In this post we’re going to show you how to upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS — both before its release, and after.
Make sure that you want to go from an LTS release to a standard one…
This article is written before the release of Ubuntu 16.10 (which is due on Thursday) so that you can read it over, decide if upgrading is for you, and then know exactly what you will need to do to yodel on up to the Yakkety Yak.
You can upgrade Ubuntu releases in one of two ways: using the built-in Software Updater app, or using the command line.
Whichever way you choose to upgrade you will get the same end result: Ubuntu 16.10.
If you’re currently running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS you should be aware that it will only notify you of LTS updates (by default) and not regular stable updates like Ubuntu 16.10. The next Ubuntu LTS is due in April 2018.
Also note that you cannot upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 from Ubuntu 15.10 (or earlier). You will first have to upgrade to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and then upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10.
Upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
To upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 from the current LTS you will need to tell the OS that you want to receive non-LTS updates. You can do this either before or after October 13:
- Open ‘Software & Updates’ using the Unity Dash
- Select the ‘Updates‘ tab
- Find the section titled ‘Notify me of a new Ubuntu version‘
- Change this from ‘For long-term support versions’ to ‘For any new version‘
- Click ‘Close’
You’ll instantly be prompted to run a quick update.
Now you’re all set for Thursday! ;)
When Canonical send out the “upgrade” prompt to desktop users (which doesn’t always arrive at the same time as the ISO is made available for download) you’ll be able to upgrade to 16.10 using the Software Updater tool.
To upgrade before October 13 you’ll need to use the command below…
Upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 Early, From the Command Line
Want to upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS before its official release? Keep in mind that such a step is generally not advised and that you may encounter bugs along the way.
But I’m not your nanny — to upgrade to Ubuntu 16.10 from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS run the following command in a new Terminal window:
sudo do-release-upgrade -dThe -d flag is for ‘development version’ which, regardless of when you upgrade, you’ll still need to use.
Please do not run this command idly. When run it detects if a new distribution version is available (it is) and disables all current software sources (including PPAs). It adds the various Yakkety repositories required to perform the upgrade.
Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll which asks…