How to Upgrade to Linux Mint 21.1 “Vera”

The following tutorial will teach you how to upgrade to Linux Mint 21.1, codenamed Vera from Linux Mint 21.0, Vanessa, using the terminal with CLI commands. The Linux Mint team does not recommend this method, but it does work well for your standard Linux Mint system, given it is only a minor upgrade and not a major release.

Linux Mint 21.1 “Vera” is a significant release that includes many new features and improvements. The Cinnamon desktop environment has been updated to version 5.6, bringing numerous performance and stability improvements and introducing a convenient new ISO verification tool — conveniently located in the context menu for easy access when right-clicking on your downloaded ISO images, guaranteeing the authenticity and integrity of every file.

Some other features include better support for high-resolution displays, an updated look and feel, and improved in-house tools such as the Driver Manager and Software Sources. The Driver Manager is now easier to use and can run in user mode, so it won’t ask for your password when launched. Additionally, the configuration of removed drivers can now be easily purged. Software Sources has also been updated, with better handling of PPA keys. These improvements make Linux Mint 21.1 “Vera” a more polished and user-friendly release, making it an excellent choice for newcomers to the Linux world.

Notes about Upgrading to Linux Mint 21.1 Vera

Please note at the current time of the tutorial creation; Vera is still in beta, so bugs can occur during the upgrade process or, more importantly, on the actual release. While this may not be a massive issue for most users and probably will not experience too many bugs or issues, ensure you keep backing up daily. Lastly, the upgrade can disable third-party repositories; ensure afterward you verify and re-enable.

For users unsure if they should upgrade, I advise waiting until the release is live; the choice is yours.

Create a Time-Machine backup on Linux Mint

Before you continue, your Linux Mint system should have Timeshift installed by default. Open this up using the following menu path.

Example:

Users that have never done a backup use the RSYNC method if nothing else is available.

Example:

Once open, click create Snapshot. Depending on your system’s overall hardware and backup size, this may take a while.

Example:

Required Steps Before Upgrading to Linux Mint 21.1 Vera

The first step is to open your command terminal, update your existing system, and ensure all packages are up-to-date to avoid conflicts, do not skip this part.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Optionally, run the following dist-upgrade command as well.

sudo apt dist-upgrade

Import 21.1 Vera Repository on Linux Mint

First, replace the vanessa release with the new release codename vera in your official-package-repositories.list file. This can be done quickly by using the following sed command.

sudo sed -i 's/vanessa/vera/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list

Before you continue, if you like, you can open the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list file location to verify that the sed command worked successfully. This can be skipped.

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list

Example from:

Example to:

Once confirmed, exit by pressing CTRL+X on your keyboard.

Next, update your apt repository and begin preparing for the upgrade.

sudo apt-get update

Begin Upgrading to Linux Mint 21.1 Vera

Now that you have installed the repository and updated your apt-cache, you will have several packages to install. Begin the process with the following command.

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Example output:

Type Y, and press the ENTER KEY to proceed and upgrade your Linux Mint distribution.

Once complete, reboot your system. This can be done quickly by using the following command in your terminal.

sudo reboot

Post Installation Steps with Linux Mint 21.1 Vera

Now that you have returned to your system, the default look may not look too different from the original, regardless of whether you are using Cinnamon, XFCE, or MATE, as this wasn’t a significant upgrade. But you may notice that icons and small graphical user interface changes.

Example:

Example:

Example:

Use the following command to verify the version of your Linux Mint system, which should now be 21.1 Vera.

hostnamectl

Or you can use the lsb_release command.

lsb_release -a

Alternatively, use the following neofetch command to show a pretty output of your system specs in the terminal.

neofetch

Example output:

If neofetch is missing, this can be installed using the following command.

sudo apt install neofetch -y

Conclusion

In conclusion, this tutorial showed you how to upgrade Linux Mint 21.0 Vanessa to Linux Mint 21.1 Vera using cli commands and the command line terminal. The tutorial also demonstrated creating a Timeshift snapshot for backup and verifying each step of the upgrade process. Consequently, by following the steps outlined in this blog post, you should be able to successfully upgrade your version of Linux Mint without any significant issues.

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