13.04 Upgrade Process

[mike acker]

April will mark my first 6 months of Fre3edom from Windows : Ubuntu/Linux 12.04

The question then is: when 13.04 is released how does the update process work ? Does the installer recognize that it is upgrading an existing system and then upgrade the O/S and preserving installed apps and files ?

[mcduck]

THe easiest way is to just let the Update Manager to the upgrade for you, it will offer you that option afer 13.04 is released. (and as long as you have set your update optionbs to allow versions rather than just LTS ones). It's the quickest way, and will leave all your files intact, and keeps all the programs assuming they can actually work with the new release (shouldn't haver any issues there unless you have some strange third-party applicatiosn or stuff you'ver compiled from source code yourself).

If you prefer to use the disc to do the upgrade, the installer does give you optiopn for upgrade, but still also allows you to use any of the normal install options so you need to be a bit carefull with that. Also keep in mind that eve with a disc, you'd still need a working Internet connection to get the updates for any programs that are not on the cd.

Anyway, quite common option is still to just back up your personal files, or have a separate /home partition for them, and then just make a fresh install of the new release. It doesn't take that long in the end, and might give less problems in some cases. (persoanlly I prefer the normal upgrade method unless I'm jumping over releases or something)

[grahammechanical]

It all depends upon whether the Update Manager is set to notify you of the next Ubuntu release or the next Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) release, which is due in 14.04. My guess, it that as 12.04 is an LTS then it is set to notify you of the next LTS release. So, you need to change the settings in Software Sources. Then when 13.04 is officially released you will get a notification. There will be an upgrade button in Update Manager or Software Updater which is its name in 13.04. I can also tell you that you will not find Software Updater in the Power/cog menu. It has to be found from the Dash.

As for Upgrading, again it depends upon how heavily modified your system is. The upgrade process is designed to upgrade from one default version of Ubuntu to another default version. I am of the opinion that upgrades get messed up when the OS is heavily modified. I have tested the upgrade from 10.04 to 12.04 more than once and it went fine. But other people hit problems. So, I suggest that you revert back to a default User Interface for the upgrade. You will get new versions of the default installed applications. Your files will not be touched as the partition is not formatted. The new versions of the applications will pick up the user configuration settings.

Because of the problems some people have with Upgrading some of us recommend backing up your data and doing a fresh install of the new version. Some icons will look different in 13.04 http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/03/u...ate-tool-icons

Regards.

[ptn107]

You are actually given quite a few options. Yay linux!

a) Upgrade from within your running system via update manager / software updater.

b) Run a clean install using the 13.04 disk, keeping your stuff. Your system partition (root; /) and applications will be erased but your personal stuff (/home) will remain.

c) Run a clean install using the 13.04 disk, erasing everything. This will erase your system partition and personal stuff so be sure to make a backup first.

I believe the majority of the users choose options a or b as they give you a completely fresh system. Personally I have had no problems with upgrading via the update manager, but then again I don't use a bunch of software outside the official Ubuntu archive.

[Cheesemill]

Also bear in mind that you can't upgrade to 13.04 directly from 12.04, you can only upgrade by one release at a time so you would have to go 12.04>12.10 then 12.10>13.04.

The only exception to this rule is LTS releases, for example you could do 10.04>12.04 or 12.04>14.04 (when it is released).