Ubuntu 24.04 LTS was released in April 2024, and the recommended path for upgrading directly from 22.04 LTS became available with the release of 24.04.1 LTS in August 2024.
Before you begin, it is crucial to prepare your system to ensure a smooth upgrade.
Important Preparations:
- Backup your data: This is the most critical step. While the upgrade process is generally reliable, unexpected issues can occur. Backup all your important files, documents, and configurations to an external drive or cloud storage.
- Ensure a stable internet connection: The upgrade process will download a significant amount of data. A stable and reasonably fast internet connection is essential to prevent interruptions.
- Plug in your power adapter: The upgrade can take some time, and you don't want your laptop to run out of power during the process.
- Update your current 22.04 system: Before upgrading to a new release, ensure your current Ubuntu 22.04 installation is fully up to date. Open a terminal and run:
# Bash
sudo apt update
Reboot your system after the updates are complete.
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt full-upgrade -y
sudo apt autoremove -y - Disable third-party repositories (PPAs): Third-party repositories can sometimes cause conflicts during a release upgrade.
It's recommended to disable them before starting. You can usually do this through the "Software & Updates" application under the "Other Software" tab. You can re-enable them after the upgrade is complete and verify their compatibility with 24.04. - Check for any held packages: Occasionally, packages might be held back from upgrading. Check for these by running:
sudo apt held packages
Upgrading to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS:
Ubuntu provides a dedicated tool for release upgrades.
- Open the Software & Updates application: Search for and open "Software & Updates" from your application menu.
- Navigate to the "Updates" tab: In the "Software & Updates" window, select the "Updates" tab.
- Set "Notify me of a new Ubuntu version" to "For long-term support versions": This setting ensures that the update manager will notify you when the next LTS release is available for upgrade. Since 24.04.1 has been released, your system should detect the availability of 24.04 LTS.
- Open a terminal: You will use the command line to initiate the upgrade process.
- Run the release upgrade tool: Execute the following command:
# Bash
sudo do-release-upgrade - Follow the on-screen prompts: The tool will check for the new release, download necessary files, and guide you through the upgrade process. It will inform you about the changes, packages to be installed, removed, or upgraded, and ask for your confirmation at various stages.
- You may be asked about replacing configuration files. In most cases, keeping your current configuration files (by selecting the default option, usually N) is recommended unless you know you need to adopt the new version. The tool will usually provide an option to view the differences.
- During the upgrade, an additional SSH daemon might be started on port 1022 as a fallback in case of issues with the primary SSH connection (relevant for server upgrades, but you might still see a mention of it on a desktop).
- Handle obsolete packages: After the core system upgrade, the tool will identify and offer to remove obsolete packages. It's generally safe to agree to remove them.
- Restart your system: Once the upgrade process is complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer.
After your MacBook Pro reboots, it should be running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. You can verify the installed version by opening a terminal and running:
lsb_release -a
This should display information including the release number, which should now be 24.04.
Remember to re-enable any third-party repositories you disabled before the upgrade and check if the software from those repositories is compatible with Ubuntu 24.04. You may need to update or reconfigure some applications after the upgrade.