Update Manager, fresh install or just switch to Linux Mint?
In about one week's time the new Ubuntu version 10.04 Lucid Lynx will arrive. The big question every Ubuntu user (or maybe not everyone, but a lot of us) is asking themselves if they are going to upgrade with a fresh install or just update by using the Ubuntu Update Manager?
Upgrading with the Update Manager
In Ubuntu, contrary to Windows and Mac OS (X) in Ubuntu, you are able to update your whole OS by just using a update-manager. For you those of you that haven't seen the Linux light jet, the best example is to imagine that you were able to upgrade your system from Windows Vista to Windows 7 with just one click.
This is probably the most preferred method for those that are using Ubuntu on their netbooks (and the so-called netbooks, out there that actually are just small laptops), that comes without a CD-drive.
The method is, as explained, really easy and you are going to keep all your programs and all your files. You should still take a backup of all your files just in case. On of the problems with this kind of upgrade is that you are not able to test drive it before you installed it, and because of that some users are experiencing problems with drivers etc. The Update Manager upgrade doesn't give you all the new features (like faster booting time, etc.), but this is getting better for every version.
Fresh Install
A fresh install means that you have to burn yourself a Live CD, request a free CD from Ship It or make yourself a Live USB (read more about this here: Installation/FromUSBStick) with the new Ubuntu version. And you will have to reinstall your whole OS which means that you are going to lose absolutely everything on the preferred hard-drive (unless your going for a dual boot), so a backup of all your files is absolutely necessary (and maybe a list of all your preferred programs?).
The fresh install upgrade is actually my preferred method, not because you are able to test run the whole OS from your Live CD/USB, but because I can be absolutely sure about getting all the new functionalities of the new version. You also get rid of all the crap on your computer that you got because you played a little too much in the Terminal, when you didn't actually know what you were doing (we have all been there...).
Another ting to note about this particular upgrade is that Ubuntu 10.04 or Luci Lynx is a LTS, which means that it's a Long Term Support version, and will be supported until April 2013. So if your planing to use this until the new LTS, I will recommend you to do a fresh install, since this is a OS you're going to live with for a while.
So what is this Linux Mint thingy anyway?
Many of you have probably read something of all the new features in Ubuntu 10.04 that have irritated lot of people; I'm talking about Canonical's talk about making Yahoo the default search engine, removing GIMP as a preinstalled program, removing Sun Java and of course of the window buttons that have been switched from right to left and in general making Ubuntu more Mac OS X like.
Fortunately Canonical released that everyone was going to change back to Google anyway, so they kept it as the default search engine. They also found out that everyone was going to move the buttons back so they have made it really easy to switch them back without the use of scripts (that started to appear from day one after the windows buttons was moved). The other changes easy to fix without having the knowledge of making scripts yourself. Still all this changes have irritated a lot of users, that thought that Ubuntu was more of a democracy not a dictatorship (just google window+buttons+ubuntu if you're interested in reading more bout this).
Anyway many Ubuntu user is asking a themselves as new question when Lucid Lynx is about to arrive: Stay with Ubuntu or change to Linux Mint when Isadora (Linux Mint 9) comes out?
Linux Mint is an OS based on Ubuntu, but unlike Ubuntu it comes with integrated media codecs and it also have other differences that make it more user friendly, and it's going to keep the design of the previous versions. I usually recommend new Linux users to use Linux Mint as it tends to work completely out of the box, unlike it's bigger sister... It requires few (if any at all) fixes to work and it has a design that looks more like Windows which makes it easier to use for those not really into computers.
I use Linux Mint on my Asus Eee 900, and everything has worked completely out of the box and I could not be more pleased. Still I think I will stay with Ubuntu on my main computer and give Lucid Lynx a chance, but unlike before think I will stay with it for the whole LTS period instead of upgrading when a newer version arrives.
So just to make a little summary: Upgrading through the Update Manager is a easy choice if you have a netbook, a fresh install is preferred if you want all the new functionalities in Ubuntu 10.04 and switching to Linux Mint is a good choice if you can't stand Canonical any more or if you just want something that works completely out of the box (and doesn't see the charm in fixing and making your OS look and work completely as you want it too).
But whatever you choose: Remember to backup your files before you start upgrading your system ;)