As we announced two days ago, the official guide for upgrading to Linux Mint 22.1 has now been published . It's available at this link on the Mint blog, but we're going to do what we do after each release: publish our own upgrade guide with our own screenshots based on the official information. It's the best way to upgrade safely. So, without further ado, let's get started.
Although the upgrade process itself has a few steps, both Clem and we recommend starting with a backup of all your important data , just in case. Timeshift is an XApp adopted by the Mint team, and it's the recommended tool for making these kinds of backups. You can find detailed information on how to use this tool at this link . With everything safe and sound, let's get started with the upgrade process to Linux Mint 22.1.
How to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.1
- The first step is also not part of the actual update process, but it is necessary to do it for the best results. To do this, you can search for “Update Manager” in the start menu and open the app.
- Within the Update Manager, we install the packages if there are any pending.
- Next, we click on the “Refresh” button. When it loads we should see that a new version of the program is available. mint-upgrade-info, specifically v1.2.7. We click on “Apply update” and enter our user password.
- Now we launch the System Updater from the Edit/Upgrade menu to «Linux Mint 22.1 Xia».
- In the first window of the updater, we will see the introduction, and we just have to click on “Next”.
- Next, we are given the option to view the release notes. Whether we look at them or not, here too we have to continue clicking on “Next”.
- The next window is almost the same as the previous one, but with more features. Click “Next” to move forward.
- The next thing we will see is a warning that basically tells us that we might find new bugs as well as new features. In order to proceed, we must first check the box, then click on “Apply” and finally enter our user password.
- Here it will start downloading the packages and performing the actual upgrade. We wait. If at any point it asks whether to keep or replace configuration files, we ask that you replace them.
- Finally, something like the following screenshot will indicate that the update has been successful, and all that remains is to click on “Close” and then reboot to enter Linux Mint 22.1.
Upgrade from previous versions
The explanation here and in Clem's original article only applies to users who were already on Linux Mint 22, which was released in mid-2024 . In other words, only upgrades from Linux Mint 22.0 are officially supported.
What do I have to do if I'm on an older version? Well, be patient and go step by step. Although it is possible to upgrade, for example, from 21.1 to 21.3, it is recommended to upgrade to the new versions when they are available, and the upgrade will be as simple as what has been explained above. If you haven't done so for whatever reason, you have to upgrade gradually.
If there are multiple versions available, you might need to update at least twice: once to a supported version and again to Linux Mint 22.1, which was released this week. In any case, my recommendation is, if you can't update every six months, to run the system update tool and update to the latest version available.
But I think it's important to stress that it's worth always upgrading to the latest version of Mint. Unlike Ubuntu, which releases interim versions every six months, Linux Mint is always LTS-based, so the dangers of installing less stable software almost disappear entirely.
In any case, when you upgrade to Xia, enjoy it.