Updating from 10.04 to 14.04 with minimal disruption

Question

Our server admin has left, so I'm trying to quickly pick up the responsibilities until we figure out something long term. I am trying to figure out.

• We're currently on 10.04.3 LTS. If we update, do we need to do it progressively? That is, first to 12.x and then to 14.x? Or can we jump directly to 14.x?

• Will updating the OS also update the packages? Or do we need to update those separately no matter what?

• I'm nervous about updating packages because I don't want to interrupt some vital services. Any advice on approaching this? Or alleviating my worry?

Solution

There are two types of upgrades:

1. Normal package upgrades
2. Release upgrades

The first don't change the version of Ubuntu, only the specific packages involved.

1. Yes. You have to upgrade to 12.04 before upgrading to 14.04.
2. The second type of upgrade, release upgrades, changes the version of Ubuntu, and affects every package (almost all of them will get upgraded, some very stable packages get version bumps but remain the same).

Q3: Upgrade advice

Don't do release upgrades (to 12.04 and onwards) now. Stick to 10.04 for a while until you get comfortable with the environment. 10.04 Server will continue to receive security upgrades until April, 2015. So you have until then to make the upgrade to 14.04. However, don't save it until the last minute!

Study the changelog carefully before upgrading packages. You can use the Synaptic Package Manager, if you have a GUI, to do so, or aptitude. There will be interruptions if a service is involved (most service packages stop and restart the service concerned). However, major breaking upgrades won't be available (such as between Apache 2.4 and Apache 2.2), so the service should restart up fine in most cases.

Do not use the backports or proposed repositories. They may introduce packages which may break things. Until you know for sure that absolutely need one, don't enable backports. Never enable proposed on a production server.

Comments

[Admin]

Welcome to Askubuntu! Could you please split up your question into three separate ones? (one for each question you stated). Thanks!

[Admin]

This is a very useful question - especially with the end of 10.10 coming up. The first two questions are quite simple to answer and only the third needs some expansion. Given that the third is dependent on the first two it would be odd to ask that question on its own

[David]

Thank you! I have some familiarity with Ubuntu for other tasks I am responsible before, but nothing to the degree of doing a release upgrade. This helps me out. Would you say it'd be fine to go ahead and update packages such as... python? Just as quick practice and to get a feel for it? Nothing on this server uses Python, as far as I'm aware, so I can't imagine anything would break.

[muru]

@David I'd imagine so, since packages like Python will get only bug fixes and minor patches. It should be safe.