Linux Mint Debian "Faye" Version 6 Has Been Released

Linux Mint Debian "Faye" Version 6 Has Been Released.

LMDE is a Linux Mint project which stands for “Linux Mint Debian Edition”. Its goal is to ensure Linux Mint would be able to continue to deliver the same user experience if Ubuntu, would be assimilated into the Microsoft empire, which I believe it will be soon in some way.

LMDE is of high importance to the Linux Mint team, so they can guarantee the software they develop is compatible outside of Ubuntu, which might be aquired by Microsoft at any time.

This version of Linux aims to be as similar as possible to Linux Mint, but without using Ubuntu as their code base. The base is provided by the original "Debian" instead.

But in this release you get Linux Kernel V6.1.0-13-amd64 and you do not need to manually add the repositories containing proprietary drivers for NVidia or AMD GPU's etc.

Ubuntu, like many others are based on Debian, some with little to no change in code, some with more, making some apps incompatible with Debian. Microsoft and some other Antivirus vendors are aiming at making their software Ubuntu / Linux Mint compatible only, but they should start considering that now that the Russians are offering complete working solutions for most Linux distributions and they do a really nice job, why spend our money with AV-vendors that are limited.

► Release notes: You should read this.

System requirements:

2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
20GB of disk space (100GB recommended).
1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).

After downloading the .ISO-file.

You need to check that is has not been tampered with as we do not want any Malware or Rootkits installed.

Open a terminal window and type:

cd Downloads

Press Enter.

sha256sum lmde-6-cinnamon-64bit.iso

Press Enter, wait a little bit.

The result should be:

96963cac1ac2ad4ba38414e618adbcdf64a6faadc33ddf53889fa3dc74d59df4

If it is correct, then it is safe to install.

Upgrading from LMDE5 via a terminal window:

apt update

Press Enter.

apt install mintupgrade

Press Enter.

sudo mintupgrade

Press Enter.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

When the tool is done and the upgrade is successful uninstall it and reboot your computer.

apt remove mintupgrade

Press Enter.

sudo reboot

Press Enter.

NOTE: This is a major upgrade. It can take several hours. I recommend a fresh installation ! But it is your choice.

► Download the latest version here.

Next step after installation is to make sure your system stays secure:

First install AIDE ( Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment ) Read it all !

Second: Install and activate UFW and GUFW ( Uncomplicated FireWall ).

Third: Install Lynis and apply its recommendations !

Four: Install a paid for Endpoint solution. I strongly recommend against using ClamAV, which is free! I recommend Dr.Web for a cost effective solution that gives you an excellent protection. If you have 10+ computers, Kaspersky Labs is the better choice.

Five: Install Rootkit Hunter and CheckRootkit. They will with a probability of 99,9% give between 3 - 11 false positives. Still you need to check the warnings! Even if you know this, you must manually check the files. Here is where AIDE comes in handy.