Check if you have a list of installed applications ready for the upgrade.
Check if you have a list of installed applications ready for the upgrade.
You're aiming for a cleaner rebuild of Mint 20. Given the gaps in your documentation from the past project, a fresh install gives you a solid chance to capture everything. For tweaks, sticking to simple changes like updating WiFi sensor settings, tweaking hddtemp support, and adding PPAs should suffice. AptiK can still help log installed packages, though it might not be fully comprehensive now. If you spot any discrepancies between your current setup and the backup, a file comparison during the upgrade could save you a lot of time. No need to chase miracles—small, consistent updates will keep things manageable.
I used to be a regular distro hopper and here’s my routine. I create a small backup folder and store these files there: copy the installed package list to ~/backup/apt.packages.txt, backup my dot files to ~/backup/zshrc.backup, copy the SSH config to ~/backup/ssh.config.backup, archive my environment variables to ~/backup/env.backup, save my cron jobs with crontab -l to ~/backup/cron.backup, and keep my binaries in ~/Applications for any extra sources. After gathering what I need, I use scp to transfer the files for reinstallation. This doesn’t cover everything, but it helps me get back up quickly.
Check installed packages with a custom command and consider Clonezilla for backup.
Thanks for the ideas. They should make a big difference, even though I'm still trying to avoid packages from upgrades. I guess my list is long because I haven't installed many things yet.
Ensure apt-mark is installed and run the command line to lock programs so they don’t get upgraded. Use the command to pin items like "apt-hold" before any upgrades. Look up "apt-hold" for details. I’ve been using it recently to prevent the kernel upgrade, which sometimes causes issues with older laptops and NVIDIA graphics.
The latest Nvidia driver update includes a patch for problems with newer kernels, as detailed in the release notes.
Latest nVidia updates don’t cover drivers for older GPUs, which is why pinning is necessary to avoid upgrading beyond compatibility limits. I replaced the old D630, so it’s no longer an issue for me right now. Still — this ties into the original question, and choosing the best pinning method is the simplest and most effective approach for me. Knowing how to do this when needed is valuable.