How do I upgrade Minimal Desktop for Ubuntu (formerly Ubuntu Minimal)?

[Advice Pro]

I want to upgrade 10.04 to 11.10 because the 11.10 iso didn't install for me. I've tried:
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade ubuntu-minimal

And got:
Reading package list... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

[jerrrys]

Try:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

and before you say yes to install, take a good look at what it will download.

[snowpine]

"dist-upgrade" doesn't do what you think it does. It updates your current 10.04 release (equivalent to running Update Manager) but will not upgrade you to 10.10 and beyond.

Please read the Ubuntu Upgrade Notes, which detail the necessary upgrade procedures:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes

[jerrrys]

Snowpine; check out my logic.

Minimal (mini iso) install is nothing more than terminal. So a dist-upgrade will upgrade the kernel. What else can be upgraded on a terminal install?

[snowpine]

Snowpine; check out my logic.

Minimal (mini iso) install is nothing more than terminal. So a dist-upgrade will upgrade the kernel. What else can be upgraded on a terminal install?

See the OP; they want 11.10.

[jerrrys]

Ok, now I don't know.

I too run the minimal ubuntu desktop install in 11.10, but to get there I did:

sudo apt-get install --no-recommend ubuntu-desktop

Sounds like the no recommend needs to be worked in somehow.

[Advice Pro]

I tried:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
and got the same results as:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade ubuntu-minimal
I also tried:

sudo apt-get install --no-recommend ubuntu-desktop
And got:

sudo: apt-get: command not found

[snowpine]

^--- none of those commands will upgrade your system to 11.10.

Correct answer is in my post #3.

[Advice Pro]

It seems that to upgrade from 10.04 to 10.10, I need to access for Software Sources, which I don't have, but according to [url=https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/CommandLine:


Apt stores a list of repositories or software channels in the file


/etc/apt/sources.list

But I'm lost, what do I do from here?

[snowpine]

Since you do not have the full Ubuntu Desktop you can try the Server instructions:


sudo apt-get install update-manager-core

Then "edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=normal" which you can do with gedit, nano, or your favorite text editor, for example if you prefer nano:


sudo nano /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

Find where it says "Prompt=" and make sure it's set to "normal." Save and exit from your text editor.


sudo do-release-upgrade

HOWEVER this is only a very brief summary of the helpful and detailed Upgrade Notes, which I encourage you to read start to finish before you make any permanent changes to your system. :)

[snowpine]

Also, to play devil's advocate... you can wait 3 months and upgrade directly from 10.04 to 12.04 in 1 easy step. Is there a specific reason why you want 11.10?

[jerrrys]

sudo do-release-upgrade

This will upgrade a standard system. What it will do for you? Once again take a good look
at whats being install before you say yes to the install.

EDIT: nevermind, snowpine has you covered.

[Advice Pro]

sudo apt-get install update-manager-core

This just gave me the same output as in my first post.

I don't know how to
edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgradeswith LeaPad


Is there a specific reason why you want 11.10?
No, I just want to try other versions of MDU. in fact, because of the major size change in 11.04 and 11.10, I'll probably just want to get to 10.10

[snowpine]

This just gave me the same output as in my first post.

I don't know how to with LeaPad

Please copy & paste the output of:


sudo apt-get install update-manager-core

To edit a system config file with leafpad:


gksu leafpad /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

(This is assuming you have already installed gksu and leafpad.)

[Advice Pro]

Output of:
sudo apt-get install update-manager-core

Reading package list... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded

What is gksu?

[snowpine]

update-manager-core is installed, so you may proceed to the next step. :)

'gksu' is like 'sudo' but for GUI applications (like leafpad): https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RootSudo

[Advice Pro]

gksu leafpad /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

This just gets me a blank page in leafpad

[snowpine]

Then I guess the official Ubuntu Upgrade Guide is wrong, I don't know what to tell you. :(

[jerrrys]

A fresh install would be a way out.

[Advice Pro]

I think I'll have to upgrade as an ordinary version, using software sources, but I need help. The way to do this is, via command line, edit:

/etc/apt/sources.list

The Ubuntu documentation https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/CommandLine

(I had nano and I didn't even know it.)

[jerrrys]

have gedit installed?

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

[Advice Pro]

Even with gedit I'm getting a blank page. Am I doing something wrong?

[snowpine]

I think I'll have to upgrade as an ordinary version, using software sources, but I need help. The way to do this is, via command line, edit:

/etc/apt/sources.list

The Ubuntu documentation https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/CommandLine

(I had nano and I didn't even know it.)

Whoever told you to do that is incorrect; editing /etc/apt/sources.list is not the recommended method to upgrade Ubuntu. (Sometimes Debian users do it that way and give bad advice to Ubuntu users.)

If your system does not have an /etc/apt/sources.list file (or it is blank) then it is beyond my ability to troubleshoot, sorry. :(

[jerrrys]

got a backup? in terminal:

ls /etc/apt/

and please post

[Advice Pro]

what did you mean backup?

The output of ls /etc/apt/:


ls: cannot access /etc/apt/: No such file or directory

[jerrrys]

You don't seem to have much of anything. You can create a sources.list folder and fill it yourself.

http://www.mindtrickz.org/blog/default-sources-list-file-in-ubuntu-11-04/

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Beginners/BashScripting#Creating_folders

[snowpine]

what did you mean backup?

The output of ls /etc/apt/:


ls: cannot access /ect/apt/:No such file or directory

Linux syntax is not "fuzzy." You should use copy & paste and check carefully for typos. Please re-read Jerry's post #24 and try again. :)

[Advice Pro]

Linux syntax is not "fuzzy." You should use copy & paste and check carefully for typos. Please re-read Jerry's post #24 and try again. :)

Sorry, I don't understand.

[snowpine]

Sorry, I don't understand.

There is a typo in your post #25. See post #24 for the correct command.

[Advice Pro]

There is a typo in your post #25. See post #24 for the correct command.

Oh, sorry. I'm going to end it to:

ls: cannot access /ect/apt/: No such file or directory

[snowpine]

If you don't see the typo then I recommend you Copy & Paste the correct command from post #24. :)

[Advice Pro]

OK, the output of


ls /etc/apt is



apt.conf.d secring.gpg sources.list.d trusted.gpg trusted.gpg.d
preferences.d sources.list trustdb.gpg trusted.gpga~

[snowpine]

I see you do indeed have an /etc/apt/sources.list file, which leads me to believe you may have made a typo earlier when trying to edit it. Copy & paste will avoid this in the future. ;)

However, there is no reason to edit this file. It is not relevant to your goal of upgrading your system to 10.10 (and beyond). At this point I think the easiest way to accomplish that goal is a fresh reinstall of the desired version.

[jerrrys]

Just to be sure. In terminal copy and paste:

ls -sh /etc/apt/sources.list

You should see a file size of about 4K.

[Advice Pro]

Yes
4.0K /etc/apt/sources.list