Palemoon is but I mean not to offend. This forum is basically built up of members like you and me and we all have private lives..that said we put in umpteen hours on this forum trying to help people with their problems...that said you replied to richs-lxh only yesterday from the time stamp and I think that one day is not long to wait for help?

Also, I apologize for not replying myself to your thread my self...just been made aware of the information Palemoon has supplied you with on another thread. I am trying to make a point of replying to threads for just the reason you have mentioned being ignorred!

Finally, richs-lxh doesn't need me to defend him - but he has been very busy with moving house and hasn't had the time to be here.

Please bear that in mind when feeling left out

bookie56

[Palemoon]

I bet that's it.  I'm just going to leave them pinned then

Thanks very much for pointing me to the thread!

No problem. Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I try to keep an eye on things here and post on those I might be able to help. Sometimes I miss one or two... Old age setting in. 

@Bookie56:

I think the stress of a new business is weighing heavily upon you my friend. 

Ed

[bookie56]

Hi again

Seem to be having a problem with my English .....such is life..

Yes, I am rather busy with my company and I think I will concentrate on that from now on...?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bookie56 signing off

[Palemoon]

Hi again

Seem to be having a problem with my English .....such is life..

Yes, I am rather busy with my company and I think I will concentrate on that from now on...?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bookie56 signing off

Hey Bookie,

I was just kidding with you! Notice the smiley? I apologize if it offended you...just joking around. And your English is fine.

Ed

[schwim]

Hey guys, no hurt feelings, my mention of no response was more due to threads like this.  I don't expect people to jump when I have a problem, but do hope for a response over the course of four days

That being said, I've begun using linux general support forums like linuxforums.com for my problems and that seems to work well.  Sometimes though, I run into a DL specific problem which is when I come back to visit

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

[Palemoon]

Hey guys, no hurt feelings, my mention of no response was more due to threads like this.  I don't expect people to jump when I have a problem, but do hope for a response over the course of four days

That being said, I've begun using linux general support forums like linuxforums.com for my problems and that seems to work well.  Sometimes though, I run into a DL specific problem which is when I come back to visit

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

Hey, no problems...and I replied to that thread just now. 

I think on days that there is a lot of chatter (posts) happening, a handful of posts get lost in the mix...

Ed

[richs-lxh]

Well, it seems that nobody ever replies to my posts on this forum anymore, but I'm a glutton for punishment, so I'll try again....

Sorry about that, been moving house and had to use an internet cafe just for admin purposes. I 've also got two daughters who are off school, so trying to manage everything has been a pain.

As soon as my phoneline is connected, i'll have a quick run through any support threads that i've missed.

rich

[topcriminal]

thanks richs-lxh , we need guys like you to help us noobs on a new os..

[richs-lxh]

We're all n00bs mate 

Just some of us have Googled somebody else's information and posted it as a howto.

That's all education is, repeating what somebody before has taught you.