I put this out there because maybe it will help someone.
How to update your LinuxOS from an outdated version using a LiveUSB This is probably an over-explanation, containing steps you may not need. I am assuming that if you know don't need a step, you'll skip it. I haven't thought of everything here, either -- but hopefully it has the one thing you were struggling with.
Steps 1 and 2 give you a working OS with an up-to-date version of LiveUSB Creator on it.1) Install the old version from your LiveCD. This assumes your system has been wiped and you need to put something on it just to get going.
2) Update your Synaptic Repository listing as indicated here:
http://pclinuxoshelp.com/index.php/Choosing_the_Right_Repository Update only the LiveUSB Creator.
This assumes that you can’t update your old distribution with Synaptic directly -- that you are too out of date for that. When I tried to update that way it would result in the Operating System being erased and having to start over again from step 1.
Steps 3 and 4 give you a downloaded ISO that has been confirmed to be complete.3) Download your ISO, and get your md5sum from here:
http://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/pclinuxos/pclinuxos/live-cd/4) Check your md5sum by opening a terminal.
Konsole is the name of a terminal that is readily available on PCLinux-- find it under More Applications > Configuration . AND for those who have been using computers through as many different versions as I have the terminal is indistinquishable (by me) from a C: prompt. Anyone else remember those from 20 or more years ago?
Next move through the directories using the dir, cd .. , and cd [name of directory] until you are in the folder where your ISO is saved. (dir gives a list of what is in the directory, cd .. moves you up a directory, cd [name of directory] moves you into one of the directories listed by dir) I used Dolphin to help me know where to go.
Type md5sum [name of ISO].
Wait. (It took a couple minutes to give output.)
Check the generated code against the one on the source site. If they are the same, you are good. If they are not, your ISO is broken and you need to download it again.
5) Run the LiveUSB Creator, and make your LiveUSB.
When I did it, I took the LiveUSB with Persistance option. -- This allowed me to make sure everything I was wanting to use was working before I installed the OS on my system. See Step 8 for more on this.
I also chose the option where everything to start the LiveUSB was included. That is, there were two optional items: Grub and a login screen (I might be remembering that second one wrong.) and I chose to have both of them.
6) If your computer does not load the OS on your LiveUSB...
How to know which OS is loading:
You can tell which OS is loading by the year. If the year of the OS on the load up screen is the current one, you are good. If not, then your computer is loading the old one.
To change this (at least on many systems), hit F10 as the very first picture (probably it has the name of the company that made your computer on it) is displayed. After hitting F10, if you go through the options, you will find one that allows you to set the
order in which the system looks for the CD, USB, and HD.
For my situation, I chose the following order for my computer:
1) CD/DVD
2) all the USB options (I admit to not understanding all of these, but ...)
3) the hard drive
For me it is really easy NOT to have a CD/DVD or USB not in the computer on startup, if I am not wanting to load a new version of PCLinux from it. (That is my default to not have any of them in at that point.) If I want a CD or USB for other reasons, it is easy for me to always put them in AFTER the computer is fully started and I am logged in to my account.
With the above order, if you put them in BEFORE, you can expect the computer not to load up -- at which point it
might give you an option to remove them
OR you might need to take it out first and then start up your computer from the beginning.
7) Load up your LiveUSB.
Plug it in. Start your computer. Wait. If this doesn't work, see step 6.
8 ) Test the OS you have just loaded. Does it do all the things you are going to be wanting it to? Look especially at the areas where you know you have been having problems.
In my case, sound was suddenly working just fine -- I had been having issues with it before, but Synaptic had a bunch of obsolete files, and Gnumeric’s save function wasn’t working. By searching in the PCLinux Forums and trial and error, I eventually found solutions to all of these issues.
In your worst case scenario where in your tinkering with the OS you completely mess it up, go back to step 5, and
make a note of what not to do next time.
Keep at it. Live and learn. You can do this.
9) Run the PCLinux Installer (it is right there before you on your desktop from the LiveUSB) and put your OS that now works for you on to your hard drive.
10) Put the final settings on to your OS. Choose your wall paper. Add additional files. And so forth.
