Linux Mint Update Catastrophe

When it ain't broke, there's no need to fix it and things were working just fine. I had a certain version of Linux Mint installed on my laptop, I don't even know what version, and I unwisely decided to update. I assumed it would be to the latest version (Virginia 21.3) but instead it was updated to Vanessa (21) and that's when that laptop was definitely broke. The entire hard drive became read only and I couldn't add or delete anything.

I commonly take screenshots and the app worked just fine but I couldn't save the screenshots to the hard drive. I couldn't even open this blog for editing because Blogger needed to save to the hard drive. Checking on the Internet, I found that the problem is well known but a solution is not so easy to find. This is the reason most people use Windows or Mac OS. They don't want to be bothered by annoyances of this sort.

I'm coming to the same point of view. To experience such a basic and catatrophic mishap after an upgrade is unforgiveable. I'll never use Linux Mint again and will now revert to Ubuntu that used to be my Linux distribution of choice. I thought it might be possible to upgrade from Vanessa to Virginia but that's not currently possible for some reason.  Fortunately my trusty Raspberry Pi 400 is working just fine and so I'm able to remain productive and even update this blog.

The wired connection to the Internet has ceased to work on the laptop and the battery is showing a 0% charge, even though it's fully charged. Whoever the brains were behind this upgrade, they need to be fired. While I'm sure I'll get the laptop operational again, I'm not going to make the same mistake again. Once a working OS is installed, that will be it, no more upgrades. As a matter of principle however, I'll never use Linux Mint again and never recommend that anyone else uses it.

Currently I'm downloading Ubuntu 22.04 to the SD card on the Raspberry Pi and my typing freezes intermittently as I'm typing this. So it goes. I guess what I'd like for my forthcoming birthday is an up-to-date mini PC or a more recent laptop, such as an M1 Macbook Air with 16GB of RAM. One can dream, can't one?

Well the Ubuntu download failed due to insufficient disk space so I've opted for the smaller Elementary OS which should fit on the SD card. It should be said that the card in question also holds the Raspberry Pi OS and the computer boots off that card. Google's Gemini recommended this operating system when I put the following question to it:

What is the best Linux-based operating system for a 2013 Macbook Pro with Retina Display? I had been using Linux Mint but when I upgraded the result was a disaster. So don't recommend that please. 

While there isn't a single "best" option, several Linux distributions can work well on your 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display. The best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. Here are some options with some considerations:

Distributions with good Retina display support:

• Elementary OS: Known for its user-friendly interface and polished visuals, which might offer an experience similar to your previous Linux Mint setup. However, keep in mind that it's based on Ubuntu so might have encountered similar upgrade issues.
• Manjaro KDE: KDE Plasma offers excellent customization options and generally good high-DPI scaling support. However, some users report scaling issues specifically on 2013 MBPs, so checking compatibility beforehand is recommended.
• Ubuntu: A popular choice with good hardware support and a large community. However, its default Gnome desktop environment may not have the best scaling experience for some users. Look into alternative desktops like KDE Plasma or XFCE on Ubuntu for potentially better results.

Other noteworthy options:

• Fedora: This distro focuses on cutting-edge features and updates, potentially offering a more modern experience. However, it requires more technical knowledge than some other options.
• Solus: Emphasizes ease of use and stability, with good high-DPI scaling support. However, it has a smaller community and may have fewer available software packages compared to larger distros.

Well, the bootable USB containing the Elementary OS has been created and it's time to check what files I need to save from the laptop. There won't be many. I keep most of my important files on Google Drive. I'll be surprised if the installation goes smoothly but I remain hopeful.

After shutting down my laptop, I found that it wouldn't reboot and so I had to abandon any attempt at retrieving files. No matter, I'm typing now on my laptop using the Elementary OS that seems to be functioning quite well. The webcam is not operational but that's been the case with all the Linux installations and it's no problem for me because I rarely have cause to use it. Apart from that all seems well. Fingers crossed. 

I'll close this post by reiterating what a complete disaster my attempt at a Linux Mint update was. For a major Linux distributor, this was unforgivable. The upside was that I got a new OS that seems to be functioning as OS's should.

Laptop Connectivity Problems

A problem that I encounter almost daily on my 2013 MacBook Pro is a connectivity issue. Whether I'm connected wirelessly or wired via an Ethernet cable from a repeater, I lose the connection and am repeatedly prompted for the password to the WiFi network if I'm connected wirelessly. After a short while the problem goes away and all is well. The problem is annoying but doesn't seriously trouble me.

Nonetheless, I'd like to get to the bottom of it and there are plenty of requests on Internet forums from Linux Mint users for solutions to exactly this problem. The fact that it doesn't make any difference whether I'm connected via WiFi or cable rules out the WiFi hardware driver as the problem. Neither does it matter whether I'm connected to the WiFi repeater or the WiFi router.

The Internet router that I'm using is an ancient one and only operates on the 2.4 Ghz frequency with no support for 5 Ghz or any other frequencies! I don't use Bluetooth on this laptop so I've just now turned it off and I'll see if that makes any difference. It shouldn't but who knows. It's worth a try. Overall, I should be happy that things are working as well as they are given the antiquity of the technology that I'm using.

The operating system that I'm using is Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon with the Cinnamon version being 5.2.7. This means that the system is up-to-date. My WiFi adapter is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

I'd like to say that things worked flawlessly when I had Mac OS X installed on this laptop but that wasn't the case. Right from the beginning I had IP conflict alerts whenever connected to a repeater. I first encountered the issue when I stayed at a hotel in Singapore that was clearly using a repeater. In my own bedroom, where the WiFi signal was weak, I encountered the same problem when I installed a repeater. I solved the problem by connecting an Ethernet cable from the repeater to my laptop.

IPFS (Inter-Planetary File System)

I was reminded today of the Inter-Planetary System or IPFS today when I viewed this tweet shown in Figure 1:

Figure 1

I installed the IPFS desktop on my Mac and Figure 2 shows a screenshot of the about file:

Figure 2

It's important to maintain familiarity with this sort of technology as a future means of communication and file sharing when the Internet becomes totally balkanised and controlled. Here are some excerpts from the IPFS website:

Today's web is inefficient and expensive

HTTP downloads files from one computer at a time instead of getting pieces from multiple computers simultaneously. Peer-to-peer IPFS saves big on bandwidth — up to 60% for video — making it possible to efficiently distribute high volumes of data without duplication.

Today's web can't preserve humanity's history

The average lifespan of a web page is 100 days before it's gone forever. It's not good enough for the primary medium of our era to be this fragile. IPFS keeps every version of your files and makes it simple to set up resilient networks for mirroring data.

Today's web is centralised, limiting opportunity

The Internet has turbocharged innovation by being one of the great equalisers in human history — but increasing consolidation of control threatens that progress. IPFS stays true to the original vision of an open, flat web by delivering technology to make that vision a reality.

Today's web is addicted to the backbone

IPFS powers the creation of diversely resilient networks that enable persistent availability — with or without Internet backbone connectivity. This means better connectivity for the developing world, during natural disasters, or just when you're on flaky coffee shop wi-fi.

As I said, I've installed the IPFS Desktop:

Once installed, the interface is also accessible via http:\\localhost:5001\webui. Figure 3 shows the desktop interface:

Figure 5

It can also be added as a browser extension called IPFS Companion, which I've done using the Chrome browser. 

There is an IPFS tutorial on ProtoSchool that can be worked through for the more motivated.

Of course, most people do not have IPFS installed on their computers and so content can only be made available to them by using an IPFS gateway, defined as follows:

The ipfs.io gateway makes it possible for Internet users to access and view data hosted by third parties on the IPFS network. The ipfs.io gateway is a community resource run by Protocol Labs to help developers build on IPFS. Source.

Another important concept is pinning, explained as follows: 

Pinning services

To ensure that your important data is retained, you may want to use a pinning service. These services run lots of IPFS nodes and allow users to pin data on those nodes for a fee. Some services offer free storage-allowance for new users. Pinning services are handy when:

• You don't have a lot of disk space, but you want to ensure your data sticks around.
• Your computer is a laptop, phone, or tablet that will have intermittent connectivity to the network. Still, you want to be able to access your data on IPFS from anywhere at any time, even when the device you added it from is offline.
• You want a backup that ensures your data is always available from another computer on the network if you accidentally delete or garbage-collect your data on your own computer.

Pinata is one such service that provides one gigabyte free to new users.

The Brave web browser now natively supports IPFS:

Brave has integrated IPFS into its desktop web browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux. When Brave detects an address which is an HTTP gateway URL to IPFS content, or a native IPFS address such as ipfs:// or ipns:// it will prompt the user to install and enable the native IPFS node, or to use an HTTP gateway. The default gateway used is dweb.link, which is run by Protocol Labs. Users can also specify a gateway of their choice in the browser settings. You can access the IPFS administrative UI at brave://ipfs,, or enable IPFS Companion and select “My Node” button in the main menu. Source.

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