Switch from MDM to LightDM Display Manager

Step 5: Since MDM display manager is not supported by Linux Mint 19, so you have to install LightDM. To look over your current display manager, run the following command.

$ cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager
/usr/sbin/mdm

Step 6: If the output shows like this “/usr/sbin/lightdm”, then head over to Step 7. But if the output is “/usr/sbin/mdm” as shown in the above output, you have to switch to LightDM and remove MDM by running commands as shown below,

$ sudo apt install lightdm lightdm-settings slick-greeter

Step 7: Throughout the package installation process, the system will ask you to choose a display manager between MDM and LightDM, select LightDM, and click “Enter”.

 Step 8: Now remove MDM using the command given below.

$ sudo apt remove --purge mdm mint-mdm-themes*

Step 9: reconfigure LightDM using the “dpkg-reconfigure” command given below and reboot your system.

$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
$ sudo reboot

Linux Mint 19 code named “Tara” is the latest Mint project. Through this article, we will show you how to upgrade from Linux Mint 18.x to 18.3. Then we will show you how to create a system snapshot using timeshift, change the system display manager to LightDM, and upgrade to Linux Mint 19 from 18.x.

Requirements for upgrading:

1. You must have experience with the APT package manager and the command line.
2. You must have running Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon, or XFCE edition, otherwise, first, upgrade to Mint 18.3, then you can upgrade to Mint 19.
3. Set your terminal to unlimited scrolling; from the terminal windows, go to Edit=>Profile Preferences=>Scrolling. Check the “Scroll on output” or “unlimited” option and click “OK”.