81

I would like to know how to upgrade from my current version of Ubuntu to the next stable from the Command line interface?

Braiam
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myusuf3
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  • The other answers doesn't address this question. – Braiam Feb 18 '14 at 15:58
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    Well, they do, but command line is only mentioned as "Run do-release-upgrade in a terminal", as it's that simple, after general steps ("take backups"). – Olli Feb 18 '14 at 16:50
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    What worked for me is `/usr/lib/ubuntu-release-upgrader/check-new-release -d` and then `do-release-upgrade -d` works for me – Max Coplan Oct 19 '19 at 20:32
  • For Ubuntu 20.04+, I had to do `sudo apt-get update` + `sudo apt-get upgrade -y` + `sudo apt-get dist-upgrade` and finally `sudo do-release-upgrade`. – Bruno Leveque Feb 21 '22 at 22:31

3 Answers3

123

You'll first need to make sure update-manager-core is present (it may already be installed):

sudo apt-get install update-manager-core

Next, run:

sudo do-release-upgrade

You may need to check /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades and change the line:

Prompt=lts

to:

Prompt=normal

for the release to show up.

Jorge Castro
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Meta Bergman
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  • I have Ubuntu 17.10 installed. Apparently the `update-manager-core` package has been added to the core packages since the answer was given, as trying to install it yields the output `update-manager-core is already the newest version (1:17.10.13).`, and the command `do-release-upgrade` is available. However, giving this command on the command line produces the output `No new release found.`, even though release 18.04 was released last week. (I do have the line `Prompt=normal` in file `/etc/update-manager/release-upgrades`.) – Teemu Leisti Apr 30 '18 at 12:03
  • @TeemuLeisti the `/etc/update-manager/release-upgrades` documentation says ```normal - Check to see if a new release is available. If more than one new release is found, the release upgrader will attempt to upgrade to the supported release that immediately succeeds the currently-running release.``` – Max Coplan Oct 19 '19 at 20:17
  • So it seems that setting `Prompt=normal` is NOT enough to update to the latest version. This will only update you to the second-to-latest version – Max Coplan Oct 19 '19 at 20:18
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    I found running `/usr/lib/ubuntu-release-upgrader/check-new-release -d` and then `do-release-upgrade -d` works for me – Max Coplan Oct 19 '19 at 20:30
13

If you run the command sudo do-release-upgrade -d through SSH then use a GNU Screen, because the upgrade process will turn off SSH -> close the default port and open a new one (it will inform you of this new port), so: 

$ ssh USER@HOST

$ screen -S upgrade
$ sudo do-release-upgrade -d

open a new terminal on client computer:

$ ssh -p PORT USER@HOST

$ screen -d
$ screen -r upgrade
techraf
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PetterA
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    sudo do-release-upgrade -d is for devel release If you want to do LTS to the next one just use: sudo do-release-upgrade without the "-d" switch – user228759 Feb 17 '14 at 04:27
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    As of Ubuntu 14.04 (and possibly ealier), `do-release-upgrade` now automatically creates a `screen` for you to make it easier to recover a failed upgrade. It also starts a secondary ssh server for the same reason. So this advice is no longer necessary. – Daniel Cassidy Aug 23 '19 at 20:45
  • I have been trying for months to upgrade from Mate 16.04 to 18.04 but have been completely blocked by Blue Ray software & hardware upgrade errors. The Java component wouldn't install, so I did so from terminal. Now a base portion of the program which the others are dependencies of. It won't upgrade stating a major error. Attempting to remove it also removes the Mate desktop and all of it's dependencies. What must I do? Remove it & Mate then update to 18.04 & reinstall Mate from only terminal? – monkeyman_stones Nov 04 '19 at 15:31
5

You can do

sudo do-release-upgrade

for command line updating

(This is actually the same as for Ubuntu Server)

Peter Smit
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