upgrade vs fresh??????

[Bannor]

I have a lot of stuff in my current version of ubuntu, and I don't want to delete it all with a fresh install. Am I being stupid????? can i do a full upgrade from cd without a format, and with out deleting all the stuff I already have on my drive????


If so make this a sticky because I would much rather take ten minutes downloading a torrent and I think everyone else would too if that is the case.

**update***

I am not affiliated with ubuntu so please take this recommendation for what it is worth. As em4r1z stated below the alt install cd will allow you to update the distro. the advantage of this is that you can grab that in a torrent without waiting for update manager to download everything. It will save you time. you won't be forced to back your whole pc. Also this is just a guess but I think a lot of the problems people are having with the upgrade is do to packages not fully downloading. and it avoids that issue. if you are in no mans land after having tried the update it might be worth downloading the alt cd.

[em4r1z]

Why would you reinstall?

You can upgrade from a CD using the Alternate CD or you can wait about a week and upgrade your system via apt-get/aptitude/synaptic once the servers aren't crowded.
The new version won't go away and most likely won't change your life.

[Pumalite]

You can do this:
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/separatehome
Then install; go Manual, use the old partitions, keep /home, but DO NOT FORMAT. You can ignore /swap.

[em4r1z]

Then install; go Manual, use the old partitions, keep /home, but DO NOT FORMAT. You can ignore /swap.

That's a reinstall, why would he need to reinstall his system?

[Bannor]

if the install program cd will let me update the software without deleting Quake wars music files and other programs that are not pertenant to the ibex upgrade. that would save me about 4 hours per computer at this current download speed. Not to mention the load it would take off the servers

[Pumalite]

I prefer clean installs. I consider them more secure.

[em4r1z]

if the install program cd will let me update the software without deleting Quake wars music files and other programs that are not pertenant to the ibex upgrade. that would save me about 4 hours per computer at this current download speed. Not to mention the load it would take off the servers

I already told you that you could if you use the Alternate CD. You can even upgrade from a torrent. Read this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...rnate%20CD/DVD

Again, you do realize you don't need to upgrade now, right? The upgrade doesn't include critical updates to your current workstations.

[Bannor]

I already told you that you could if you use the Alternate CD. You can even upgrade from a torrent.
Read this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/In...rnate%20CD/DVD

Again, you do realize you don't need to upgrade now, right? The upgrade doesn't include security updates.

dude I am a slow typer and even slower at proof reading. my last was a response to "why reinstall"

thank you both for the help I don't think a lot of people are aware of that option. I figured there was a better way than bogging down update manager, and I, like many, get a little giddy to check out the latest from the Ubuntu team.

[kerry_s]

i prefer a clean install as well, i just back up the important things to a external drive.
with new releases the changes can be huge, sometimes using old settings that are no longer supported can cause the system to become very unstable.

[em4r1z]

I don't think a lot of people are aware of that option. I figured there was a better way than bogging down update manager

I don't think many people know about it either, even when the Ubuntu Help states that a clean install is not a recommended method to upgrade. Let us know if it went smooth.

sometimes using old settings that are no longer supported can cause the system to become very unstable.

The same applies if you have a separate Home partition and some applications were replaced or newer versions of the same one cannot use the former settings. In all cases, I've found upgrading simpler than doing a clean install.