--- title: "How to Upgrade Ubuntu Linux to a New Release" description: "Learn how to easily upgrade Ubuntu to the latest release. Also known as a distribution upgrade, learn how to tackle the upgrade in this ATA Learning tutorial!" canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/upgrade-ubuntu/" --- # How to Upgrade Ubuntu Linux to a New Release > Learn how to easily upgrade Ubuntu to the latest release. Also known as a distribution upgrade, learn how to tackle the upgrade in this ATA Learning tutorial! Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/upgrade-ubuntu/ --- ATA Learning Tap to hide [ ATA Learning ](/) * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Search for: * [](https://twitter.com/adbertram) * [](https://github.com/Adam-the-Automator) * [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-the-automator-llc) * [](/feed/) ![How to Upgrade Ubuntu Linux to a New Release](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/upgrade-ubuntu.jpg) # How to Upgrade Ubuntu Linux to a New Release [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4147968aa2332aa682bcebf295e4e9d0eb2672dee3d9ae0523a00ac51e7d6017?s=192&d=mm&r=g)Bill Kindle](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/bill/)19 April 20235 min. read Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) Tags:[Linux](/tag/linux/)[Ubuntu Linux](/tag/ubuntu-linux/) Table of Contents * [Prerequisites](#prerequisites) * [Performing a Pre-upgrade Checkup](#performing-a-pre-upgrade-checkup) * [Installing the update-manager-core Package](#installing-the-update-manager-core-package) * [Performing an Upgrade on Ubuntu](#performing-an-upgrade-on-ubuntu) * [Conclusion](#conclusion) [Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS](https://releases.ubuntu.com/20.04.6/ubuntu-20.04.6-live-server-amd64.iso) has been a reliable, stable release for many organizations, providing essential support for critical workloads. But as technology develops, so does the need to upgrade Ubuntu to a new release to ensure the system stays up-to-date and secure. [Ubuntu Serv](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/jammy-jellyfish-release-notes/24668)[e](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/jammy-jellyfish-release-notes/24668)[r 22.04 LTS](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/jammy-jellyfish-release-notes/24668) offers several new features and improvements, making this release appealing to those looking to upgrade. And in this tutorial, you will walk through the steps involved in upgrading Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS to 22.04 LTS. Read on and enjoy the new features that come with your Ubuntu upgrade! ## Prerequisites This tutorial comprises hands-on demonstrations. To follow along, ensure you have an account that is a [member of the sudoers group](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-create-a-new-sudo-enabled-user-on-ubuntu-20-04-quickstart). Related:[Secure Linux With the Sudoers File](https://adamtheautomator.com/sudoers-file/) ## Performing a Pre-upgrade Checkup Although upgrades are typically safe, there is always a chance that something may go wrong. For good measure, before upgrading your Ubuntu system, a pre-upgrade checkup is a must. To prepare your Ubuntu system for an upgrade: 1\. First, safely copy your data to a [backup](https://adamtheautomator.com/ubuntu-backup/) location to allow restoration if any problems or complications arise during the upgrade process. Related:[Restore and Backup Your Ubuntu and Never Lose Files Again](https://adamtheautomator.com/ubuntu-backup/) 2\. Next, check the [release notes](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases) and ensure no changes could negatively impact your current system. 3\. Open a terminal, and run the below [`df`](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/df-command-linux-examples/) command to check how much space you have on your boot (_/boot_) and root (_/_) volumes. ```bash df -h ``` Ensure you have enough free space available to upgrade. Why? Upgrading from one release to another will download new packages and replace the existing ones on your system. This process consumes disk space. If you do not have enough space in your _**/boot**_ partition, jump to the following step for a cleanup. Otherwise, jump to step five instead. ![upgrade ubuntu - Checking available disk space ](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-105.png) Checking available disk space Related:[A Comprehensive Guide to Ubuntu Disk Space Management](https://adamtheautomator.com/ubuntu-disk-space/) 4\. Run the following apt `autoremove` command to clean up (`--purge`) old kernel images. If you use personal package archives (PPAs) or any other third-party repositories, any software installed from these repositories is not removed or downgraded. Software installed from these repositories is the single most common cause of upgrade issues. ```bash sudo apt autoremove --purge ``` ![Removing all previous kernel images](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-106.png) Removing all previous kernel images Related:[Learn the Many Ways In Ubuntu to Delete Files](https://adamtheautomator.com/ubuntu-to-delete-file/) 5\. Lastly, run the following steps to open port `1022` on your UFW firewall, reload the firewall, and check the firewall status. Related:[How To Set Up the UFW Firewall on Linux](https://adamtheautomator.com/ufw-firewall/) If you are connected to your Ubuntu instance via SSH, the upgrade tool will open another SSH port (1022) as a fallback port in case the SSH connection drops on port 22. But remember to close the port after your Ubuntu upgrade. Doing so ensures you avoid inadvertently opening your system to potential security issues. ```bash # Add a firewall rule to allow port 1022 sudo ufw allow 1022/tcp # Reload the firewall sudo ufw reload # Check the firewall status sudo ufw status ``` ![Opening port 1022 in the firewall as a fallback](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-107.png) Opening port 1022 in the firewall as a fallback ## Installing the update-manager-core Package With the pre-upgrade checkup out of the way, the next step is to ensure the upgrade runs smoothly. You must install the update-manager-core package, essential for upgrading an Ubuntu Server distribution from one version to another. But first, you must ensure your system has the latest repositories and packages, as follows: 1\. Run the below commands to perform the following: * [`apt update`](https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-use-apt-command/#updating-package-index-apt-update) – Update the APT package index to ensure you have the latest repositories. * [`apt upgrade`](https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-use-apt-command/#upgrading-packages-apt-upgrade) – Upgrade the installed packages in your system to their latest versions. ```bash sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y ``` Related:[Learning Ubuntu Apt Get Through Examples](https://adamtheautomator.com/ubuntu-apt-get/) The overall process can take a few minutes or longer, depending on how up-to-date your Ubuntu Server host is. ![Updating repositories and upgrading packages](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-108.png) Updating repositories and upgrading packages Related:[Staying Up-to-Date With Automatic Upgrades in Ubuntu](https://adamtheautomator.com/automatic-upgrades-in-ubuntu/) 2\. Once updated, run the below command to `reboot` your Ubuntu system. ```bash reboot ``` 3\. Lastly, run the below [`apt install`](https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-use-apt-command/#installing-packages-apt-install) command after the reboot to install the `update-manager-core` package. ```bash sudo apt install update-manager-core ``` ![Installing the update manager core package](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-109.png) Installing the update manager core package ## Performing an Upgrade on Ubuntu After installing the update-manager-core package, you can finally begin to upgrade your Ubuntu system. But do you really need an upgrade? Some people choose not to upgrade as they are content with their current Ubuntu system. But the catch is that they will not benefit from new features and improvements in new releases. To perform an Upgrade on Ubuntu: 1\. Run the [`do-release-upgrade`](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/bionic/man8/do-release-upgrade.8.html) command below to check (`-c`) for a new release of the Ubuntu Server. ```bash sudo do-release-upgrade -c ``` If a new release is available, you will get an output like the one below. ![Checking for available new release ](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-110.png) Checking for available new release > _Upgrades from one LTS to the next LTS release are only available after the first point release. For example, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS will only upgrade to 20.04 LTS after the 20.04.1 point release._ 2\. Now, run the following `do-release-upgrade` without additional parameters to perform the actual release upgrade to the next available version of Ubuntu. ```bash sudo do-release-upgrade ``` ![Performing the release upgrade](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-111.png) Performing the release upgrade 3\. Press Enter when prompted, as shown below, to start the upgrade and download the packages for the new release. ![Confirming starting with the upgrade](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-112.png) Confirming starting with the upgrade Related:[Comprehensive Guide to Install Deb Packages on Ubuntu](https://adamtheautomator.com/install-deb-packages-on-ubuntu/) 4\. Review the upgrade information, input **y**, and press Enter to continue. The prompt below shows the total packages to be removed, installed, and upgraded and the total size of the resources to download for the upgrade. Note that the upgrade process may take some time to complete, depending on the speed of your system and the amount of data being transferred. ![Continuing with the upgrade](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-113.png) Continuing with the upgrade 5\. Now, choose ****, and press Enter to restart services during package upgrades. During the upgrade process, you may be prompted to answer some questions or confirm certain actions, such as the one below. These prompts occur when existing configuration files are edited by the user and the new package configuration file are different. ![ Allowing restarting services during package upgrade ](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-114.png) Allowing restarting services during package upgrade Or choose to keep the local version of the configuration files currently installed. > _The default action is to keep the existing version, but you will want to inspect the differences in the files. Older configurations may have deprecated options that can cause the software to fail or the system not to boot properly._ ![Keeping the local version of configuration files currently installed](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-115.png) Keeping the local version of configuration files currently installed 6\. Input **y** or **N** to remove or keep obsolete packages no longer needed by the new release. ![Removing obsolete packages](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-116.png) Removing obsolete packages 7\. Once the upgrade is complete, input y and press Enter to reboot your Ubuntu system. ![Rebooting the Ubuntu system after the upgrade](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-117.png) Rebooting the Ubuntu system after the upgrade 8\. Finally, after the reboot, run the below command to get the Linux Standard Base (LSB) details. ```bash lsb_release -a ``` Below, the output verifies you are now running **Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS**, with the **Codename** **jammy**. Congratulations! You have successfully performed a new release upgrade on Ubuntu! ![Checking the current installed Ubuntu release](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-118.png) Checking the current installed Ubuntu release ## Conclusion In this tutorial, you have learned how to stay caught up on new features and improvements by performing an upgrade on Ubuntu systems. Always remember to back up your system before proceeding with the upgrade and to test the process in a non-production environment. Post-upgrade, you will never know when you will face some startup issues. Why not start learning about how to fix them? Related:[Effortlessly Use Ubuntu Boot Repair to Fix Startup Issues](https://adamtheautomator.com/ubuntu-boot-repair/) Share this article [Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fupgrade-ubuntu%2F&text=How%20to%20Upgrade%20Ubuntu%20Linux%20to%20a%20New%20Release)[Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fupgrade-ubuntu%2F)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fupgrade-ubuntu%2F) ## Related Posts ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/openldap-4.jpg) ### [How to Install and Configure an OpenLDAP Ubuntu Server](/openldap/) Unlock the power of OpenLDAP on Ubuntu for centralized user authentication, seamless access control management, and enhanced directory services! ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/install-go-on-ubuntu-1.jpg) ### [How to Install GO on Ubuntu Linux](/install-go-on-ubuntu/) Learn the ins-and-outs of how to install GO Ubuntu Linux and see how you can take advantage of this popular programming language! ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/update-the-kernel-in-ubuntu.jpg) ### [Learn how to Update the Kernel In Ubuntu Linux Safely](/update-the-kernel-in-ubuntu/) In this ATA Learning tutorial learn the ins-and-outs to update the kernel in Ubuntu Linux safely through several different methods! ## Categories * [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) * [Cloud](/category/cloud/) * [DevOps](/category/devops/) * [Home Ops](/category/home-ops/) * [Information Security](/category/infosec/) * [Software Development](/category/software-development/) ## Site * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Copyright 2026© ATA Learning | [Privacy Policy](/privacy/)