70 Frequently Asked Questions about Linux Mint: PART 4

Back to the homepage


This is part four of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Part one is here, Part two is here and Part three is here.


Contents of this page:

What are the differences between apt-get upgrade, apt-get dist-upgrade, apt full-upgrade and do-release-upgrade?

1. When you wish to update your system by means of the terminal, then this is the best command to use:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

.... because dist-upgrade does a more thorough job than upgrade. Generally, the most thorough job is what you want (there are exceptions, but those are pretty rare).

If you wish to do it with the more modern apt, then this is the comparable command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

Same as with apt-get, full-upgrade is usually better than mere upgrade.

There's no need to fear that this will upgrade your entire system to a newer version. Because that would require this terminal command:

sudo do-release-upgrade

You can find more detailed explanations here:
man apt-get
man apt
man do-release-upgrade

How can I erase the search and replace history in text editor Xed?

2. You can delete the history of search and replace in text editor Xed as follows:

a. Launch a terminal window.
(You can launch a terminal window like this: *Click*)

b. Copy/paste this line into the terminal to wipe the history for search:

gsettings reset org.x.editor.state.history-entry history-search-for

Press Enter.

c. Then wipe the replace history by executing this command:

gsettings reset org.x.editor.state.history-entry history-replace-with

What are the key differences between Linux Mint Cinnamon and Ubuntu Cinnamon?

3. The main differences between Linux Mint Cinnamon and Ubuntu Cinnamon are as follows:

- Ubuntu Cinnamon doesn't have Mint's specific tools, such as Software Manager, Update Manager, Software Sources, Timeshift, many Mint apps like Warpinator, Hypnotix, et cetera. It doesn't have Mint's apt modernization tools like Captain.

- Ubuntu Cinnamon doesn't have the Flatpak infrastructure; instead, it uses Snaps.

- Unlike Mint, Ubuntu Cinnamon LTS follows Ubuntu's point release schedule. There is also Ubuntu Cinnamon based on the short-term Ubuntu releases.

- Some people experience instability and crashes with Ubuntu Cinnamon, that they're not plagued with in Mint Cinnamon.

Why do I get kernel headers updates for a kernel that's not even installed?

4. When your system is running on a newer kernel series than the one that your Mint series was originally issued with, you may have removed all kernels from the older series. But then you still might get updates for the kernel headers of that removed kernel series.... Which, at first glance, is of course weird and confusing.

If you inspect those updates more closely, you'll probably find that they're for the package linux-libc-dev (sometimes accompanied by the equally small package linux-tools-common). The linux-libc-dev package is a small package that contains kernel headers for development; it concerns headers for user space libraries. Its version number never gets beyond the version number of the first kernel series for your Mint series.

To be more precise: user space programs are built against the header files provided by Ubuntu or Linux Mint, typically from linux-libc-dev. These header files are often from an older kernel version, and they cannot safely be replaced or removed.

Updates for linux-libc-dev are normal and even necessary, so you don't want to change that. The ordinary kernel headers are in another package called linux-headers-(some number), that does match the version of the installed kernel.

Bottom line: just keep installing updates for linux-libc-dev whenever they're being offered and don't give it another thought.

How can I easily check what Grub boot parameters have been used by the kernel?

5. An easy way to check what boot parameters Grub has passed to the kernel, is this:

a. Launch a terminal window.
(You can launch a terminal window like this: *Click*)

b. Copy/paste this line into the terminal to wipe the history for search:

cat /proc/cmdline

Press Enter.

What's the safest way to create a dual boot with Windows on a machine with two or more hard disks?

6. The safest way to create a dual boot with Windows on a machine with two or more hard disks, is this:

a. Physically disconnect the hard disk that Windows is on (pull its cable loose or yank it out).

b. Boot from the Mint USB stick and install Linux Mint on the second hard disk.

That way you can be quite sure that the two operating systems are quite unaffected by each other.

c. Reconnect the Windows disk.

d. Go into the BIOS / UEFI settings and make sure that the boot priority in the BIOS is right, i.e. Windows Boot Manager should be at the bottom of the list, and the disk with Mint should be first in line.

Note: In a few cases, the temporary removal of the Windows disk might have wiped Windows Boot Manager from the BIOS / UEFI. That should be easy to solve: restore the BIOS defaults, disable Secure Boot again and then make sure that the boot priority is set right.

e. Boot into Linux Mint and launch a terminal window.
(You can launch a terminal window like this: *Click*)

f. Copy/paste this line into the terminal to get Windows to appear in the Grub bootloader menu:

sudo update-grub

Press Enter.

You should be done now!

How can I make my computer shut itself down automatically at a specified time?

7. It's easy to make your computer shut itself down at a specified time. For this, you can use the command shutdown.

The shutdown command can accept a parameter which specifies the time you want your computer to shut down automatically. For example, if you want your computer to shut itself down at 23:00 this evening:

a. Launch a terminal window.
(You can launch a terminal window like this: *Click*)

b. Copy/paste this line into the terminal:

shutdown -h 23:00

Press Enter.

In order to set this for each day, you can simply use Startup Applications, which you can find in Mint's menu. In Startup Applications, click the + button on the bottom and then "Custom command". As name you can give whatever you want (e.g. "Shut down my PC at 11 PM"), as command the code I've described above, and click Add.

Then reboot your system (or click the "Run Now" button on the bottom). The command should be executed in the background at the next boot and automatic shutdown should now always be scheduled for the time you've specified.

You can verify this by opening the terminal and enter:

shutdown --show

It should then display:

Shutdown scheduled for Tue 2026-08-25 22:00:00 CEST, use 'shutdown -c' to cancel

And as you see, if you decide that tonight as an exception you don't want the automatic shutdown, you can simply type shutdown -c to cancel it.

(with thanks to UncleBens of the Linux Mint Forum)


Want to read more FAQ? This is part four of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Part one is here, Part two is here and Part three is here.


To the content of this website applies a Creative Commons license.

Back to the home page

Disclaimer