Upgrading Linux

1

I’m trying to upgrade Linux but can’t get an answer to my question:


…about upgrading.
Has anyone got any ideas whether it will wipe the drive clean?
If not you can always try bumping up the question on reddit to see if it gets an answer (pretty please) :pray:

2

I’ve never used popOs, so I can’t say for sure, but if it’s using the same package manager as Ubuntu, you should try using that to upgrade rather than a bootable USB. If you select “clean install” it will indeed erase everything. Here’s what I would suggest:

  • Backup your data. Do not proceed unless you can stand to lose everything on your computer.
  • Open up a terminal window and run sudo do-release-upgrade. This will upgrade your system without wiping your hard drive. It could take a while, but I wouldn’t recommend letting it run while you’re sleeping as you may need to give it some input. You could also check the package manager GUI (I’m not sure what it’s called anymore) as there should be some dialog instructing you to upgrade.
  • To prevent future issues, I’d advise you to put your /home directory on a separate drive. This will keep all of your personal files physically separate from the system files, meaning you can install from a clean slate without losing what’s dear to you. It’s also possible to create another partition on your system drive for this, but I feel that’s less flexible and more error prone.
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3

This operational system too definitely not for me… I’m just used to mine. Will I need it in the future? I hope that no :japanese_ogre:

4

Try upgrading through the terminal use APT manager

5

sudo apt upgrade

sudo apt dist-upgrade

Neither will wipe your hard drive.

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6

I asked again on the forum. The version I am on (17.10) cannot be upgraded they said. I would have to reinstall to go to version 18.xx
#Lame!

7

You certainly can upgrade.

Have a look at the wiki https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BionicBeaver/ReleaseNotes

Upgrading from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or 17.10

To upgrade on a desktop system:

  • Open the “Software & Updates” Setting in System Settings.
  • Select the 3rd Tab called “Updates”.
  • Set the “Notify me of a new Ubuntu version” drop down menu to “For any new version” if you are using 16.04 LTS; set it to “For long-term support versions” if you are using 17.10.
  • Press Alt+F2 and type update-manager -c into the command box.
  • Update Manager should open up and tell you that Ubuntu 18.04 LTS is now available.
  • If not you can run /usr/lib/ubuntu-release-upgrader/check-new-release-gtk
  • Click Upgrade and follow the on-screen instructions.
8

The OP is on Pop_OS, not Ubuntu. It may be ubuntu-derived, but the upgrade between that distribution’s major version might not be as smooth as it is for official ubuntu spins.

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9

The community manager on Reddit states that you can upgrade, although they recommend the re-install due to “niceties” including a recovery partition being created on a re-install.

It’s perfectly feasible to do an upgrade if op wishes.

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10

@JohnnyBizzel Pop is this duders favorite distro. LearnLinux.tv If you haven’t checked him out, you should.

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