#!/usr/bin/env bash
# ubuntu-to-mint-convert-v3.sh
#
# Copyright (C) 2026 LINUXexpert.org
#
# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
# under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
# Free Software Foundation, version 3 of the License.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General
# Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
# with this program. If not, see .
set -Eeuo pipefail
IFS=$'\n\t'
###############################################################################
# Version / globals
###############################################################################
SCRIPT_NAME="$(basename "$0")"
SCRIPT_VERSION="4.4"
LOG_DIR="/var/log/ubuntu-to-mint"
DEFAULT_MINT_MIRROR="http://packages.linuxmint.com"
KEYRING_OUT="/usr/share/keyrings/linuxmint-repo.gpg"
SOURCES_OUT="/etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list"
PIN_OUT="/etc/apt/preferences.d/50-linuxmint-conversion.pref"
PIN_STACK_OUT="/etc/apt/preferences.d/51-linuxmint-desktop-stack.pref"
# Safety thresholds
MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS_DEFAULT=40
# Runtime state
SUBCMD="${1:-}"
shift || true
UBUNTU_BASE=""
DEFAULT_MINT=""
ALLOWED_TARGETS=""
TARGET_MINT=""
EDITION="cinnamon"
MINT_MIRROR="$DEFAULT_MINT_MIRROR"
KEEP_PPAS="no"
PRESERVE_SNAP="yes"
WITH_RECOMMENDS="no"
ASSUME_YES="no"
RISK_ACK_FLAG="no"
PREFER_WAYLAND="no" # With LightDM we will force X11 anyway.
OVERWRITE_KEYRING="no" # overwrite keyring file if exists
RECREATE_KEYRING="no" # delete+recreate keyring if exists (back it up)
AUTO_FIX="yes" # attempt basic dpkg/apt repair pre-flight
PURGE_CONFLICTING_FLAVORS="yes" # purge ubuntucinnamon / flavor meta packages that break Mint DE
MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS="$MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS_DEFAULT"
BACKUP_DIR=""
ON_ERROR_BACKUP_HINT=""
###############################################################################
# Pretty output helpers
###############################################################################
is_tty() { [[ -t 1 ]]; }
c_reset=""; c_red=""; c_grn=""; c_ylw=""; c_blu=""; c_bold=""
if is_tty; then
c_reset="$(printf '\033[0m')"
c_red="$(printf '\033[31m')"
c_grn="$(printf '\033[32m')"
c_ylw="$(printf '\033[33m')"
c_blu="$(printf '\033[34m')"
c_bold="$(printf '\033[1m')"
fi
ts() { date -Is; }
info() { echo "${c_blu}INFO:${c_reset} $*"; }
ok() { echo "${c_grn}OK:${c_reset} $*"; }
warn() { echo "${c_ylw}WARN:${c_reset} $*"; }
err() { echo "${c_red}ERROR:${c_reset} $*"; }
die() {
err "$*"
[[ -n "${ON_ERROR_BACKUP_HINT:-}" ]] && echo -e "\nRollback hint: ${ON_ERROR_BACKUP_HINT}"
exit 1
}
have_cmd() { command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1; }
###############################################################################
# Logging + traps
###############################################################################
LOG_FILE=""
setup_logging() {
mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR"
LOG_FILE="${LOG_DIR}/ubuntu-to-mint-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).log"
# tee while preserving stderr
exec > >(tee -a "$LOG_FILE") 2>&1
info "Script v${SCRIPT_VERSION}"
info "Log: ${LOG_FILE}"
}
on_err() {
local exit_code=$?
local line_no=${BASH_LINENO[0]:-?}
local cmd=${BASH_COMMAND:-?}
err "FAILED at line ${line_no} (exit ${exit_code})."
err "Command: ${cmd}"
[[ -n "${LOG_FILE:-}" ]] && err "Log: ${LOG_FILE}"
[[ -n "${ON_ERROR_BACKUP_HINT:-}" ]] && echo -e "\nRollback hint: ${ON_ERROR_BACKUP_HINT}"
exit "$exit_code"
}
trap on_err ERR
###############################################################################
# Usage
###############################################################################
usage() {
cat < Mint desktop/tooling" graft.
Ubuntu remains the base OS; Mint repos+packages are added with pinning.
Usage:
sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} doctor
sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} plan [options]
sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} convert --i-accept-the-risk [options]
sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} rollback /root/ubuntu-to-mint-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
Options:
--edition cinnamon|mate|xfce (default: cinnamon)
--target Override Mint target codename (validated per Ubuntu base)
--mint-mirror (default: ${DEFAULT_MINT_MIRROR})
--keep-ppas Do NOT disable third-party APT sources (not recommended)
--preserve-snap / --no-preserve-snap (default: preserve snap)
--with-recommends Allow recommended packages during install (default: off)
--yes Skip most interactive prompts (convert still requires disclaimer + --i-accept-the-risk)
--max-removals N Abort if APT simulation removes more than N packages (default: ${MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS_DEFAULT})
--overwrite-keyring If ${KEYRING_OUT} exists, overwrite it
--recreate-keyring Backup+delete ${KEYRING_OUT} then recreate it
--no-auto-fix Do not attempt dpkg/apt repair pre-flight
--no-purge-flavor Do not purge conflicting Ubuntu-flavor packages (ubuntucinnamon*, etc.)
Notes:
* "convert" will force LightDM + X11 session by default (Mint-style). Wayland is not used by LightDM.
EOF
}
###############################################################################
# Argument parsing
###############################################################################
parse_args() {
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
case "$1" in
--edition)
EDITION="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
--target)
TARGET_MINT="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
--mint-mirror)
MINT_MIRROR="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
--keep-ppas)
KEEP_PPAS="yes"; shift ;;
--preserve-snap)
PRESERVE_SNAP="yes"; shift ;;
--no-preserve-snap)
PRESERVE_SNAP="no"; shift ;;
--with-recommends)
WITH_RECOMMENDS="yes"; shift ;;
--yes)
ASSUME_YES="yes"; shift ;;
--i-accept-the-risk)
RISK_ACK_FLAG="yes"; shift ;;
--overwrite-keyring)
OVERWRITE_KEYRING="yes"; shift ;;
--recreate-keyring)
RECREATE_KEYRING="yes"; shift ;;
--no-auto-fix)
AUTO_FIX="no"; shift ;;
--no-purge-flavor)
PURGE_CONFLICTING_FLAVORS="no"; shift ;;
--max-removals)
MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS="${2:-}"; shift 2 ;;
-h|--help|help)
usage; exit 0 ;;
*)
die "Unknown argument: $1 (use --help)" ;;
esac
done
case "$EDITION" in
cinnamon|mate|xfce) : ;;
*) die "--edition must be cinnamon|mate|xfce" ;;
esac
[[ "$MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || die "--max-removals must be an integer"
}
###############################################################################
# System checks
###############################################################################
require_root() {
[[ "${EUID}" -eq 0 ]] || die "Run as root (use sudo)."
}
detect_os() {
[[ -r /etc/os-release ]] || die "Missing /etc/os-release"
# shellcheck disable=SC1091
. /etc/os-release
local id="${ID:-}"
local ver="${VERSION_ID:-}"
local codename="${VERSION_CODENAME:-${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-}}"
info "Detected OS: ${NAME:-unknown} (ID=${id}, VERSION_ID=${ver}, CODENAME=${codename})"
[[ "$id" == "ubuntu" ]] || die "This script only supports Ubuntu as the base (ID=ubuntu)."
case "$codename" in
noble)
UBUNTU_BASE="noble"
DEFAULT_MINT="zena"
ALLOWED_TARGETS="zena zara xia wilma"
;;
jammy)
UBUNTU_BASE="jammy"
DEFAULT_MINT="virginia"
ALLOWED_TARGETS="virginia victoria vera vanessa"
;;
*)
die "Unsupported Ubuntu codename '${codename}'. Supported: noble (24.04), jammy (22.04)."
;;
esac
if [[ -z "$TARGET_MINT" ]]; then
TARGET_MINT="$DEFAULT_MINT"
fi
local ok_target="no"
for t in $ALLOWED_TARGETS; do
[[ "$TARGET_MINT" == "$t" ]] && ok_target="yes"
done
[[ "$ok_target" == "yes" ]] || die "--target '${TARGET_MINT}' not allowed for Ubuntu '${UBUNTU_BASE}'. Allowed: ${ALLOWED_TARGETS}"
info "Ubuntu base: ${UBUNTU_BASE} | Target Mint codename: ${TARGET_MINT} | Edition: ${EDITION}"
}
check_apt_locks() {
local locks=(
"/var/lib/dpkg/lock"
"/var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend"
"/var/lib/apt/lists/lock"
"/var/cache/apt/archives/lock"
)
for l in "${locks[@]}"; do
if [[ -e "$l" ]] && fuser "$l" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
die "APT/dpkg lock active on ${l}. Close Software Updater/apt/dpkg and retry."
fi
done
}
apt_fix_basic() {
info "Attempting basic dpkg/apt repair (best-effort)..."
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
dpkg --configure -a || true
apt-get -y -f install || true
apt-get -y --fix-broken install || true
apt-get -y update || true
ok "Basic repair attempt complete."
}
doctor_report() {
info "Doctor checks:"
check_apt_locks
local holds
holds="$(apt-mark showhold 2>/dev/null || true)"
if [[ -n "$holds" ]]; then
warn "Held packages detected:"
echo "$holds"
else
ok "No held packages detected."
fi
if dpkg --audit | grep -q .; then
warn "dpkg reports issues:"
dpkg --audit || true
else
ok "dpkg --audit clean."
fi
if apt-get -s check >/dev/null 2>&1; then
ok "apt-get check: OK"
else
warn "apt-get check reports problems."
fi
ok "Doctor complete."
}
###############################################################################
# Backup / rollback
###############################################################################
backup_system_state() {
local dir="/root/ubuntu-to-mint-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
mkdir -p "$dir"
info "Creating backup at: ${dir}"
mkdir -p "${dir}/etc"
cp -a /etc/apt "${dir}/etc/" || true
cp -a /etc/os-release /etc/lsb-release 2>/dev/null "${dir}/etc/" || true
cp -a /etc/fstab /etc/hostname /etc/hosts 2>/dev/null "${dir}/etc/" || true
dpkg-query -W -f='${Package}\t${Version}\n' > "${dir}/dpkg-packages.tsv" || true
apt-mark showmanual > "${dir}/apt-manual.txt" || true
apt-mark showhold > "${dir}/apt-holds.txt" || true
systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled > "${dir}/enabled-services.txt" || true
if have_cmd snap; then snap list > "${dir}/snap-list.txt" || true; fi
if have_cmd flatpak; then flatpak list > "${dir}/flatpak-list.txt" || true; fi
ok "Backup complete."
echo "$dir"
}
rollback_from_backup() {
local dir="${1:-}"
[[ -n "$dir" ]] || die "rollback requires a backup directory path."
[[ -d "$dir" ]] || die "Backup directory not found: $dir"
[[ -d "${dir}/etc/apt" ]] || die "Backup missing ${dir}/etc/apt"
info "Restoring /etc/apt from backup: ${dir}"
rm -rf /etc/apt
cp -a "${dir}/etc/apt" /etc/apt
ok "APT config restored."
info "Running apt-get update + fix-broken (best-effort)..."
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
apt-get -y update || true
apt-get -y -f install || true
ok "Rollback complete. Reboot recommended."
}
timeshift_snapshot_best_effort() {
if have_cmd timeshift; then
info "Timeshift detected. Attempting pre-change snapshot (best-effort)..."
timeshift --create --comments "pre ubuntu->mint ${EDITION} $(date -Is)" --tags D \
|| warn "Timeshift snapshot failed (may not be configured)."
else
warn "Timeshift not installed. Strongly recommended to snapshot/backup before converting."
fi
}
###############################################################################
# Third-party sources handling
###############################################################################
is_enterprise_allowlisted_source() {
# Avoid disabling common corporate agents repos
# (CrowdStrike, Palo Alto GlobalProtect, etc.)
local f="$1"
grep -Eqi '(crowdstrike|falcon|paloaltonetworks|globalprotect|pan-gp|pan-globalprotect|zscaler|netskope|sentinelone)' "$f" 2>/dev/null
}
disable_thirdparty_sources_system() {
local backup_dir="$1"
local disabled_dir="${backup_dir}/disabled-sources"
mkdir -p "$disabled_dir"
info "Disabling 3rd-party sources into: ${disabled_dir}"
shopt -s nullglob
for f in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.sources; do
[[ "$(basename "$f")" == "$(basename "$SOURCES_OUT")" ]] && continue
if [[ "$KEEP_PPAS" == "yes" ]]; then
continue
fi
if is_enterprise_allowlisted_source "$f"; then
warn "Keeping allowlisted corporate source: $f"
continue
fi
mv -v "$f" "${disabled_dir}/" || true
done
shopt -u nullglob
ok "Third-party sources disabled (restorable via rollback)."
}
###############################################################################
# Mint keyring retrieval (NO keyserver dependency by default)
###############################################################################
ensure_deps_for_keyring() {
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
apt-get -y update
apt-get -y install ca-certificates curl gnupg dirmngr dpkg-dev >/dev/null
}
keyring_from_installed_package() {
# If linuxmint-keyring is installed, copy the keyring file(s) from it.
if ! dpkg -s linuxmint-keyring >/dev/null 2>&1; then
return 1
fi
local files
files="$(dpkg -L linuxmint-keyring 2>/dev/null | grep -E '/usr/share/keyrings/.*\.(gpg|asc)$' || true)"
[[ -n "$files" ]] || return 1
local src
src="$(echo "$files" | grep -E '\.gpg$' | head -n 1 || true)"
if [[ -z "$src" ]]; then
src="$(echo "$files" | head -n 1)"
fi
[[ -r "$src" ]] || return 1
echo "$src"
return 0
}
fetch_latest_linuxmint_keyring_deb() {
local pool_base="${MINT_MIRROR%/}/pool/main/l/linuxmint-keyring/"
local tmpdir="$1"
mkdir -p "$tmpdir"
# Try HTTPS first, then HTTP.
local index=""
if index="$(curl -fsSL "https://$(echo "$pool_base" | sed 's|^http://||')" 2>/dev/null)"; then
:
elif index="$(curl -fsSL "$pool_base" 2>/dev/null)"; then
:
else
return 1
fi
# Extract deb names
local debs
debs="$(echo "$index" | grep -oE 'linuxmint-keyring_[0-9A-Za-z.+:~_-]+_all\.deb' | sort -Vu | uniq || true)"
[[ -n "$debs" ]] || return 1
local deb
deb="$(echo "$debs" | tail -n 1)"
local url="${pool_base}${deb}"
info "Downloading linuxmint-keyring package: ${deb}"
if ! curl -fsSL "$url" -o "${tmpdir}/${deb}"; then
# attempt https variant if pool_base was http
local https_url="https://$(echo "$url" | sed 's|^http://||')"
curl -fsSL "$https_url" -o "${tmpdir}/${deb}" || return 1
fi
echo "${tmpdir}/${deb}"
return 0
}
extract_keyring_from_deb_to() {
local deb_path="$1"
local out_keyring="$2"
[[ -r "$deb_path" ]] || die "Keyring deb not readable: $deb_path"
[[ -n "$out_keyring" ]] || die "extract_keyring_from_deb_to requires output path"
local tmpdir
tmpdir="$(mktemp -d)"
chmod 700 "$tmpdir"
dpkg-deb -x "$deb_path" "$tmpdir"
local candidate=""
if [[ -d "$tmpdir/usr/share/keyrings" ]]; then
candidate="$(find "$tmpdir/usr/share/keyrings" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.gpg' | head -n 1 || true)"
fi
if [[ -z "$candidate" ]]; then
# maybe shipped as .asc
candidate="$(find "$tmpdir/usr/share/keyrings" -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.asc' | head -n 1 || true)"
fi
[[ -n "$candidate" ]] || die "Could not find Mint keyring inside linuxmint-keyring deb."
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$out_keyring")"
local tmp_out
tmp_out="$(mktemp)"
rm -f "$tmp_out" 2>/dev/null || true
if [[ "$candidate" == *.gpg ]]; then
cp -f "$candidate" "$tmp_out"
else
# .asc -> dearmor
grep -q "BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK" "$candidate" \
|| die "Extracted key file does not look like an armored PGP public key."
gpg --batch --dearmor -o "$tmp_out" "$candidate"
fi
chmod 644 "$tmp_out"
mv -f "$tmp_out" "$out_keyring"
chmod 644 "$out_keyring"
rm -rf "$tmpdir"
}
mint_repo_key_write_to() {
local out_keyring="$1"
[[ -n "$out_keyring" ]] || die "mint_repo_key_write_to requires an output path"
ensure_deps_for_keyring
# Handle existing file behavior
if [[ -e "$out_keyring" ]]; then
if [[ "$RECREATE_KEYRING" == "yes" ]]; then
local bak="${out_keyring}.$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).bak"
warn "Recreating keyring: backing up existing to ${bak}"
cp -a "$out_keyring" "$bak" || true
rm -f "$out_keyring"
elif [[ "$OVERWRITE_KEYRING" == "yes" ]]; then
warn "Overwriting existing keyring at ${out_keyring}"
:
else
# Validate it looks like a keyring; if yes, keep it.
if gpg --batch --quiet --show-keys "$out_keyring" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
ok "Existing Mint keyring looks valid; keeping ${out_keyring} (use --overwrite-keyring or --recreate-keyring to replace)."
return 0
fi
die "Existing keyring at ${out_keyring} is not readable by gpg. Use --recreate-keyring to rebuild it."
fi
fi
# Preferred: use linuxmint-keyring (installed) OR download its .deb and extract keyring.
local src=""
if src="$(keyring_from_installed_package 2>/dev/null)"; then
info "Using keyring from installed linuxmint-keyring: ${src}"
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$out_keyring")"
cp -f "$src" "$out_keyring"
chmod 644 "$out_keyring"
ok "Key installed."
return 0
fi
local tmpdir
tmpdir="$(mktemp -d)"
chmod 700 "$tmpdir"
local deb_path=""
if deb_path="$(fetch_latest_linuxmint_keyring_deb "$tmpdir")"; then
extract_keyring_from_deb_to "$deb_path" "$out_keyring"
rm -rf "$tmpdir"
ok "Key installed."
return 0
fi
rm -rf "$tmpdir"
die "Unable to obtain Mint keyring package from ${MINT_MIRROR}. Check proxy/firewall connectivity."
}
mint_repo_key_install_system() {
info "Installing Linux Mint repo signing key into ${KEYRING_OUT}"
mint_repo_key_write_to "$KEYRING_OUT"
}
###############################################################################
# Sources + pinning
###############################################################################
detect_ubuntu_mirrors() {
# Keep it simple and stable; prefer existing mirrors if they look sane.
UBUNTU_ARCHIVE_MIRROR="http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu"
UBUNTU_SECURITY_MIRROR="http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu"
# If system already uses a mirror, re-use it.
local any
any="$(grep -RhoE '^deb\s+http[^ ]+\s+' /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/*.list 2>/dev/null | head -n 1 || true)"
if [[ -n "$any" ]]; then
local m
m="$(echo "$any" | awk '{print $2}')"
if [[ "$m" == http*ubuntu.com/ubuntu* || "$m" == http* ]]; then
UBUNTU_ARCHIVE_MIRROR="$m"
fi
fi
info "Ubuntu archive mirror: ${UBUNTU_ARCHIVE_MIRROR}"
info "Ubuntu security mirror: ${UBUNTU_SECURITY_MIRROR}"
}
write_mint_sources_system() {
detect_ubuntu_mirrors
info "Writing Mint+Ubuntu sources to ${SOURCES_OUT}"
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$SOURCES_OUT")"
cat > "$SOURCES_OUT" < "$PIN_OUT" <<'EOF'
# Keep Ubuntu as the default source for overlapping packages.
Package: *
Pin: origin "packages.linuxmint.com"
Pin-Priority: 100
# Prefer Mint tooling / meta packages.
Package: mint* mintsources* mintupdate* mintsystem* mintstick* mintmenu* mintlocale* mintdrivers* mintreport* mintwelcome* mintinstall*
Pin: origin "packages.linuxmint.com"
Pin-Priority: 700
EOF
ok "Base pinning written."
info "Writing high-priority desktop stack pinning to ${PIN_STACK_OUT}"
cat > "$PIN_STACK_OUT" <<'EOF'
# Desktop stacks MUST come from Mint repo to avoid Ubuntu/Mint version skew.
# (This prevents the "not installable" / mixed-version dependency issues.)
Package: cinnamon* nemo* muffin* cjs* libcjs* libmuffin* libnemo-extension* nemo-* xapp* xapps-* slick-greeter* lightdm* mint-themes* mint-y-icons* mint-x-icons* pix* xviewer* cinnamon-settings-daemon* cinnamon-control-center* cinnamon-session* cinnamon-desktop-data* cinnamon-l10n* libcinnamon* gir1.2-cmenu-3.0 libcinnamon-menu-3-0*
Pin: origin "packages.linuxmint.com"
Pin-Priority: 1001
EOF
ok "Desktop stack pinning written."
}
remove_nosnap_pref_if_needed() {
if [[ "$PRESERVE_SNAP" == "yes" ]] && [[ -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref ]]; then
warn "Mint 'nosnap' preference detected at /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref. Removing to preserve snap functionality."
rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref || true
fi
}
###############################################################################
# Packages / simulation / install
###############################################################################
edition_meta_pkg() {
case "$EDITION" in
cinnamon) echo "mint-meta-cinnamon" ;;
mate) echo "mint-meta-mate" ;;
xfce) echo "mint-meta-xfce" ;;
esac
}
edition_session_name() {
case "$EDITION" in
cinnamon) echo "cinnamon" ;;
mate) echo "mate" ;;
xfce) echo "xfce" ;;
esac
}
required_packages_for_convert() {
local meta
meta="$(edition_meta_pkg)"
cat </dev/null
# Check removals count
local removals
removals="$(grep -E '^[[:space:]]*Remv[[:space:]]' "$sim_out" | wc -l | awk '{print $1}')"
info "Simulation removals detected: ${removals} (max allowed: ${MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS})"
if [[ "$removals" -gt "$MAX_ALLOWED_REMOVALS" ]]; then
die "APT simulation wants to remove too many packages (${removals}). Aborting. Review: ${sim_out}"
fi
# Critical packages must never be removed
local critical=(sudo systemd systemd-sysv network-manager linux-image-generic)
for c in "${critical[@]}"; do
if grep -E "^[[:space:]]*Remv[[:space:]]+${c}([[:space:]]|:)" "$sim_out" >/dev/null; then
die "APT simulation wants to remove critical package '${c}'. Aborting. Review: ${sim_out}"
fi
done
ok "Simulation looks within safety thresholds. Review log: ${sim_out}"
}
apt_install_mint_stack() {
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
# Known dpkg overwrite conflict: mintupdate vs software-properties-gtk icon.
# We force overwrite ONLY during the conversion install to avoid halting.
local dpkg_force_overwrite=(
"-o" "Dpkg::Options::=--force-overwrite"
"-o" "Dpkg::Options::=--force-confnew"
)
local opts=()
# shellcheck disable=SC2207
opts+=($(apt_get_opts_common))
info "Installing Mint stack (with dpkg overwrite guard for known file conflicts)..."
apt-get "${opts[@]}" install "${dpkg_force_overwrite[@]}" "$@"
}
###############################################################################
# Display manager + session defaults
###############################################################################
disable_conflicting_lightdm_overrides() {
local desired_session
desired_session="$(edition_session_name)"
if [[ -d /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d ]]; then
shopt -s nullglob
for f in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/*.conf; do
# Keep our final file
[[ "$(basename "$f")" == "99-ubuntu2mint.conf" ]] && continue
# If a file forces a different user-session, disable it.
if grep -Eq '^[[:space:]]*user-session=' "$f"; then
local sess
sess="$(grep -E '^[[:space:]]*user-session=' "$f" | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2- | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)"
if [[ -n "$sess" && "$sess" != "$desired_session" ]]; then
warn "Disabling conflicting LightDM override (forces user-session=${sess}): ${f}"
mv -f "$f" "${f}.u2m-disabled" || true
fi
fi
done
shopt -u nullglob
fi
}
ensure_xsession_desktop_exists() {
local sess
sess="$(edition_session_name)"
case "$sess" in
cinnamon)
if [[ ! -f /usr/share/xsessions/cinnamon.desktop ]]; then
warn "Missing /usr/share/xsessions/cinnamon.desktop; creating a minimal session file."
cat > /usr/share/xsessions/cinnamon.desktop <<'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Cinnamon
Comment=This session logs you into Cinnamon
Exec=cinnamon-session-cinnamon
TryExec=cinnamon-session-cinnamon
Type=Application
DesktopNames=X-Cinnamon
EOF
fi
;;
mate)
# mate.desktop typically provided; we won't fabricate unless missing
if ! ls /usr/share/xsessions/*.desktop 2>/dev/null | grep -qi mate; then
warn "MATE session desktop file not found under /usr/share/xsessions. Ensure mate-session is installed."
fi
;;
xfce)
# xfce.desktop is typical
if ! ls /usr/share/xsessions/*.desktop 2>/dev/null | grep -qi xfce; then
warn "XFCE session desktop file not found under /usr/share/xsessions. Ensure xfce4-session is installed."
fi
;;
esac
}
set_display_manager_and_session_defaults() {
local sess
sess="$(edition_session_name)"
info "Staging defaults: DM=lightdm, greeter=slick-greeter, session=${sess}"
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
# Force LightDM as default display manager
if have_cmd debconf-set-selections; then
echo "lightdm shared/default-x-display-manager select lightdm" | debconf-set-selections || true
fi
# Ensure lightdm + slick-greeter are present (already in stack)
apt-get -y install lightdm slick-greeter || true
mkdir -p /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d
disable_conflicting_lightdm_overrides
cat > /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/99-ubuntu2mint.conf </dev/null 2>&1 || true
ok "Defaults staged: lightdm + ${sess}"
}
###############################################################################
# Cinnamon runtime sanity fixes (prevents login loop causes we observed)
###############################################################################
purge_conflicting_ubuntu_flavor_packages() {
[[ "$PURGE_CONFLICTING_FLAVORS" == "yes" ]] || return 0
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
local to_purge=()
# ubuntucinnamon-environment (and friends) has been observed to inject gschema overrides
# that don't match Mint Cinnamon, leading to crashes/login loops.
if dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}' | grep -q '^ubuntucinnamon-'; then
to_purge+=( $(dpkg -l | awk '{print $2}' | grep '^ubuntucinnamon-' || true) )
fi
# Remove ubuntu desktop metapackages only if present and edition is cinnamon,
# since they can pull GNOME sessions and change defaults.
if [[ "$EDITION" == "cinnamon" ]]; then
for p in ubuntu-desktop gdm3; do
if dpkg -s "$p" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
warn "Detected package '${p}' which may keep GNOME as the default. It will NOT be purged automatically."
fi
done
fi
if [[ "${#to_purge[@]}" -gt 0 ]]; then
warn "Purging conflicting Ubuntu flavor packages: ${to_purge[*]}"
apt-get -y purge "${to_purge[@]}" || true
apt-get -y autoremove || true
ok "Conflicting flavor packages purged (best-effort)."
fi
}
fix_cinnamon_symbol_rr_best_effort() {
# If csd-* binaries exist, verify they can run (prevents LightDM login loop).
# We observed: csd-power/csd-color undefined symbol gnome_rr_screen_new_async
# Most often resolved by ensuring gnome-desktop / gnome-rr runtime libs are present and not partially removed.
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
local any="no"
[[ -x /usr/bin/csd-power ]] && any="yes"
[[ -x /usr/bin/csd-color ]] && any="yes"
[[ "$any" == "yes" ]] || return 0
info "Validating cinnamon-settings-daemon helpers (csd-power/csd-color) best-effort..."
local broken="no"
if /usr/bin/csd-power --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
:
else
broken="yes"
fi
if [[ -x /usr/bin/csd-color ]] && ! /usr/bin/csd-color --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
broken="yes"
fi
if [[ "$broken" == "no" ]]; then
ok "csd-power/csd-color appear runnable."
return 0
fi
warn "csd-* helpers appear broken; attempting library remediation (best-effort)."
# Ensure core Xsession bits exist (has_option errors typically indicate a broken x11-common installation)
apt-get -y install --reinstall x11-common || true
# Ensure GNOME desktop compatibility libs exist (Noble provides t64 packages)
apt-get -y install --reinstall libgnome-desktop-3-20t64 libgnome-desktop-3-common || true
# libgnome-rr-4 is a distinct runtime in Noble; install if available
if apt-cache show libgnome-rr-4-2t64 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
apt-get -y install --reinstall libgnome-rr-4-2t64 || true
fi
# Reinstall cinnamon-settings-daemon from Mint repo (pinning should prefer Mint)
if dpkg -s cinnamon-settings-daemon >/dev/null 2>&1; then
apt-get -y install --reinstall cinnamon-settings-daemon || true
fi
# Re-check
if /usr/bin/csd-power --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
ok "csd-power is runnable after remediation."
else
warn "csd-power still appears broken. Cinnamon may login-loop. Check: ldd /usr/bin/csd-power; journalctl -b _UID=\$UID"
fi
}
###############################################################################
# Disclaimer gate (convert only)
###############################################################################
convert_disclaimer_gate() {
[[ "$SUBCMD" == "convert" ]] || return 0
# Force explicit flag + interactive confirmation (even with --yes).
[[ "$RISK_ACK_FLAG" == "yes" ]] || die "convert requires --i-accept-the-risk"
echo
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}======================================================================${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold} UNSUPPORTED MIGRATION METHOD — PROBABLY A REALLY DUMB IDEA${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}======================================================================${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}This script attempts to graft Linux Mint repositories/packages onto Ubuntu.${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}It is NOT supported by Linux Mint, Canonical, your IT department, or your employer.${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}It can break APT, boot/login, device management, VPN/EDR, and leave the system unrecoverable.${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}Recommended approach: do a CLEAN Linux Mint install and restore your data/apps from backup.${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}If this is a corporate-managed device: STOP and get approval first.${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}======================================================================${c_reset}"
echo
echo "To continue anyway, type exactly:"
echo " I UNDERSTAND THIS IS UNSUPPORTED"
echo "Anything else will abort."
echo
local answer=""
read -r -p "> " answer
[[ "$answer" == "I UNDERSTAND THIS IS UNSUPPORTED" ]] || die "Disclaimer not acknowledged. Aborting."
ok "Disclaimer acknowledged."
}
###############################################################################
# Plan mode (safe simulation using TEMP sources + temp keyring)
###############################################################################
plan_mode() {
require_root
detect_os
check_apt_locks
if [[ "$AUTO_FIX" == "yes" ]]; then
apt_fix_basic
fi
info "Plan mode: simulating install with temporary sources/keyring (no APT sources are modified)."
ensure_deps_for_keyring
local tmp
tmp="$(mktemp -d)"
chmod 700 "$tmp"
local tmp_key="${tmp}/linuxmint-repo.gpg"
# Create a temp keyring (never touches system keyring file)
info "Preparing temporary Mint keyring for plan mode: ${tmp_key}"
OVERWRITE_KEYRING="yes"
RECREATE_KEYRING="yes"
mint_repo_key_write_to "$tmp_key"
detect_ubuntu_mirrors
local tmp_sources="${tmp}/sources.list"
cat > "$tmp_sources" </dev/null || true
# Add our pinning into temp prefs
cat > "${tmp}/prefs.d/50-linuxmint-conversion.pref" <<'EOF'
Package: *
Pin: origin "packages.linuxmint.com"
Pin-Priority: 100
Package: mint* mintsources* mintupdate* mintsystem* mintstick* mintmenu* mintlocale* mintdrivers* mintreport* mintwelcome* mintinstall*
Pin: origin "packages.linuxmint.com"
Pin-Priority: 700
EOF
cat > "${tmp}/prefs.d/51-linuxmint-desktop-stack.pref" <<'EOF'
Package: cinnamon* nemo* muffin* cjs* libcjs* libmuffin* libnemo-extension* nemo-* xapp* xapps-* slick-greeter* lightdm* mint-themes* mint-y-icons* mint-x-icons* pix* xviewer* cinnamon-settings-daemon* cinnamon-control-center* cinnamon-session* cinnamon-desktop-data* cinnamon-l10n* libcinnamon* gir1.2-cmenu-3.0 libcinnamon-menu-3-0*
Pin: origin "packages.linuxmint.com"
Pin-Priority: 1001
EOF
local pkgs
mapfile -t pkgs < <(required_packages_for_convert)
info "Running plan simulation..."
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
# We must point apt at temp source list + temp lists/cache, but use real dpkg status.
apt-get \
-o "Dir::Etc::sourcelist=${tmp_sources}" \
-o "Dir::Etc::sourceparts=-" \
-o "Dir::Etc::PreferencesParts=${tmp}/prefs.d" \
-o "Dir::State::Lists=${tmp}/lists" \
-o "Dir::Cache=${tmp}/cache" \
-o "Dir::State::status=/var/lib/dpkg/status" \
-y update
# Simulation install
apt-get \
-o "Dir::Etc::sourcelist=${tmp_sources}" \
-o "Dir::Etc::sourceparts=-" \
-o "Dir::Etc::PreferencesParts=${tmp}/prefs.d" \
-o "Dir::State::Lists=${tmp}/lists" \
-o "Dir::Cache=${tmp}/cache" \
-o "Dir::State::status=/var/lib/dpkg/status" \
-s $(apt_get_opts_common) install "${pkgs[@]}" \
| tee "${LOG_DIR}/plan-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).txt" >/dev/null
ok "Plan mode complete. Temp dir preserved for review: ${tmp}"
}
###############################################################################
# Post-conversion validation (writes report file reliably)
###############################################################################
post_convert_validation() {
local report="$1"
: > "$report" || die "Unable to write report file: $report"
local fail="no"
{
echo "Post-convert validation report: $(date -Is)"
echo "Edition: ${EDITION}"
echo "Ubuntu base: ${UBUNTU_BASE} | Mint target: ${TARGET_MINT}"
echo
echo "Keyring: ${KEYRING_OUT}"
if [[ -r "$KEYRING_OUT" ]] && gpg --batch --quiet --show-keys "$KEYRING_OUT" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo " OK: keyring readable"
else
echo " FAIL: keyring missing or unreadable"
fail="yes"
fi
echo
echo "Sources: ${SOURCES_OUT}"
if [[ -r "$SOURCES_OUT" ]] && grep -q "packages.linuxmint.com" "$SOURCES_OUT"; then
echo " OK: sources file present"
else
echo " FAIL: sources file missing or does not reference Mint"
fail="yes"
fi
echo
echo "APT health:"
if apt-get -s check >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo " OK: apt-get check"
else
echo " WARN: apt-get check reports issues"
fail="yes"
fi
echo
echo "Display manager:"
if systemctl is-enabled lightdm >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo " OK: lightdm enabled"
else
echo " WARN: lightdm not enabled"
fail="yes"
fi
echo
echo "Sessions present:"
ls -1 /usr/share/xsessions 2>/dev/null | egrep -i 'cinnamon|mate|xfce|ubuntu|gnome' || true
echo
echo "Cinnamon helper sanity (if installed):"
if [[ -x /usr/bin/csd-power ]]; then
if /usr/bin/csd-power --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo " OK: csd-power runnable"
else
echo " FAIL: csd-power not runnable (may cause login loop)"
echo " Hint: ldd /usr/bin/csd-power ; journalctl -b _UID=\$UID"
fail="yes"
fi
else
echo " NOTE: csd-power not found"
fi
echo
echo "LightDM config:"
grep -R --line-number -E 'user-session=|greeter-session=' /etc/lightdm 2>/dev/null || true
} >> "$report"
[[ "$fail" == "no" ]]
}
###############################################################################
# Convert mode (main)
###############################################################################
convert_mode() {
require_root
detect_os
check_apt_locks
convert_disclaimer_gate
setup_logging
if [[ "$AUTO_FIX" == "yes" ]]; then
apt_fix_basic
fi
# Backup first (single, stable)
BACKUP_DIR="$(backup_system_state)"
ON_ERROR_BACKUP_HINT="sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} rollback ${BACKUP_DIR}"
timeshift_snapshot_best_effort
if [[ "$KEEP_PPAS" != "yes" ]]; then
disable_thirdparty_sources_system "$BACKUP_DIR"
else
warn "--keep-ppas enabled; leaving third-party sources intact (riskier)."
fi
# Keyring + sources + pinning
mint_repo_key_install_system
write_mint_sources_system
write_mint_pinning_system
remove_nosnap_pref_if_needed
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
info "APT update..."
apt-get -y update
# Purge known conflicting Ubuntu flavor bits (especially ubuntucinnamon-environment)
purge_conflicting_ubuntu_flavor_packages
# Determine packages and run simulation first
local pkgs
mapfile -t pkgs < <(required_packages_for_convert)
apt_simulate_install "${pkgs[@]}"
# Install
apt_install_mint_stack "${pkgs[@]}"
# Re-run apt fix
apt-get -y -f install || true
apt-get -y --fix-broken install || true
# Stage DM + session defaults
set_display_manager_and_session_defaults
# Best-effort fix for the csd-power/csd-color symbol issue + Xsession "has_option" breakage
fix_cinnamon_symbol_rr_best_effort
# Write post-convert report into backup dir
local report="${BACKUP_DIR}/post-convert-validation.txt"
info "Running post-conversion validation (report: ${report})"
if post_convert_validation "$report"; then
ok "Post-conversion validation PASSED."
echo
ok "Conversion complete."
info "Reboot recommended."
info "If you need rollback: sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} rollback ${BACKUP_DIR}"
else
echo
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}DO NOT REBOOT YET.${c_reset}"
echo "${c_red}${c_bold}Post-conversion validation FAILED.${c_reset}"
echo "Report: ${report}"
echo "Log: ${LOG_FILE}"
echo
echo "Suggested next steps:"
echo " 1) Open the report and fix the failing items."
echo " 2) If you need to revert APT sources immediately:"
echo " sudo bash ${SCRIPT_NAME} rollback ${BACKUP_DIR}"
exit 2
fi
}
###############################################################################
# Main
###############################################################################
main() {
case "$SUBCMD" in
doctor)
require_root
setup_logging
parse_args "$@"
detect_os
check_apt_locks
[[ "$AUTO_FIX" == "yes" ]] && apt_fix_basic
doctor_report
;;
plan)
setup_logging
parse_args "$@"
plan_mode
;;
convert)
parse_args "$@"
convert_mode
;;
rollback)
require_root
setup_logging
[[ $# -ge 1 ]] || die "rollback requires a backup directory path."
rollback_from_backup "$1"
;;
""|help|-h|--help)
usage
;;
*)
usage
die "Unknown subcommand: ${SUBCMD}"
;;
esac
}
main "$@"