Upgrading from 14.04 LTS to 18.04 LTS

[PunkTiger]

I'm hoping this is the appropriate forum for this question.

I've been a Kubuntu 14.04 LTS user for years (pretty much since it came out), and I know support for it ends next year. I'm interested in installing 18.04 LTS when it's released in a few days (after making all the necessary backups, of course). I recently (like a half-hour ago) found out about the tool/command do-release-upgrade -d to upgrade a system to the next LTS release, but I've only seen it mentioned in the Ubuntu release.

My question is two-fold: 1) can that command be used in Kubuntu, or is it just a straight Ubuntu command, and 2) if it's usable in Kubuntu, will it upgrade my system to 18.04 LTS when it's available, or just the next one in series (16.04 LTS)?

All that being said, is there a better way to upgrade my system to the latest LTS release (short of wiping the hard drive and installing from scratch).

Thanks kindly!

[GreyGeek]

From Kubuntu 14.04 the
sudo do-release-upgrade -d
will upgrade you to 16.04.
Then, you'll have to do it again to get to 18.04, when it is released.

You more than likely need to make fresh backups anyway, so why not backup your data and do a fresh install. That will get you fresh config files that match the newer apps, and leave behind all the cruft from four years of running 14.04.

While you are at it, use Btrfs as your root file system, instead of EXT4. Backups are a few seconds away and restoration to point snapshots just a couple minutes.

[Rod J]

It's not recommended to do a do-release-upgrade from 14.04 (KDE4) to 16.04 or 18.04 (Plasma 5) ... it rarely ends well because of the huge number of changes in the desktop environment.

As advised above you'd be better to do a fresh (clean) install.

[NickStone]

It's not recommended to do a do-release-upgrade from 14.04 (KDE4) to 16.04 or 18.04 (Plasma 5) ... it rarely ends well because of the huge number of changes in the desktop environment.

As advised above you'd be better to do a fresh (clean) install.

It's not just the changes to the desktop environment, but also the init system. 14.04 still used upstart as its init system byt 16.04 and later uses systemd. There maybe issues in switching to systemd from upstart if you go down the upgrade route.

[Rod J]

Yeah, systemd ... I forgot about that major change too. Good point, Nick.

[PunkTiger]

Ok... So it's looking more and more like I should wipe the disk and do a fresh install. Deep down, I knew that would be the best course of action, but I was semi-hoping for a different route. Trying to find a short cut to do something like this will end in tears, guaranteed.

Thanks for reinforcing the voice of reason here, folks. Fresh install it is.

[TWPonKubuntu]

PunkTiger, it goes without saying to backup anything you want to save before you do the wipe and fresh install... If nothing else, get some USB memory sticks and pull your /home folders and files.

[GregM]

I tried that upgrade business once and it was a disaster. Maybe it's better now.
I finally just downloaded 16.04 and started over.

This time I have bought a new/old computer (Optiplex 990) and put a brand new SSD in it and will keep my 16.04 computer running until I am satisfied with 18.04 and then switch computers.

[GreyGeek]

Ok... So it's looking more and more like I should wipe the disk and do a fresh install. Deep down, I knew that would be the best course of action, but I was semi-hoping for a different route. Trying to find a short cut to do something like this will end in tears, guaranteed.

Thanks for reinforcing the voice of reason here, folks. Fresh install it is.

Good choice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bweinel]

As others have said here... a fresh install is always the best policy.

I usually backup my /home/<user(s)> and /etc ( ...sometimes /usr/local/share/ if needed) sub-directories so important files can be referenced (or restored) as needed after the initial install. I find this routine covers most of the bases without having to re-invent the wheel every time.

cheers,

bill

[oshunluvr]

As others have said here... a fresh install is always the best policy.

I usually backup my /home/<user(s)> and /etc ( ...sometimes /usr/local/share/ if needed) sub-directories so important files can be referenced (or restored) as needed after the initial install. I find this routine covers most of the bases without having to re-invent the wheel every time.

cheers,

bill

+1 to what my fellow NC'er says.

I would add my personal preference is to do a new install along side the old one and dual boot back-and-forth for a couple weeks until my migration to the new version is complete. Then, I keep the old install around as a backup in case I bork the new install or something goes seriously south on me.

If you stick to LTS, you can install every two years by using the dual-boot method and take your time switching over. This way you get the benefits of the new programs and technology but still have a solid usable backup distro.

[Rod J]

I would add my personal preference is to do a new install along side the old one and dual boot back-and-forth for a couple weeks until my migration to the new version is complete. Then, I keep the old install around as a backup in case I bork the new install or something goes seriously south on me.

I do the same.

When I built this desktop system a couple of years ago, I split the SSD system drive into two equal partitions (plus an EFI partition) intending to have a main day-to-day version of Kubuntu in one partition (currently K14.04) and another OS in the other partition (currently Mint 18.2 KDE). I'm about to wipe the Mint install and replace it with K18.04.

Kubuntu 18.04 will become my day-to-day OS very soon.