ubuntu: Upgrade release version

  1. Check out “/etc/update-manager/release-upgrades” to make check out what sort of releases you wish to use (lts/normal/or never upgrade)
    # default behavior for the release upgrader
    #
     
    [DEFAULT]
    # default prompting behavior, valid options:
    #  never  - never prompt for a new distribution version
    #  normal - prompt if a new version of the distribution is available
    #  lts    - prompt only if a LTS version of the distribution is available
    Prompt=normal
  2. Make sure the (current) dist is up to date. Problems are not guaranteed if you don’t – but they are likely
    • apt-get update
    • apt-get upgrade
  3. Make sure the upgrade tool is installed (and up to date) “apt-get install update-manager-core”
  4. do-release-upgrade
  5. Follow the instructions

ubuntu: what version is installed?

The quick way is to run “lsb_release -a”

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 9.10
Release:        9.10
Codename:       karmic

Or just read the info from /etc/lsb-release

$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=karmic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 9.10"

It is also possible to check the file “/etc/issue”

$ cat /etc/issue
Ubuntu 9.10 \n \l

From X check out System->about.