installing linux over linux

[wingnut3141]

i am currently running Linux Mandrake 7.2 and would like to install the newer vs, i think is 8.2, over the old vs. can i do this without screwing anything up? i did not set this box up to its current config. it currently runs my webserver and email server. i do not want to mess this up.

the reason i want to upgrade is that there are several programs that are out with the new vs of LM that i could use. i also am unable to install progs, not from lack of trying, just i can't get LM to install them. i continue to get errors and junk.

any suggestions, help or otherwise?


--mod-edit--

Cleared up your topic-title.

--treatment--

[carlywarly]

No, don't do it. These 2 versions of Mandrake actually use a whole different version of RPM, so it's a no-no.

What sort of errors do you get, and how are you trying to install programs?

[Choozo]

Upgrading from 7.2 -> 8.x is usually a lost case. I've tried it once and ended up with a crappy system.
Clean reinstall is the easiest route here, as long as you back up your config and data files.

Cheers :)

[Stween]

Surely during the install of 8.2 you could format partitions like /, /usr and so on, and leave /home as it stands. That'd simply keep current configs of everything you've ever run (I know I need to clear out my home partition sometime, its lasted through three different distros :) )

If you're bothered about things going iffy, backing up important configs may well be the way to go about it tho'...

[windoze killa]

I have never used mdk before but with Redhat there seems to be some advantages to installing over the top. For example when you install RH7.2 it is pretty good at picking all your HW and seting it up but I have heard so many people complain about RH7.3 not detecting such and such HW because it no longer installs blah?? as a default. So if you were to install 7.3 over 7.2 it then does pick up the HW. There is probably a down side to doing this but so far I haven't found one going from RH6 to 6.2 to 7.1 to 7.2 on one of my machines. The other one I installed fresh from 7.2 and had a few HW and samba problems but will sort them out.

Just my opinion.

[Timothy L. Miller]

Never tried it myself, but if you have seperate partitions for /, /usr, and /home, then maybe you could, without too much incredible headaches. If you have a single / partition, then I'd say just go with a fresh install and save yourself the headache.