Upgrade problems

[phil1349]

I am trying to upgrade my 18.04 LTS to 20.04 LTS. I followed the instructions as described on /help.ubuntu.com/community/FocalUpgrades/Kubuntu but nothing happens if I try the Krunner option, no response. If I try the Konsole method it tells me that there are no LTS development versions available. Either way, the Release Upgrade tool is not downloaded and started.

Any ideas ?

[jglen490]

You could try a clean install of 20.04.1 LTS. Download the ISO, burn it to a USB device, backup your /home, and install.

That method is reliable especially if your /home is on a separate partition. Either way backup your /home first.

[claydoh]

Ubuntu still has not turned on the Bionic to Focal upgrade options yet, which may be a sign it may not be a safe thing to do.

A clean install may be much safer, in this case


However, one can force the upgrade if you want to take the risk

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

of course: caveat emptor

[GreyGeek]

I agree with Claydoh. Back up your important data and do a clean install. You won't regret it. It will be a lot quicker to move your data to your new install than trying to debug an faulty upgrade.

[jglen490]

Exactly. (See #2). We all agree that a clean install works.

It's all I do, and LTS is all I do. And it's simple, especially with / and /home on separate partitions. You specify and format / while specifying and NOT formatting /home. And Step #1 is always backup /home to an external drive.

[claydoh]

I agree with Claydoh. Back up your important data and do a clean install. You won't regret it. It will be a lot quicker to move your data to your new install than trying to debug an faulty upgrade.

Oh, I am not necessarily advocating fresh vs upgrade, but in this case I have done my due diligence by stating the options and fair warnings

[phil1349]

I will probably have to do a clean install. Over the years I have had some successful upgrades and some which have been disastrous requiring a clean install. The great advantage of upgrading is that all added software is automatically reinstalled but with a clean install it will be weeks before I get things back to normal but there you go, such is technology !

Thanks for the replies,

[jglen490]

I understand your concerns. And, since we all tend to install stuff that may not be reinstalled on a clean install, it does take time to assemble the troops.

At times, it's been weeks before I even think about some piece of software that I had before, and was useful, but not not always used. But, it's never been a solid multiweek effort.

I take notes, do a backup, note any unusual things that others may have run across, and then dive into to a clean install. The pain is over quite quickly. The very biggest task I have is with setting up the printer again. I found that after I installed 20.04.1, there was no properly configured HPLIP available FOR MY PRINTER. Capslock, because others had little to no problems with HPLIP. I found that between a CUPS driverless install and the printer config in System Settings, that I had about 75% of the functionality of an actual HPLIP GUI install. So I'm happy. And now that there is an actual build for my 802.11ac wifi attachment, I'm ecstatic!

[claydoh]

With a decent backup/recovery plan, I just upgrade, with the chance I might have to start over.
I have seldom had to start over over the past 6/7 years.

I have my Kubuntu drive in my dead PC, may either see about fixing that, else pull the drive and put it in my less old PC just so I can upgrade to to keep the steak going, lolol!

[jglen490]

I've not done an LTS to LTS upgrade since - oh, maybe 14.04 to 16.04. Any way there was a really big update, QT I think, and the commonly held knowledge was don't upgrade, it'll break stuff, then break the broken stuff again. Yeah, I know, it's supposed to be smoooooth like buttah. My install is not at all complex. It doesn't take much to do a clean install, and then a brief catch up session (install some software, explore themes, etc.).

And I'm done. I know, that doesn't help the ones who have bad issues, but it's been so long that anything has gone wrong - and I'm glad, because the grey matter is retiring faster than I can consume Prevagen