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Introduction

After several people requested that I write a how-to on updating SuSE Linux 10.0 to 10.1, I have decided to do so. Personally, I do not care for or trust OS upgrades. This is because I like to run a tight ship that is lean and mean. Since Linux doesn’t have a registry like Windows and I can easily backup my home dir to save my settings, I don’t find doing a clean install much more involved than an upgrade. This is why I always do a clean install. That said, people still insist on upgrading their OS. So, this article will cover 3 ways in which you can upgrade your SuSE Linux install to the newest release, SuSE Linux 10.1.

CD/DVD Method

The CD / DVD upgrade method is recommended if you have a DVD or 5 or 6 CDs to spare, because it is quick, easy, and less-error prone. This method is especially recommended if your network connection is slow, unpredictable or unavailable.

To upgrade to SuSE Linux 10.1 using this method, you must first download either the DVD or 5 CD SuSE Linux 10.1 install media for your architecture. A list of mirrors can be found on the OpenSuSE website. Once you burn the SuSE Linux 10.1 install media, you can simply boot off the CD / DVD, choose ‘Upgrade‘, and click next through the install wizard. The installer will update all of the packages on your machine including the kernel and then reboot. If everything went well, you should find yourself running SuSE Linux 10.1 when your machine comes back up.

Mini-ISO Method

If you have ever done a FTP / net install of SuSE Linux, this method should look familiar. For the Mini-ISO method, you must first download the 10.1 Mini-ISO, also known as the ‘Internet Installation Boot Image‘. A list of mirrors with a direct link to the ~35MB Mini-ISO can be found on the OpenSuSE website. While you are there, be sure to write down the EXACT URL for the ‘Installation Repository‘. You will need to know this when performing the FTP / net-based upgrade. After burning the ~35MB Mini-ISO, please refer to my SuSE Linux FTP / net install article for screenshots and details on how to proceed. The only difference is that you will need to choose ‘Upgrade’ instead of ‘New Installation’ when you reach that step in the article.

No-CD, YaST Only Method

This method does not require you to burn any DVDs or CDs at all, but it does require a network connection, the faster the better. Just like the Mini-ISO Method, you will need to find yourself an ‘Installation Repository’. A list of mirrors with a direct link to the ‘Installation Repository’ can be found on the OpenSuSE website. Be sure to write down the EXACT URL for the ‘Installation Repository‘, it IS case-sensitive. Once you have this source, you need to:

1. Open YaST -> Installation Source
2. DISABLE ALL of the sources you have listed here.
3. Add the SuSE 10.1 Installation Repository(this can take as long as 5 or 10 minutes)
   Example:
   • Method = FTP
   • Server = suse.mirrors.tds.net
   • Directory = pub/opensuse/distribution/SL-10.1/inst-source/
4. Click Finish
5. Open the YaST -> System Update module (this will take several minutes to refresh the source) You should see a screen like this:
   
6. You will most likely need to Resolve some Dependency Conflicts. Click on the word ‘Packages‘ and use your best judgment to Resolve them. DO NOT IGNORE DEPENDENCY CONFLICTS!
7. Once you have Resolved the Conflicts, click ‘Accept‘ and then click ‘Next‘ to begin the upgrade.

*NOTE* I had a fresh-fully-updated SuSE 10.0 system and only had to make 2 decisions to resolve all of the Dependency Conflicts. I removed the conflicting SubMount package and chose to install a package to resolve a conflict with gimp.