15-May-2020
Ubuntu 20.04 is out. "How do I upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04?", was something I asked myself, as it was for years back, when an LTS version is released. And sometimes, on curiosity, non-LTS versions.
And for the past 2 weeks, I've been doing that upgrade.
I have several laptops, and they are running either Ubuntu 18.04 or Ubuntu 19.04. So normally, it is through Software Updater. In some cases, it is through the terminal. This time, as it is a Long Term Support release, I insisted on applying the upgrade through Software Updater.
I have varied experiences on the update, and I'm putting them down in this article, as it might also happen to others. Well, most are not so good, to say prematurely. But no, I did not give up on Ubuntu Linux.
Case 1. Upgrade via Software Updater
So I checked for any available update. In the month of April 2020, normally, the upgrade is already available immediately. But for Ubuntu 20.04, it was not. I had to wait until May 2020, then the upgrade was showing up via Software Updater.
I applied the change, and there are different results.
One laptop was able to complete the upgrade without any problem, but on reboot, Ubuntu 20.04 is corrupted.
Another newer laptop, while in the process of applying the upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 suddenly went to black screen. Sure, the laptop is still powered on, but I cannot bring up the screen anymore. So I did a forced power off by pressing power key for at least 5 seconds. I tried now to apply the upgrade via Live CD.
I am on dual boot, and at this time, I am still able to boot up Windows, either by forcibly selecting Windows via boot option, or that the laptop automatically boots up to Windows .
Now, for this particular unit, the newer laptop, I had many times of trying to apply the upgrade via Live CD: apply the changes over the existing partitions without formatting, which again, after upgrade, unable to reboot. Well, at least this time, the upgrade process completed. But to no use. I can't boot to Ubuntu.
And, sadly, I am no longer able to boot even to Windows. The Windows partition is still there, but I can't boot to it anymore. I did recovery, bootrec, etc., all that I know that will help, but no point.
So I had to do a full wipe of the disc, clearing out both Windows and Ubuntu partitions.
Then I installed Windows 10 64 bit, checked and applied all updates, and powered off the laptop. I then proceeded to do a new Ubuntu Linux 20.04 installation. It went through. I completed the basic setup. Then powered off. It booted to Windows. So I had to insert the Live CD and run Grub Customizer, and fix up the boot process.
Well and good, I am able to see grub. I booted to Ubuntu, and fixed up the configuration, and after rebooting again to Ubuntu, I powered off, then booted to Windows. I repeated the reboot to U, reboot to W, and after confirming that everything is working and in place, I installed the rest of the software and applications both in Windows and Ubuntu, and I am done for this laptop.
Well, this was the most problematic unit which resulted in me doing a clean wipe of both Windows and Ubuntu, but it is worth the effort, and I gained a whole new experience (again). That could be rhetoric, as this is a new experience. Any Linux player would say that this is a 'normal' thing, not a 'new normal' actually.
Anyway, here is me chronicling my experience on how to upgrade to Ubuntu Linux 20.04, from either Ubuntu 18.04 or Ubuntu 19.04.
Till then!
Ubuntu 20.04 is out. "How do I upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04?", was something I asked myself, as it was for years back, when an LTS version is released. And sometimes, on curiosity, non-LTS versions.
And for the past 2 weeks, I've been doing that upgrade.
I have several laptops, and they are running either Ubuntu 18.04 or Ubuntu 19.04. So normally, it is through Software Updater. In some cases, it is through the terminal. This time, as it is a Long Term Support release, I insisted on applying the upgrade through Software Updater.
I have varied experiences on the update, and I'm putting them down in this article, as it might also happen to others. Well, most are not so good, to say prematurely. But no, I did not give up on Ubuntu Linux.
Case 1. Upgrade via Software Updater
So I checked for any available update. In the month of April 2020, normally, the upgrade is already available immediately. But for Ubuntu 20.04, it was not. I had to wait until May 2020, then the upgrade was showing up via Software Updater.
I applied the change, and there are different results.
One laptop was able to complete the upgrade without any problem, but on reboot, Ubuntu 20.04 is corrupted.
Another newer laptop, while in the process of applying the upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 suddenly went to black screen. Sure, the laptop is still powered on, but I cannot bring up the screen anymore. So I did a forced power off by pressing power key for at least 5 seconds. I tried now to apply the upgrade via Live CD.
I am on dual boot, and at this time, I am still able to boot up Windows, either by forcibly selecting Windows via boot option, or that the laptop automatically boots up to Windows .
Now, for this particular unit, the newer laptop, I had many times of trying to apply the upgrade via Live CD: apply the changes over the existing partitions without formatting, which again, after upgrade, unable to reboot. Well, at least this time, the upgrade process completed. But to no use. I can't boot to Ubuntu.
And, sadly, I am no longer able to boot even to Windows. The Windows partition is still there, but I can't boot to it anymore. I did recovery, bootrec, etc., all that I know that will help, but no point.
So I had to do a full wipe of the disc, clearing out both Windows and Ubuntu partitions.
Then I installed Windows 10 64 bit, checked and applied all updates, and powered off the laptop. I then proceeded to do a new Ubuntu Linux 20.04 installation. It went through. I completed the basic setup. Then powered off. It booted to Windows. So I had to insert the Live CD and run Grub Customizer, and fix up the boot process.
Well and good, I am able to see grub. I booted to Ubuntu, and fixed up the configuration, and after rebooting again to Ubuntu, I powered off, then booted to Windows. I repeated the reboot to U, reboot to W, and after confirming that everything is working and in place, I installed the rest of the software and applications both in Windows and Ubuntu, and I am done for this laptop.
Well, this was the most problematic unit which resulted in me doing a clean wipe of both Windows and Ubuntu, but it is worth the effort, and I gained a whole new experience (again). That could be rhetoric, as this is a new experience. Any Linux player would say that this is a 'normal' thing, not a 'new normal' actually.
Anyway, here is me chronicling my experience on how to upgrade to Ubuntu Linux 20.04, from either Ubuntu 18.04 or Ubuntu 19.04.
Till then!
