Is there a way to install the 20.04 version over the Internet or network?

[irv]

This thread is related to this thread: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2463761
If you look at this link you need to go to the end of the thread post 19.
Okay, now on with this thread. I have an old PC running Ubuntu server 16.04 that is messed up. It will boot and I can do a remote into it okay, I just get a lot of errors when trying to do updates. (see other thread link.)
Because of this I what to install a newer server, (20.04). The problem is the BIOS will not see USB's and it only has a CD drive in it, not a DVD. The iso will not fit on a CD so here comes my question.
Is there a way to install the 20.04 version over the Internet or network? I prefer the Internet if I can do it remotely. I am on my desktop with a terminal open and logged on to my server.

irv@irv-OptiPlex-9010:~$ ssh irv@wabasha-server.net
irv@wabasha-server.net's password: 
Welcome to Ubuntu 16.04.7 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-38-generic i686)

 * Documentation:  https://help.ubuntu.com
 * Management:     https://landscape.canonical.com
 * Support:        https://ubuntu.com/advantage

  System information as of Mon Jun 21 10:58:16 CDT 2021

  System load:  0.06                Swap usage:          0%
  Usage of /:   83.0% of 227.14GB   Processes:           177
  Memory usage: 24%                 IP address for p3p1: 192.168.1.105

  Graph this data and manage this system at:
    https://landscape.canonical.com/

203 updates can be applied immediately.
185 of these updates are standard security updates.
To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable

New release '18.04.5 LTS' available.
Run 'do-release-upgrade' to upgrade to it.


Last login: Mon Jun 21 10:19:40 2021 from 192.168.1.1
irv@wabasha-server:~$

There must be a way to do this, but I have never done this before.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

EDIT: Maybe I should have mentioned that I have download the ubuntu-20.04.2-live-server-amd64 and have it on my server. I have mounted it in "/media/iso" here is a list of the files in the iso file.

irv@wabasha-server:/media/iso$ ls
boot  casper  dists  EFI  install  isolinux  md5sum.txt  pool  preseed  ubuntu

Is there a way to run the install or boot it from there? Maybe I am thinking wrong on this.

[tommyfun]

I use these files to pxe boot off the my network and install 20.04

http://mirrors.mit.edu/ubuntu/dists/...legacy-images/

Specifically, I have the files in this directory on my tftp server: http://mirrors.mit.edu/ubuntu/dists/...staller/amd64/

If your computer doesn't support booting from a usb flash drive it probably doesn't support pxe booting, but you might be able to put these files on a cdrom.

I'm not sure how to put these files on a cdrom and make it bootable though, I'm just throwing it out there, maybe someone else can chime in.

good luck,
-tom

[MAFoElffen]

First, I should probably point out that the target is an old 32bit server., that has been online for years and years... I know the last fresh install was 14.04, and release upgraded to it's present 16.04. And I know where it is and that you are the sole support.

*** Ubuntu dropped support for Ubuntu Server 32bit with the version he is on, at least with the install media. 32bit installers for any Ubuntu flavor, dead-ended at Lubuntu 18.04. No other flavor of Ubuntu 18.04 had a 32bit installer..

The way to get to Ubuntu Server 18.04 32bit through a fresh install was to use the Lubuntu 18.04 Alternate Install ISO, and using Tasksel to install the Server Services, then either not installing or uninstalling the lubuntu-desktop. (Okay, it's been a few years since I did that.) There is no upgrade path to 32bit Ubuntu of any flavors, from 18.04 to 20.04. The 32bit library path ends at 19.10. The Lubuntu 18.04 Alternate Install image for 32bit is also the only image that will fit on a CD... (That machine will not boot from a USB)

Off the top of my head, 4 options...

Option 1:

1. Run debootstrap on the existing Ubuntu server
2. Transfer the files to the swap partition of the server
3. Boot into the swap partition (the debootstrap system)
4. Transfer the files to the original root partition
5. Boot into the new Lubuntu system and finish up the installation with tasksel, apt-get, etc

Re: HOWTO - Install Debian Onto a Remote Linux System

Option 2:

1. Do a Lubuntu !8.04 Alternate install, from what I told you yesterday on what I do for my own servers...
2. Create a small partition to copy ISO images to.
3. Create a seed file for an automated install, that also (importantly) sets it's static address.
4. Change the Grub Menu to switch over it's default to the alternate install image
5. Before that Install reboots, interrupt it, to edit the Grub menu default back to the Live system

(The first two options, I would practice on VM's, before you do it live)

Option 3:

1. Go down to the location, where it's been running for years and do the physical maintenance on the server (blowing it out and such...)
2. Do the initial part of the install there, with either a CD that your burned the image onto... or a hybrid of Option 3, after adding the iso image to the grub menu, and switching to it manually (while there) off the Grub menu. You don't know the physical condition of the existing CD drive... so)
3. Do the rest of the configuration and migration from home.

*** But the first 3 options do not fix your long-term problem. It gets you to a supported system, only to 30 April, 2023. (less than two years) ***

Option 4

• This is a non-profit Org.
• Get a casted off 64bit system as a "donation".
• I volunteered for a computer recycler. If you approached one of them, they would most likely be happy to donate a suitable 64bit system to that non-profit. Or donated by the community there.
• Then you can go beyond the limits and dead-end you face now.
• The current server could just run as is, as you set the new one up from home. The old is beyond it's EOS, so it isn't going to get updates. And besides, Apt is broken so it couldn't anyways.
• You have it's data backed to do the migration at your own leisure.
• Then just go down and unplug the old, and plug in the new metal to replace it.

[rsteinmetz70112]

For 18.04 you can do a release upgrade of 32 bit that could buy you some time I've done it on one machine.
You can also use the 18.04 net install which uses a minimal iso that will fit on a CD and downloads everything over the Internet, the trick there is to get access remotely or get local help.
Once you get to 18.04 64 bit you can do a release upgrade to 20.04.
Finally there is a network install option for 20.04 I've never used that one.

[MAFoElffen]

Please refer to the thread he linked to, And my last post. (LOL)

For 18.04 you can do a release upgrade of 32 bit that could buy you some time I've done it on one machine.

He cannot do a do-release-upgrade from his 16.04 to 18.04 because his apt system is fragged on an unsupported version. I mean "bad."

You can also use the 18.04 net install which uses a minimal iso that will fit on a CD and downloads everything over the Internet, the trick there is to get access remotely or get local help.

Okay, add one more ISO image to install fresh on 18.04, via pieces to get there. Still the same options as above, but slower, because that completely uses the official repos, instead of local repos on that image.

Once you get to 18.04 64 bit you can do a release upgrade to 20.04.

Once he acquires a "64bit system", he has no need to do additional work or effort to get to 20.04, than just install fresh on 20.04.

Finally there is a network install option for 20.04 I've never used that one.

But again, 20.04 is 64bit and he would need a 64bit system to do that...

If there are other ideas, or recommendations... He would probably be open to them. It's something that has to make common sense, right?

For instance, it's been awhile, and there has been cobwebs in my head since then. When was the last Ubuntu Server Install disk that had "Repair System" on the initial Ubiquity Grub Menu as an option? I know it's been a long time, but I remember it was there at some point in time. At that point, it had the in-image logic to possibly repair what he has going on, back in his previous thread. Not a good option to where he needs to get, and still only buys him so much time, but...


Edit: I just remembered another, very dangerous way to resurrect what he has and get him to a point where he can a do-release-upgrade. Again, it is dangerous. It is not recommended by anyone. I have done it a few times as a last resort. It has to be done in-person, on-site. Because this Forum is open to the world and you never know who is reading these posts, I will not post that here. And... it is still dead-ended to 18.04.

[irv]

I am going to try something tomorrow and will let you know if it works.
https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html
I burned a CD and will see if I can use it to book from a USB in the old server hardware.

[irv]

Okay, I'm back. I tried what I said I would do in post #6, but that didn't work. So I installed 15.10.

Welcome to Ubuntu 15.04 (GNU/Linux 3.19.0-15-generic i686)

* Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com/

System information as of Tue Jun 22 09:26:32 CDT 2021

System load: 0.1 Processes: 105
Usage of /: 0.5% of 227.14GB Users logged in: 1
Memory usage: 10% IP address for p3p1: 192.168.1.105
Swap usage: 0%

Graph this data and manage this system at:
https://landscape.canonical.com/

0 packages can be updated.
0 updates are security updates.

Your Ubuntu release is not supported anymore.
For upgrade information, please visit:
http://www.ubuntu.com/releaseendoflife

New release '15.10' available.
Run 'do-release-upgrade' to upgrade to it.

Last login: Tue Jun 22 09:06:50 2021 from devicedhcp.home
irv@wabasha-server:~$

This worked and fixed all the errors. Before I restore all the backup files, I wanted to do a release-upgrade, but all I get is errors. It is like the next release is no longer out there.
So it is down to this, I run with this old version or get up-to-date hardware. That could be done for a couple hundred bucks, US.
Here is the ending error that I received while trying the release-upgrade.

http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...-i386/Packages
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]
, W:Failed to fetch
http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...-i386/Packages
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]
, W:Failed to fetch
http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...-i386/Packages
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.91.38 80]
, E:Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or
old ones used instead.


Restoring original system state

Aborting
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Building data structures... Done
=== Command detached from window (Tue Jun 22 09:40:05 2021) ===
=== Command terminated with exit status 1 (Tue Jun 22 09:40:15 2021) ===

[MAFoElffen]

Okay, I'm back. I tried what I said I would do in post #6, but that didn't work. So I installed 15.10.


This worked and fixed all the errors. Before I restore all the backup files, I wanted to do a release-upgrade, but all I get is errors. It is like the next release is no longer out there.
So it is down to this, I run with this old version or get up-to-date hardware. That could be done for a couple hundred bucks, US.
Here is the ending error that I received while trying the release-upgrade.

Your Plop CD would not allow you to boot your USB install image?

If Plop had worked from CD, and allowed you to boot your USB (because the install image for 16.04 will not fit on CD)... then installed 16.04 LTS for repair, or as fresh, then you would have had a path from 16.04 to 18.04...

With the version you installed, the current problem is.. Interim vs LTS End of Life. 15.10 was released on October 22, 2015 and it's End of Life was July 28, 2016. The Interim Releases are only supported for one year. That is why it couldn't find the release repo. It went away years ago.

I can still talk you through making a small recovery partition for the Image and using that to install from.. Or install fresh from the Lubuntu 18.04 Alternates Installation ISO on CD... Those are options if it is staying 32bit hardware.

Or there are a few commands that I can share with you that will allow you to update 15.10 from the Ubuntu archived "Old Release" repo's, do a release upgrade to 16.04, then change it back to the Ubuntu main Repo's to do a release upgrade to 18.04. All that can be done remotely. You at least have a working system that you can do that from now.

EDIT: The Ubuntu "Old Release" repo's are still up. Artful, Breezy, Cosmic... LOL

[irv]

Plop didn't work, and the only release I could find that would fit on a CD was 15.04.
I checked the size of 16.04 and it was too big, but I must have looked at something wrong, but cause I see it will fit on a CD.
I am burning a CD as I write this and will install it and then upgrade to 18.04. The only thing I had to do after installing was to set up my static IP so I could get it on the Internet. so I could remote into it.
Will do this the first chance I get.

[MAFoElffen]

Through ssh, on the remote host, this will point your sources list to the old release archives and update the current system.

sudo sed -i 's/us\.archive/old\-releases/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Through ssh, this will point your sources list back to the main repos, and allow it to upgrade the release to 16.04

sudo sed -i 's/old\-releases/us\.archive/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo sed -i 's/wiley/xenial/g' /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

Then you will be able to transfer your data, do a normal update, and do a normal release upgrade to 18.04...

EDIT: Since you now installed fresh from an interim release, when you get back to 16.04 LTS, please edit /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and set Prompt=lts, so it locks back into the LTS Release schedule, which you have kept to in the past so far.