Seeking best way to migrate to 9.04 from stable 8.10

[stemagic]

I have been using 8.10 via dual boot on my IBM T60 for a few months now, and it is exciting to see that I am booting into windows less and less...(still need it once in a while though).

That said, while 8.10 has been great, it has not been without problems (audio using Skype, error free suspend, hot key support, problems with tables in OpenOffice 3.0, to list a few).

I have spent a good deal of time installing many programs I like, drivers, fixes, tweaking settings to the way I want them, where I am happy with 8.10, and most apps work for me.

Would love to go to 9.04, considering the reviews.

How best to save my apps, data, settings, tweaks from 8.10, and migrate to 9.04 without having to do it all by hand again, as I would have to, if I did a data back up in 8.10 and a fresh install of 9.04?

Is there a way to do a system back up in 8.10 (including data, program ,tweaks) and just upload to 9.04 after a fresh install?

I am wary of doing a live upgrade as I tried it once in the past with disastrous effects, system crash, needing reinstall...

Thank you

[inobe]

my best advice would be leave it alone unless you have another machine you can install it on, it may have just been released but usually after the first month or so after it being released it will still be continuously improved.

yes' wait a month or two, you could also test it on virtualbox or vmware' this way there are no real changes to your hard drive.

[Bakon Jarser]

Use mastersys to make a backup of your current setup. Don't do the distro option, do the backup option. That makes an ubuntu install cd with all of your settings and everything. Test it out to make sure it worked right (works just like a live cd). That way if you end up screwing up your install you can reinstall with the disk and have your system exactly like it is now.

http://www.remastersys.klikit-linux.com/ubuntu.html

[stemagic]

Thank you. Useful suggestions, both.

STEmagic

[sgosnell]

Always make a backup before doing anything drastic. Remastersys (not mastersys) is a good choice, and will give a live CD which can easily be reinstalled. The easy way to upgrade is detailed on this page (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/upgrading), and it's very easy. Again, do a backup before starting, though.