Big Leap Update

[dgoddard1]

Now that I have a decent internet connection, it is time to upgrade my Dell Studio 1535 laptop

My current Ubuntu version is 8.04

I have downloaded the ISO file for version 11.10 and burned the CD.

The CD offers me a choice to install the new version
a.
"ALONGSIDE" side my current version
b.
"INSTEAD" of my current version

However it does not tell me the intended or likely outcome. If I install using the "INSTEAD" option:
A.
Will my existing applications still be present?
B.
Will my existing applications still work?
C.
Will my existing data files written by previous common applications still be present?
D.
Will my existing data files still work with the new "equivalent" applications?
E.
Can I expect to still have the same or similar accessories including ones I added to the current version?
F.
Should I anticipate significant changes in the operating system menu structure that will delay recovering my learing the new OS?

I am committed to updating the operating system but I would like to know in advance if I am looking at a 2 hour update job before I am up and running again or a 2week search and install operation for compatible and equivalent applications.

Is there any advantage to installing using the "ALONGSIDE" option.

I have 194.8 GB of unused space on a 250 GB hard disk.

[ajgreeny]

This option to install instead of your current OS is new in ubuntu, so I suspect that not many users have yet tried it, or not enough to be certain that it works as it should; I certainly haven't installed that way.

If it works as it should, it will install the OS part of the system, but leave all you docs and music and videos, etc etc untouched. However, it is not yet very well used as far as I'm aware,so it is important that you backup all your /home files and folders first, just in case something goes wrong.

I don't think that installing this way will automatically add the newer versions of all the apps you have added to your 8.04, so you will need to know what they all were, and then reinstall them.

If I were in your shoes I would make sure I have everything backed up then reinstall the new OS with a separate /home partition, as shown at Separate home at install. (http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installseparatehome)