Update Lubuntu 18.04 to 20.04

Question

I installed Lubuntu 18.04 on a Thinkpad T400 with P800 CPU, which is a 64-bit Processor, according to this Website. Now I can't update to 20.04 and can't install 64 bit Applications like anaconda. My System is i686.

Could it be, that i just installed the wrong version of Lubuntu?

What can I do to update to the latest version?

Solution 1

What can I do to update to the latest version?

Assuming that a user has a compatible CPU, updating, or rather upgrading, from Lubuntu 18.04 to 20.04 is not recommended. The reasons are set out in the release notes for Lubuntu 20.04:

Note, due to the extensive changes required for the shift in desktop environments, the Lubuntu team does not support upgrading from 18.04 or below to any greater release. Doing so will result in a broken system. If you are on 18.04 or below and would like to upgrade, please do a fresh install.

The extensive changes mentioned above relate to the switch in desktop environments from LXDE to LXQt. (Lubuntu 18.04 was the last LXDE version).

In comments to the question, the issue of the appropriate homepage for Lubuntu came up. The current official site is https://lubuntu.me/. For a bit of background, one could read this reddit thread in which the Lubuntu Release Manager responds to questions on a variety of issues.

Solution 2

For those stuck in the same situ, this is largely what I did:

1. Switch to another desktop (see https://askubuntu.com/a/65865/44711 which is essentially steps 1-4), e.g.

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop^

2. Log out of Lubuntu and log in to the Xubuntu interface.

3. Remove all the Lubuntu stuff, i.e.

sudo apt-get remove lubuntu-desktop

4. Check for dangling things like lxde-, lx, etc. associated with Lubuntu and remove through apt.

5. Then upgrade to Xubuntu 20.04 through whatever methodology you like (see https://askubuntu.com/a/1236097/44711 which is essentially steps 5 & 6). e.g.

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

6. Restart and enjoy Xubuntu 20.04. This is where I stopped, happily.

7. If you're set on using Lubuntu 20.04, which has the new LXQt desktop, add the Lubuntu desktop. Again, warning, I did not do this step.

sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop

8. Log out and log in to the new Lubuntu interface.

YMMV.

Comments

[Terrance]

i686 is only 32bit. askubuntu.com/questions/444394/… So yes, if your processor is 64bit, then you installed the wrong version. Download the 64bit version from lubuntu.net/downloads

[DK Bose]

And, in any case, updating of Lubuntu 18.04 to Lubuntu 20.04 is not advised because of the change from LXDE to LXQt.

[Terrance]

Sorry, download Lubuntu from lubuntu.me/downloads

[kanehekili]

My Thinkpad T400 runs perfectly with 64 bit. So I'll second what Terrance said: download the 64 bit Version....

[Nazi Bhattacharya]

But has they not fix it? I mean...that was old news from Lubuntu team?

[Tiziano S.]

Why do they have to install Xubuntu desktop? Why can't they just run step 5 only?

[Lanks]

Because the Lubuntu devs suggest you cannot upgrade directly to 20.04 due to LXDE v. LXQt. See the other answer.

[guiverc]

@Klimaat This is very late, you can upgrade from a LXDE system to LXQt (I'm using such a system now; was artful on install; has been upgraded every six months and is now jammy) but the LXDE to LXQt system was not supported as upgrade results in a less polished experience with the potential for problems (which vary depending on what you'd done to your system). Your answer doesn't bypass these issues with Lubuntu desktop in my opinion (which includes doing so many times in QA)