Broken Python and package management, dist upgrade 20.04 to 22.04

**mryumyum** · July 17th, 2023

Hi, I recently updated my Ubuntu 20.04 desktop to 22.04 using the "do-release-upgrade" via the terminal. The terminal was local (not ssh), but I walked away from the machine and came back to a login screen that was constantly denying my login (without me touching the keyboard!).

So I ssh'd in and rebooted the machine and I was pretty certain it said no new updates and on 22.04 (but now it says there are many updates available and it's on 20.04... so something probably changed while I was messing with it before posting here.)

In any case, python/pip seem to be broken. Python is 3.10.6 but doesn't have xml, shutil, or json packages or other things (it throws Tracebacks saying as much when trying to use apt to fix things). When trying to use pip to install these packages, it breaks with the same errors.

I've done all sorts of apt/dpkg fix commands and they all break with these same python errors or other issues. Upgrade logs (+ dpkg log) attached.

Is there any possibility to get this fixed and upgraded to 22.04 without doing a full install on top of the old system?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

**Impavidus** · July 20th, 2023

Originally Posted by mryumyum

Is there any possibility to get this fixed and upgraded to 22.04 without doing a full install on top of the old system?

Any possibility? Yes. Will that be efficient use of your time? No. When a release upgrade goes wrong, just do a clean install.

**guiverc** · July 20th, 2023

My backup strategy (on release-upgrade failure, or if I don't have time too), is just to do an unclean install.

ie. install the new release; re-using your existing partitions without format which triggers the repair type installation or non-destructive re-install.

I write about it here, though please do note that was written for QA testers & not end-users, plus the QA testing of it only includes Ubuntu repository software (ie. no 3rd party).

I'm waiting for kinetic or 22.10 EOL to be posted (and then I'll post the notice to the fridge) which will also mean I have no need for keeping kinetic or 22.10 support installs any longer, and as I already have 23.04 I have no desire to release-upgrade them to 23.04, instead I'll re-install using a mantic (23.10) system & subsequently re-install them weekly (QA purposes) to ensure none of my files are erased during that install process, plus the additional (or manually installed) packages I have (esp. my non-standard music player I talk about in the testcase doc) gets auto-reinstalled etc.

By default all flavors (which includes Lubuntu which the link I provided to applies) have 'universe' enabled by default; where as main Ubuntu Desktop does not, thus I manually enable 'universe' & `sudo apt update` before I start the installer. This hasn't been needed for all re-installs (cycle specific), but I have noted it being required for a couple of cycles (though that could have been during the pre-release stage; I forget sorry) and can't recall if 22.04/jammy required it or coped where you had it enabled on your prior install, but even if you get this wrong; the only consequence is you don't get 'universe' packages & have to re-add them yourself.

Backup as always first, but I'd just do an unclean install which is only a no-format install meaning your data survives (for desktop apps anyway; not server apps/configs).

Sorry I'm tired, and have no desire to look at .zip/logs.