mintmigrate

Migrate your Linux Mint setup to a new PC. Copy your profile to a new PC over your home network, reinstall selected packages, restore your crontab, fix GPG permissions, and get a post-migration checklist. Via a guided GUI wizard.

Before you start

1. Install OpenSSH server so the old PC can connect:

sudo apt install openssh-server

2. Create the same username as your old PC. The tool refuses to run the new-PC setup step if you are logged in as a different user. If the numeric user ID (UID) differs, the tool warns you and can optionally run a chown to fix permissions.

3. Make sure both PC's stay on and are connected on the same Network (WiFi). This is how your profile & files are migrated.

Running the tool

Run the launcher on each PC — it sets up the virtual environment automatically on first run:

./launch_mintmigrate.sh

On your old PC:

1. Choose "This is my OLD computer".
2. Choose any optional items to include (shell history, Steam, etc.) from a checklist.
3. Pick which folders to copy (caches and large/excluded paths are never listed). You can also add custom folders.
4. Enter your new PC's username@address (e.g. alice@192.168.1.50).
5. The tool tests the SSH connection, then sends your files directly into ~/ (your home folder) on the new PC over the network.
6. A migration record (manifest.toml) is saved to ~/.mintmigrate/ on both computers.

On your new PC:

1. Choose "This is my NEW computer".
2. The tool finds the migration record automatically at ~/.mintmigrate/manifest.toml.
3. Select which packages to reinstall (everything is pre-selected; untick what you don't want).
4. Packages are installed via apt, your crontab is restored, and GPG permissions are fixed automatically.
5. A post-migration checklist is shown.

This second step is optional — skip it if you only want to transfer files.

If the SSH connection test fails, a checklist of common causes is shown (same network, host key accepted, etc.). Fix the issue and run mintmigrate again.

What gets migrated

The checklist is built from your home directory at runtime — only paths that actually exist are shown.

Always included (if present):

• Standard user folders: Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, Videos, Desktop
• Shell config: .bashrc, .bash_aliases, .bash_logout, .profile
• Git, GTK, and editor settings
• Firefox (.mozilla/), Thunderbird (.thunderbird/), Chrome, Edge
• GnuPG keys (.gnupg/ — permissions fixed automatically)
• Cinnamon desktop, keybindings, applets, dconf settings
• LibreOffice, GIMP, qBittorrent, and other common app configs
• Custom .desktop launchers, icon themes, GNOME keyrings
• rclone credentials (flagged as sensitive)
• Crontab (exported automatically; you choose whether to restore it)

Optional (unchecked by default):

• Shell history (.bash_history)
• Steam game data (large — Steam re-downloads itself)

Always skipped: caches, Flatpak data, dev build caches (.npm/.gradle), and session-specific files.

Safety

• Close Firefox, Thunderbird, and Chrome/Edge before running on the old PC — the wizard will warn you if they are still open.
• rclone credentials are flagged during selection — treat them like backup media.
• Edit ~/.mintmigrate/manifest.toml before running the new-PC setup step if you want to drop packages.

Requirements

• Python 3.10+ (standard on Linux Mint 21+).
• python3-venv — if missing, the launcher installs it automatically (requires sudo).
• rsync 3.2.3+, ssh, apt-mark / apt-get, sudo — all standard on Linux Mint 21+.
• Zenity — drives the GUI wizard (included on typical Cinnamon installs). Falls back to terminal prompts if absent. Set MINTMIGRATE_USE_CLI=1 to force terminal mode.

Advanced: subcommands

For scripted or repeat runs:

mintmigrate export -r user@NEW_IP
mintmigrate import

• export: --remote user@host, --manifest-dir DIR, --dry-run, --non-interactive, --skip-preflight.
• import: --bundle DIR, --fix-ownership, --dry-run, --non-interactive, --force-identity (override username check — risky).

mintmigrate --help and mintmigrate export|import --help list all options.

Project layout

mintmigrate.py          # CLI entry point
launch_mintmigrate.sh   # One-click launcher (sets up venv automatically)
modules/                # packages, files, dotfiles, crontab, manifest I/O, permissions, ui