So, you like your Linux Mint computer and would like to keep it as secure as possible, and running faster than a bathroom break while watching TV in the 80’s? Yep, that’s understandable, and I’m here to help.
Linux Mint Update Manager can be a useful and accessible tool to get the job done.
You can tell that there are updates available when this little shield icon in the bottom right of your screen has a red dot on it.
You can take a look at what updates are needed by clicking on that shield icon, or you can select the menu in the bottom left, search “update”, and select the Update Manager.
<aside> 💡 Did you know, you can fine-tune where your updates come from to make it faster?
In the Update Manager, click on the Edit Menu, then Software Sources. You’ll see a window where you can click on your main “Mirror” and the program will start doing short tests to find out how quick it is to ping each server, then sort the list in descending order. After the tests, you’ll have the fastest mirror listed at the top which you can select as where you want to get your updates from.
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In the Update Manager, everything Mint intends to update for you is automatically selected, and on the left side under “Type”, you can move your cursor over the icons to find out what kind of update it is. Unless you have specialized knowledge, I would leave all the upgrades checked.
Once you’re ready to go, you can hit that big “Install Updates” button.
You’ll get a smaller confirmation window for what packages will be installed to support the new updates you agreed to. You can select “OK”.
If there are “Flatpak” programs being updated, you may see yet another confirmation window, and you can select “Continue” at the bottom.
