Galactic Mandate Linux Update Guide

How to Upgrade From v.99 to v00 or v01

Galactic Mandate Linux now has an official signed update channel. Existing v.99 systems can upgrade in place to v00 Birthday Edition or go directly to v01 Birthday Edition without downloading another ISO or reinstalling Linux.

Recommended Upgrade

v01 is the recommended target for most users. A v.99 installation can upgrade directly to v01. Installing v00 first is not required.

Which Version Should You Choose?

v01 is recommended. It is the current Birthday Edition release and the best upgrade target for most users.
v00 is a historical Birthday Edition release. Choose it only when you specifically need the v00 release channel.
v.99 can upgrade directly to v01. Installing v00 first is unnecessary.
Do not use the v00 command to downgrade v01.
The graphical installer is part of the v01 ISO.
An in-place upgrade updates the installed desktop, applications, themes, repository configuration, and release identity.
An in-place upgrade does not add the graphical installer to an old ISO or USB image.

Before You Upgrade

Back up important documents and personal files.
Connect the computer to reliable power.
Use a stable internet connection.
Close running applications before beginning.
Do not interrupt the package installation process.
Allow several minutes for package installation and configuration.
Keep the Terminal window open until the helper reports that the installation is complete.

Install the Official Upgrade Helper

Open Terminal and run the following commands.

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -fsSL \
  https://mr-richardson.com/gmlinux/apt/gm-upgrade \
  -o /tmp/gm-upgrade

sudo install -m 0755 /tmp/gm-upgrade /usr/local/sbin/gm-upgrade

This downloads the helper over HTTPS and installs it as: /usr/local/sbin/gm-upgrade

The helper installs the Galactic Mandate archive signing key and uses signed APT repository metadata to authenticate release packages.

Upgrade to v01

This is the recommended upgrade path for v.99 and v00 users.

sudo gm-upgrade v01
sudo reboot

Allow the upgrade helper to complete before rebooting.

Keep Your Current Panel Layout

By default, the migration backs up the existing Budgie panel and Raven settings and then applies the target release layout.

To keep your current panel arrangement, use the --preserve-panel option.

sudo gm-upgrade v01 --preserve-panel
sudo reboot

Upgrade to v00

This option is for v.99 users who intentionally want the historical v00 release channel.

Do not use this command to downgrade an existing v01 installation.

sudo gm-upgrade v00
sudo reboot

Verify the Upgrade

After rebooting, open Terminal and check the system release identity.

grep '^PRETTY_NAME=' /etc/os-release

Then check the migration package associated with the selected release.

# For v01:
apt-cache policy galactic-mandate-migrate-v99-to-v01

# For v00:
apt-cache policy galactic-mandate-migrate-v99-to-v00

A v01 system should identify itself as Galactic Mandate Linux v01 Birthday Edition.
The v01 migration package should show version 101.0.0-2 as installed or available.
The v00 migration package uses version 100.0.0-2.
The installed version and candidate version should normally match after a completed update.

Repository Signing Key

The official Galactic Mandate Linux archive-key fingerprint is:

59A2 BAEE D6DB 3D57 A063 390A CD27 A138 AB93 ACD0

The v00 and v01 release channels, bootstrap packages, HTTPS upgrade helper, and signed repository metadata are published through the official Galactic Mandate Linux update system.

If an Upgrade Was Interrupted

Restore package configuration, repair incomplete dependencies, and then run the target upgrade again.

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt --fix-broken install
sudo gm-upgrade v01

Reboot when the helper reports that the selected Galactic Mandate Linux release has been installed.

Troubleshooting

The download command reports an HTTPS or certificate error

Confirm that the computer has a working internet connection and that its date and time are correct. Incorrect system time can cause TLS certificate validation to fail.

The upgrade helper command is not found

Reinstall the downloaded helper:

sudo install -m 0755 /tmp/gm-upgrade /usr/local/sbin/gm-upgrade

APT reports broken or unfinished packages

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt --fix-broken install
sudo gm-upgrade v01

The old panel layout was replaced

The standard upgrade applies the target release panel layout. Use the following option when upgrading another system and you want to retain its current panel arrangement:

sudo gm-upgrade v01 --preserve-panel

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