Has my version of Linux (Mint 18.3 Sylvia) been superceded?

wiz2525

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Actually it is a simple question. Some background. I used OS2 in order to get around Windows back in its day. I sadly converted back to Windblows when IBM failed to support their awesome OS. I include this in order to indicate I am not a 'novice', but with regard to Linux I have no personal experience in installation. That being said, a couple of years ago I had a local computer geek install Linux on my machine. Presently it is at version Mint 18.3 Sylvia. I love it. I like to permit it to update and have had no problems. Until rather recently. I am suspecting that this version has been upgraded beyond my kernel. The 'Autoupdate' icon on the bottom bar only displays a big red 'X' now, and basically is no longer receiving any updates. Should I undertake to upgrade? I want to do this myself, as the geek has basically retired.

I ran the 'Refresh' in order to capture the error response. Part 1:

The repository may no longer be available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and ensure the repository address in the preferences is correct.

Part 2:

An error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: https://repo.skype.com/deb stable InRelease: The following signatures were invalid: KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195Failed to fetch https://repo.skype.com/deb/dists/stable/InRelease The following signatures were invalid: KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

System data:

-Version-
Kernel : Linux 4.15.0-142-generic (x86_64)
Compiled : #146~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 13 09:27:15 UTC 2021
C Library : Unknown
Default C Compiler : GNU C Compiler version 5.4.0 20160609 (Ubuntu 5.4.0-6ubuntu1~16.04.12)
Distribution : Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
-Current Session-
Computer Name : HP-Elite-8300-USDT
User Name : hp (HP)
Home Directory : /home/hp
Desktop Environment : MATE (mate)
-Misc-
Uptime : 3 days, 2 hours and 31 minutes
Load Average : 0.54, 0.58, 0.63


There are no issues with my network connection. I am the only one on this 'net'. It is Spectrum, and the computer and internet connection, in fact the entire OS, works just fine. But I don't like to be behind on the most protected version for my computer. Any help you can provide will be most appreciated!
 
Last edited:


Linux Mint 18.x is End of Life and the repositories are offline, you should have upgraded to 19 or 20 before the end of life date. You will have to do a fresh install of Mint 19 or 20, see the Linux Mint community tutorial.
If you cannot upgrade to Linux Mint 19, please perform a fresh installation.
 
Installing Linux is no longer a difficult task and anyone who can read can likely figure it out without needing outside assistance. So, you should be good to go. It's pretty much always just point and click unless you have some odd requirements which it sounds like you do not.

If you get stuck, try a tutorial. If you're still stuck, feel free to ask for help and someone here will get you sorted.
 
@wiz2525 , G'day from a Wizard DownUnder and welcome to linux.org :)

I really liked Sylvia - nearly shed a tear at end of April when I had to retire my Sara, Serena, Sonya and Sylvia, but onwards and upwards.

If you are very attached to your settings, and perhaps Firefox and Thunderbird profiles, I would consider saving your Home Folder or Partition to a safe venue, and then install one of the newer flavours and see what settings you can use.

Sylvia saw the introduction by Mint of having Timeshift installed by default, which was then backported to the earlier 18's. Don't know if you have used it but could be useful in the transition.

Any questions on Timeshift can be fielded at my Thread here

https://www.linux.org/threads/timeshift-similar-solutions-safeguard-recover-your-linux.15241/

If you want to look further into your Mint options, post a new Thread, perhaps in Distribution Specific - Mint, and fire away with questions.

Also at a time that suits you, swing by Member Introductions if you want to tell us more of the @wiz2525 story and meet some of the Gang. We have plenty of Members in our vintage, and some even 20 years older :)

If you take a look at David G's (@KGIII 's) 2nd signature line link, you have done very well with your first Post and we enjoy seeing that.

Stay safe and Avagudweegend

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
G'day wiz, and Welcome to Linux.org

I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with @wizardfromoz re the setting out of your first post.

It was a pleasure to read.

I know exactly what you mean....
version Mint 18.3 Sylvia. I love it.
I had the same feeling about the same LM18.3 Absolutely bulletproof!!

I am now running LM20.1 It is supported until 2025
I get the same feeling. Bulletproof. A joy to use.

I chose to skip LM19 and 20 etc....go straight to 20.1 Then if 20.2 (released last week) proves to be as reliable (I will give a couple of months for the little bugs to be ironed out before I upgrade) then do the upgrade

An upgrade is simplicity itself. It is done from the Update Manager in 20.1....no need for a fresh install.

Most Important.
Any data/pics/music/ anything of importance to you save it to an external hard drive, before you fresh install 20.1
Then you can either copy and paste or drag and drop it back into its appropriate place in 20.1

If the external hard drive is connected vis usb, most music players/organisers will scan for and find your music from the external and set it up in your music player of choice.

etc etc

We can add more and more......but do the simple stuff first

Download 20.1 ...write it to a usb stick (minimum 4gb) using either usb image writer which will already be on LM18.3 (just type that name into the menu) or download and use Balena Etcher.

Either way you will have a bootable usb stick.

Make sure you have taken off everything you need from LM18.3 because once it Installs LM20.1 everything from 128.3 will be gone.

Questions....fire away.


Yes it is possible to upgrade from LM18.3 to LM19....and again from 19 to 20....and then again to LM20.1....etc
In my opinion it is not a good idea. There is a real possibility of things going pear shaped. These 'happenings' are well documented around the internet.
Fresh Install gives you a clean fresh file system without any possibility of things coming back to bite you.
Setting up the new OS can be a pain....so have a good think about what configuration details you need....eg for Firefox, or Brave Browser, etc etc
 
Last edited:
Hello Wiz2525,
Welcome to the group. As you have already found out Mint 18 is End of Life and no longer will receive support. Mint 20.2 was release last week and It is working perfectly here. You may want to back up any important files and do a fresh install. Happy Computing :)
 
Actually it is a simple question. Some background. I used OS2 in order to get around Windows back in its day. I sadly converted back to Windblows when IBM failed to support their awesome OS. I include this in order to indicate I am not a 'novice', but with regard to Linux I have no personal experience in installation. That being said, a couple of years ago I had a local computer geek install Linux on my machine. Presently it is at version Mint 18.3 Sylvia. I love it. I like to permit it to update and have had no problems. Until rather recently. I am suspecting that this version has been upgraded beyond my kernel. The 'Autoupdate' icon on the bottom bar only displays a big red 'X' now, and basically is no longer receiving any updates. Should I undertake to upgrade? I want to do this myself, as the geek has basically retired.

I ran the 'Refresh' in order to capture the error response. Part 1:

The repository may no longer be available or could not be contacted because of network problems. If available an older version of the failed index will be used. Otherwise the repository will be ignored. Check your network connection and ensure the repository address in the preferences is correct.

Part 2:

An error occurred during the signature verification. The repository is not updated and the previous index files will be used. GPG error: https://repo.skype.com/deb stable InRelease: The following signatures were invalid: KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195Failed to fetch https://repo.skype.com/deb/dists/stable/InRelease The following signatures were invalid: KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195 KEYEXPIRED 1624268195Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

System data:

-Version-
Kernel : Linux 4.15.0-142-generic (x86_64)
Compiled : #146~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 13 09:27:15 UTC 2021
C Library : Unknown
Default C Compiler : GNU C Compiler version 5.4.0 20160609 (Ubuntu 5.4.0-6ubuntu1~16.04.12)
Distribution : Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
-Current Session-
Computer Name : HP-Elite-8300-USDT
User Name : hp (HP)
Home Directory : /home/hp
Desktop Environment : MATE (mate)
-Misc-
Uptime : 3 days, 2 hours and 31 minutes
Load Average : 0.54, 0.58, 0.63


There are no issues with my network connection. I am the only one on this 'net'. It is Spectrum, and the computer and internet connection, in fact the entire OS, works just fine. But I don't like to be behind on the most protected version for my computer. Any help you can provide will be most appreciated!
Sorry, Mate, but I had to chuckle when you mentioned OS2. I used to use versions 4.0 & 4.51 on some older robots A while back. As you can probably imagine, using them on a windows network was a CHALLENGE!:p
Welcome to the group!

Happy Trails,
Paul
 
G'day wiz, and Welcome to Linux.org

I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with @wizardfromoz re the setting out of your first post.

It was a pleasure to read.

I know exactly what you mean....

I had the same feeling about the same LM18.3 Absolutely bulletproof!!

I am now running LM20.1 It is supported until 2025
I get the same feeling. Bulletproof. A joy to use.

I chose to skip LM19 and 20 etc....go straight to 20.1 Then if 20.2 (released last week) proves to be as reliable (I will give a couple of months for the little bugs to be ironed out before I upgrade) then do the upgrade

An upgrade is simplicity itself. It is done from the Update Manager in 20.1....no need for a fresh install.

Most Important.
Any data/pics/music/ anything of importance to you save it to an external hard drive, before you fresh install 20.1
Then you can either copy and paste or drag and drop it back into its appropriate place in 20.1

If the external hard drive is connected vis usb, most music players/organisers will scan for and find your music from the external and set it up in your music player of choice.

etc etc

We can add more and more......but do the simple stuff first

Download 20.1 ...write it to a usb stick (minimum 4gb) using either usb image writer which will already be on LM18.3 (just type that name into the menu) or download and use Balena Etcher.

Either way you will have a bootable usb stick.

Make sure you have taken off everything you need from LM18.3 because once it Installs LM20.1 everything from 128.3 will be gone.

Questions....fire away.


Yes it is possible to upgrade from LM18.3 to LM19....and again from 19 to 20....and then again to LM20.1....etc
In my opinion it is not a good idea. There is a real possibility of things going pear shaped. These 'happenings' are well documented around the internet.
Fresh Install gives you a clean fresh file system without any possibility of things coming back to bite you.
Setting up the new OS can be a pain....so have a good think about what configuration details you need....eg for Firefox, or Brave Browser, etc etc
I will have to get a new external. I sit with a TByte solid state internal... and my little thumb drives ain't gonna cut it! So, living on SS... gonna take a few days...
 
Sorry, Mate, but I had to chuckle when you mentioned OS2. I used to use versions 4.0 & 4.51 on some older robots A while back. As you can probably imagine, using them on a windows network was a CHALLENGE!:p
Welcome to the group!

Happy Trails,
Paul
What I liked the most about OS2 was it was a TRUE EEDIYOT's OS. It didn't matter what the program was written for, if you (which I did after installing the bare bones OS version with only the keyboard, no GUI...cuz I was playing devil's advocate) loaded a DOS (yes, DOS) program, OS2 would say to itself, 'Well...look at this eediyot! He's trying to run a DOS program in an OS2 window. Guess I'd better load a DOS window for him.' Then it would. And when you were done, it would say, 'Well. He's done. Guess I'll close that DOS window now.' AND IT WOULD. And the EEDIYOT NEVER KNEW! Windows, DOS, or OS2. Didn't care. My greatest problem, though was simply getting drivers because by the time the mfgrs of new hardware when through writing them for Apple, Windows, etc, OS2 just didn't get any service because the NEXT version of their hardware was coming out. Ironically, here was IBM, with a badass OS, but absolutely failed in the promotion department. Remember the stoopid ad during one of the Super Bowls? 'GET WARPED!' but they never really said what that meant.
 
IBM and it's OS are the monster makers of he who built MS.

Billy, "hey IBM I have this thingy that can run on a 'puter. wanna buy it?"

IBM, "No we are doing our own OS, but in the meantime we will pay you a fee to install it on our PC's."

Too many IBM and clones too much $$ goes into Billy's pocket.
 
OS2 was a good OS but IBM never really wanted to be in the Personal computer space. They made one of the best Laptops then put windows on it and sold it to Lenovo go figure. They just did not want to be bothered. Now they have bought Redhat. Who knows what will end up happening to that.
 
My real first intro to begin the journey into Tux was Red Hat in a Linux for Dummies book with 4 CD's in 1998-99. Installed on an old 286 from Goodwill. Red Hat is pay to play now. Was always picking up Linux mag and testing the newest CD's of whatever distro. Once cable hook up in 99-2000 just downloaded them. Used Suse for a while.

MS bought GitHub for like 7.5 billion, which for the guys who started it was huge. So far it has not changed but evil hands now touch it.

Just found out you can still get the cow. Gateway sells laptops on Wal-Mart.
 

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