• Upgrade to Mint 22.3 available now.

    From David B.@boaterdave@hotmail.co.uk to uk.comp.sys.mac on Mon Jan 12 23:17:31 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.comp.sys.mac

    On 12/01/2026 16:13, Alan K. wrote:
    On 1/12/26 10:54 AM, David B. wrote:
    On 12/01/2026 15:00, Monsieur wrote:
    David B. wrote:
    On 11/01/2026 14:05, Alan K. wrote:
    Just got an update to the Mint Upgrade app.
    Under 'edit' you now have the upgrade from 22.2 to 22.3

    Not that I'm doing it today.

    Thank you for the 'heads up'.

    I'm running Linux Mint on my old 24 inch Apple iMac

    I have, this evening, updated to Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon 64-bit

    So far I've experience no problems. EfOe


    Just upgraded too, no-a problems so far and the System Information is
    nice. However I'm not too fond of the new start menu. Guess I'll get
    used to it eventually...

    I confess that I had a 'double-take' at the new start menu too! Efye
    Not a problem though.

    It's a lot like the cinnamenu applet in 22.2.-a-a I've been using that for
    a few weeks.

    Thanks, Alan.

    Today I've installed Linux Mint 22.3 on my aging 27 inch iMac.

    Here's the outcome:-

    1. Boot and Filesystem rCo All Correct

    From your output:

    / mounted from /dev/sda2 (ext4)
    BootCurrent: 0000 raA Ubuntu (shimx64.efi)
    BootOrder: 0000,0080
    Filesystem state: clean

    This means:

    You are booting from the internal spinner (sda2) exactly as planned.

    EFI is configured correctly: Linux is first, macOS external is second.

    Filesystem is clean and consistent.

    So from a software and boot perspective: your Mint installation is
    properly deployed.

    2. Disk Health rCo Usable but Ageing

    SMART overall result:

    SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
    However, the deeper stats tell the real story:

    Key facts:

    Power-on hours: ~29,173 hours (over 3.3 years of continuous runtime)

    Start/Stop cycles: 31,050

    Power cycles: 62,650

    Temperature: ~41-#C (acceptable)

    Concerning indicators:

    Reported_Uncorrect = 56

    SMART Error Count = 56

    Multiple historical UNC (uncorrectable) read errors at the same LBA

    Very high read/write totals (this disk has been heavily used)

    There are no current pending or reallocated sectors, which is good. But:

    This disk has already experienced real, logged read failures in the past.

    It is well into rCLold agerCY territory mechanically.

    It is stable today, but statistically not trustworthy long-term.

    In business terms:
    Serviceable, but not strategic.

    3. Practical Recommendation

    Your Mint system is:

    Technically correct

    Cleanly installed

    Booting properly

    Hardware mostly healthy

    But your internal drive is:

    Old

    Heavily used

    With a history of read errors

    You should:

    Keep good backups.

    Avoid storing irreplaceable data only on this disk.

    Plan to replace it with an SSD if you intend to rely on this machine.

    If you move Mint to an SSD later, you will gain:

    Dramatic speed improvement

    Much higher reliability

    Lower heat and noise

    Final Assessment

    Linux Mint 22.3: Correctly installed and operational

    Boot configuration: Correct

    Filesystem: Clean

    Hardware: Fully supported

    Disk: Aging, usable, but on borrowed time

    *Your system is working*.
    *Your disk is surviving*.
    --

    MacOS Ventura 13.7.8 is also installed on an external 1TB SSD
    The picture quality on the 5k screen is still magnificent!

    --
    Kind regards,
    David
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From David B.@David@hotmail.co.uk to uk.comp.sys.mac on Mon Jan 12 23:45:23 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.comp.sys.mac

    On 12/01/2026 23:17, David B. wrote:
    On 12/01/2026 16:13, Alan K. wrote:
    On 1/12/26 10:54 AM, David B. wrote:
    On 12/01/2026 15:00, Monsieur wrote:
    David B. wrote:
    On 11/01/2026 14:05, Alan K. wrote:
    Just got an update to the Mint Upgrade app.
    Under 'edit' you now have the upgrade from 22.2 to 22.3

    Not that I'm doing it today.

    Thank you for the 'heads up'.

    I'm running Linux Mint on my old 24 inch Apple iMac

    I have, this evening, updated to Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon 64-bit

    So far I've experience no problems. EfOe


    Just upgraded too, no-a problems so far and the System Information is
    nice. However I'm not too fond of the new start menu. Guess I'll get
    used to it eventually...

    I confess that I had a 'double-take' at the new start menu too! Efye
    Not a problem though.

    It's a lot like the cinnamenu applet in 22.2.-a-a I've been using that
    for a few weeks.

    Thanks, Alan.

    Today I've installed Linux Mint 22.3 on my aging 27 inch iMac.

    Here's the outcome:-

    1. Boot and Filesystem rCo All Correct

    From your output:

    / mounted from /dev/sda2 (ext4)
    BootCurrent: 0000 raA Ubuntu (shimx64.efi)
    BootOrder: 0000,0080
    Filesystem state: clean

    This means:

    You are booting from the internal spinner (sda2) exactly as planned.

    EFI is configured correctly: Linux is first, macOS external is second.

    Filesystem is clean and consistent.

    So from a software and boot perspective: your Mint installation is
    properly deployed.

    2. Disk Health rCo Usable but Ageing

    SMART overall result:

    SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED
    However, the deeper stats tell the real story:

    Key facts:

    Power-on hours: ~29,173 hours (over 3.3 years of continuous runtime)

    Start/Stop cycles: 31,050

    Power cycles: 62,650

    Temperature: ~41-#C (acceptable)

    Concerning indicators:

    Reported_Uncorrect = 56

    SMART Error Count = 56

    Multiple historical UNC (uncorrectable) read errors at the same LBA

    Very high read/write totals (this disk has been heavily used)

    There are no current pending or reallocated sectors, which is good. But:

    This disk has already experienced real, logged read failures in the past.

    It is well into rCLold agerCY territory mechanically.

    It is stable today, but statistically not trustworthy long-term.

    In business terms:
    Serviceable, but not strategic.

    3. Practical Recommendation

    Your Mint system is:

    Technically correct

    Cleanly installed

    Booting properly

    Hardware mostly healthy

    But your internal drive is:

    Old

    Heavily used

    With a history of read errors

    You should:

    Keep good backups.

    Avoid storing irreplaceable data only on this disk.

    Plan to replace it with an SSD if you intend to rely on this machine.

    If you move Mint to an SSD later, you will gain:

    Dramatic speed improvement

    Much higher reliability

    Lower heat and noise

    Final Assessment

    Linux Mint 22.3: Correctly installed and operational

    Boot configuration: Correct

    Filesystem: Clean

    Hardware: Fully supported

    Disk: Aging, usable, but on borrowed time

    *Your system is working*.
    *Your disk is surviving*.

    This report was provided by Gemini (AI)

    A very helpful facility!
    --
    Kind regards,
    David
    --- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2