1

I already have Ubuntu 14.04.3 and I want to go to 15.04. Do I need to fully install the new version or can I upgrade it from the existing version?

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

Ubuntu wasn't designed to do that. You can upgrade to 14.10 and then 15.04, but that is a time-consuming process and there are a lot of things that can go wrong. If I were you, I'd back up everything on your system and install 15.04 fresh. However, I'd recommend waiting for October 22 when 15.10 comes out. After all, I doubt you want to deal with upgrading to 15.10 after you just installed 15.04.

Improve this answer
7
  • This is pretty much what I would have said. I would only add that there is an option to upgrade using the Ubuntu Live DVD/USB. Start as if you want to install Ubuntu by booting from the Live USB/DVD. You should get the upgrade option. the usual cautions about backing up personal files applies. +1 if you add to your answer.
    – user68186
    Oct 16, 2015 at 22:14
  • @user68186 I never knew that. I'll give that a try in a VM and get back to you on that. That doesn't make any sense to me though. Ubuntu wasn't made to 'jump' releases, and the Software Updater doesn't let you do that, so why would the installation disk?
    – John Scott
    Oct 17, 2015 at 4:10
  • @user68186 Okay, I just tried it in a VM and it does work. However, it's also unsupported. Ubuntu wasn't made to let you jump releases like that, just like how you're not supposed to go from Debian Squeeze to Debian Jessie. Although you can criticize the process all you want, you have to upgrade one release at a time. It's best to do a fresh install.
    – John Scott
    Oct 17, 2015 at 5:03
  • It is essentially a fresh install, with /home folder preserved. One can do it manually only if one had previously created a separate /home partition and choose the "Something else" option.
    – user68186
    Oct 17, 2015 at 13:21
  • @user68186 Really? The Ubuntu installer attempts to keep programs installed in the system, so that alone tells us that the upgrade process, even with a live disk, is by no means like a fresh install. If the packages on the system get upgraded with those on the disk, that's bad because that would be like my Squeeze to Jessie example. Also, 15.10 is about to come out, and since 14.04 and 15.10 are 18 months apart, the upgrade probably wouldn't go too well anyway.
    – John Scott
    Oct 17, 2015 at 16:28
-1

These instructions are actually impossible to go from 14.04.x to 15.04 because Canconical no longer supports 14.10, so you can't upgrade to that. These instructions will be kept in case in the next LTS, someone needs to upgrade to a non-LTS.

I searched around, and this looks like it would work. Use your favorite editor, such as vim (or nano or vi or emacs, etc) to edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades (note you need to make sure you do this as root or use sudo to edit the file) and change this line:

prompt=lts to prompt=normal. After doing this, reboot your computer and do sudo do-release-upgrade. You'll need to reboot your computer and sudo do-release-upgrade again.

There's also a way to do it for the GUI update manager, which is to open it and look around the settings until you find something mentioning LTS. It should be a dropdown box or radio switch or something like that with the options: "LTS" or "any new versions". At least, something along those lines. Again, you'd have to initiate the update again. I hope this helps you out! Make sure only to use one option, though.

Improve this answer
8
  • Woah, what's with the downvote? Whoever did that please tell me why so I can improve this instead of be left hanging with "bad info"
    – FireFaced
    Oct 11, 2015 at 22:30
  • GUYS! I want to know WHY I'm being downvoted! Please tell me why, instead of just being left hanging with left reputation and no explanation
    – FireFaced
    Oct 14, 2015 at 21:10
  • It's not because your answer is bad, but your answer is just wrong. If you were to try this yourself, it wouldn't work because the upgrade manager does not let you do this at all. Have you tried that yourself? Your answer would be right if we were talking about going from 14.10 to 15.04, however.
    – John Scott
    Oct 17, 2015 at 4:08
  • @FuzzyToothpaste Is that because the upgrade needs to be done twice? If so, I added instructions to do it twice.
    – FireFaced
    Oct 17, 2015 at 12:16
  • Actually, since Utopic is old and not supported anymore, you can't even upgrade to that. The upgrade manager can't help one upgrade to 15.04. The only way to get to 15.04 without a complete reinstall is to boot off an old 14.10 live disk, upgrade, and then do the same with a 15.10 live disk. Since 14.10 is old, you can't use the Release Upgrader to get it at all.
    – John Scott
    Oct 17, 2015 at 16:21

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .