Help Please, Error Upgrade Zorin 16 (Reddit instruction failed)

I have been a Zorin user for 6 years and have never had a problem until now because I ignorantly wanted to update version 16. I need help, wanting to update my system to the latest version, I found a publication where changing in / etc / app / sources. list.da all files the bionic value for another value that I do not remember the problem that damaged my desktop, now I can not see my applications, the problem how do I want to create a new installation because I have been using this installation for 3 years and I have everything installed I would have to waste a week installing everything again, please I need help. note this is a translation.

The best way to help you would be if you can give an exact account of the steps that you took (Or link to the guide that you followed).

From what you describe so far, it sounds like you need to restore the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list.d

In this post I found that when changing bionic for focal and then doing an upgrade I would automatically update to the latest version of zorin but my desktop got damaged and I can only access the apps from search, and I don't want to lose my installed app.

this is the link of the post

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Wow... the r/zorinos strikes again...
I am sorry, but no, that method will not work.
....As you have discovered.

I am flying by the seat of my pants in making this suggestion and I am not sure if it will work.

You will need: Two USB stick's and a copy of Zorin OS 15.3.

Create bootable media (In the same manner if you were going to install Zorin OS) of the Zorin OS release you need to restore to.

Boot into the LiveUSB of Zorin OS. Open the file manager and navigate upward to /etc/apt/
Copy the file sources.list to the Other USB.

Navigate to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
Copy all contents from the directory and save them in a directory sources.list.d-backup on the Other USB.

Shut down and Boot into the affected Zorin OS.
Open file manager and navigate upward to /etc/apt/ and remove sources.list.
Move the sources.list from the Other USB to this directory on the affected system.

Navigate to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
Remove all files from the directory.
Move the contents from the directory sources.list.d-backup on the Other USB to the affected systems directory /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.

At this point, any third party Repositories are lost. It's not the end of the world and you can re-add any you remember at this time. Or just wait until you need them.

Plug in the Zorin OS LiveUSB but do not reboot. Just mount the drive (You can do this by clicking on it in the file manager.)

Open Software & Updates and on the first tab, Check the box for cdrom:[Zorin OS... to on.

Open a terminal and run:

sudo dpkg -l | awk '/^ii/ { print $2 }' >package-list

This will create a list of all packages installed. Now reinstall them in order to ensure they are the proper packages for your release:

sudo xargs apt-get install -y < package-list

Once everything is complete:
Open Software & Updates and on the first tab, Check the box for cdrom:[Zorin OS... to off.
Eject the USB and remove it.

Reboot and test.

Aravisian, would access to the terminal allow him to backup currently installed apps? I realize the repository list is now trash, but maybe there is a hope to save what is currently installed?

All the O.P. can do is list them.

By performing the command to upgrade, the O.P. Damaged the installed apps.
The only thing he can do is try to reinstall them by the above list from the proper sources and... fingers crossed.

That is what i meant...i figured the repository change probably messed up his entire installation, but that would allow for a relatively simple way to restore.

Also, op, if you can and have the space on another partition, it would make sense to attempt to save any pictures, videos, documents you have that you want to keep. A simple tar -r <destination/backup> <source/directory> could do it. I don't know where you stored things.

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Another solution would be boot from a Live USB, access the original installation with File manager (open it as a root) then copy the content of home directory to another safe place (such as a large capacity USB stick or USB connected external drive).

In other words, treating a current installation as a data drive.

I think this GUI method is less intimidating for people not very comfortable with terminal.

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That exact the same thing I thought.
When things are gone beyond a simple repair, it is much faster to do the clean install.

Perhaps we should post a warning against this bogus information at Reddit before we got swamped by a troop of victims.

I knew it.
I said: Perhaps we should post a warning against this bogus information at Reddit

But I do not have an account there...

Artyom Zorin has addressed this on Reddit.

Previous to that, I posted the same warning in that thread that I posted here.

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Thanks for this good news.
It is always better to stop the problem at its root before it is getting out of hand.

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I am extremely worried that I am about to lose my configurations of the applications I work with, I tried the last thing and it did not work for me, I found a solution that tells me that I can reinstall all my home programs again epro there is configuration that is not saved in home, I use Android Studio, Firebase SDK, Flutter, Dart, among other programs of use and although the information would not lose it but if the configuration that I already have, I come since 2017 with my installation and when I used Zorin 12 when I left version 15 could be updated without losing anything, do you know anything about Zorin 16?

Please Back Up your Important Files on a cloud, SD Card, USB stick or External drive.
This includes ~/.config directory that contains your application configurations.

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Upgrade path for Zorin 15 to 16 will be supplied later this year.
But it is workable if you have a functioning Zorin installation. This upgrade would not work on the current broken installation you have.