I connect to the Internet through my college wifi and for some weird reason they have blocked all Ubuntu updates, so I cannot update Ubuntu through the common "Update Manager" way.
So I was wondering if there was some other method to update Ubuntu, maybe manually download each package and then install them or download a DVD image which already has all the packages.
I have Ubuntu 11.10 installed currently.
Ubuntu uses HTTP to update, which is the same protocol used to access most websites (including Ask Ubuntu). Therefore, it seems likely that the particular server you're trying to upgrade from is blocked or (perhaps more likely) otherwise inaccessible due to network problems.
If this is the case, then updating normally with the Update Manager could succeed, if you change your mirror.
You can do this in the Ubuntu Software tab of the Software Sources window. Change the selection in the Download from drop-down menu.
One way to open the Software Sources window is by clicking Settings... in the Update Manager.
There are ways that involve manually downloading packages, but an easier solution might be to switch to a different mirror.
Ubuntu's updates are 'mirrored' onto a number of different servers around the world. So whilst http://archive.ubuntu.com/ is not accessible to you, there is likely to be a mirror with a URL that you can access.
For an easy way of selecting a fast mirror, look at this Ask Ubuntu answer.
You can use a cd with the new version of Ubuntu and use it to do the update.
There is also an application called "AptOnCD" that you can use to preform the update.
I hope this can help you.
I realise there is no good answer to my question because in the end I'll have to download "from the internet" and I believe all downloads have been blocked currently so it really doesn't matter whether I'm trying to download each package manually or using the download manager or whatever. I guess I'll just have to wait until the block has been lifted.
