How To Upgrade Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 23.10 To Ubuntu 24.04 LTS



Before getting started, we suggest you Learn Linux Basics and follow these precautions.

Updated: 2024-04-27
Created: 2024-04-11

This HowTo outlines the steps to upgrade both Desktop and Server editions of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) or Ubuntu 23.10 (Mantic Minotaur) to Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble Numbat) from a Command Line Interface (CLI).

In accordance with the Ubuntu Release Cycle, Long Term Support (LTS) releases are distributed every two years in April. Regarded as Enterprise Grade, LTS releases are widely adopted, constituting approximately 95% of all Ubuntu installations.

Between LTS versions, Canonical also releases interim versions of Ubuntu every six months, with 23.10 being the latest example. Interim are production-quality releases supported for 9 months, providing users with ample time to update. However, unlike LTS releases, interim releases do not receive long-term support commitments.

  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS released April 21, 2022 and is supported for 5 years until April 2027.
  • Ubuntu 23.10 (interim) released October 12, 2021 and is supported for 9 months until July 2022.
  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS released April 25, 2024 and is supported for 5 years until April 2029.

Upgrading prior to the official release date may result in a Beta or Release Candidate installation. We strongly suggest checking Ubuntu.com for the current release status before beginning an upgrade and consider waiting for the point release of 24.04.1 LTS if system stability is your primary concern.

Update (2024-04-25): On release day, our upgrade test of 23.10 was successful, however, 22.04 to 24.04 upgrade failed with a "Oh no! Something has gone wrong" splash screen. Proceed with caution.

Update (2024-04-26): We're starting to receive reports of similar failed upgrades of 22.04 to 24.04.

Update (2024-04-27): Bug reports of failed upgrades from 22.04 to 24.04 are becoming more wide spread. Ubuntu developers will need time to address the issues. Do not attempt an upgrade until further notice.

 

These steps can be preformed as an in place upgrade on a live system from either a local terminal or remote SSH session.

Step 1

Prior to upgrading, make sure the current system is up-to-date by executing these three commands.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt dist-upgrade

Step 2

Upgrade to the latest release with this command, following the on-screen instructions and reboot when prompted.

sudo do-release-upgrade

If the command above returns the following notification message, this means you tried to upgrade prior to the official release or the "soaking period" is still in effect. The soaking period for 23.10 will be a few days whereas 22.04 LTS will be a few months (this summer), at the point release of 24.04.1 LTS.

Checking for a new Ubuntu release
There is no development version of an LTS available.
To upgrade to the latest non-LTS development release
set Prompt=normal in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades.

If you'd still like to proceed, you can bypass this by adding the -d option to the command. Execute, then continue by following the on-screen instructions and reboot when prompted.

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

Step 3

After reboot, verify the release has been upgraded.

lsb_release -a

Output will be similar to this.

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
Release:        24.04
Codename:       noble

Step 4

Clear out the local repository of retrieved package files and dependencies that are no longer required.

sudo apt clean

sudo apt autoremove


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