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Since the last few years I always update my Ubuntu. Is it advisable also a fresh install from time to time?

3 Answers 3

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With every fresh install, you need to figure out how to install all the packages that you use. And how did you fix all the little issues and tuning.

So, on every fresh install/fix/tuning, I try to write all the steps down, almost like a bash script, in a textfile that I save on Dropbox. So I can manually replay everything on a new installation

Disadvantage: tuning everything again for your wishes Advantage: clean system, extra space, backup+lose what you don't use anyway, rearrange your filesystem, ... for some, having fun figuring everything out.

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In the past, Linux has been used primarily for servers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers, but Ubuntu is designed to be a user-friendly Linux distribution for everyone. Requiring users to do frequent fresh installs would be bothersome to some users, so Long Term Support releases of Ubuntu are released every two years and supported by updates for a period of five years after the launch date (April 2012, April 2014, etc.). Usually there is no point in doing a fresh install as long as you can continue to receive updates from the Software Updater.

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I have two 20GB partitions which I use for "/" , one partition for "swap" and one for "/home" Whenever I feel the need to try out a new version I make a fresh install to the other 20GB "/" (I choose "something different" in the install routine so I can tell the installer that I want to use my old "/home" and I certainly don't want to format it!) Caveats are: different User and Group Id's and encrypted "/home" (you will need the key) This leaves me in on the safe side to try things out, configuration files are still there (personal in "/home" system wide on the old "/" from where you can retrieve them) I began doing this as sometimes the upgrade routine left me stranded with a defunct system.

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