Ubuntu 10.04 Upgrade: Best Practices Checklist
Ubuntu 10.04 is an easy-to-use Linux operating system that "just works."
Have you been thinking about upgrading your computer to Ubuntu 10.04? I recently made the leap, at the prompting of my Update Manager. The process went fairly smoothly, but I did have to deal with a couple of minor annoyances. Since you never know exactly what may happen when you decide to upgrade, here are a few tips to get you started.
[ See also: Ubuntu 10.04 delivers usability, strength ]
1. Always back up your important data in advance: Depending on your needs, you might use an external USB hard drive or you might burn your data to DVDs. I prefer to use a continuous, online backup service such as CrashPlan, Jungle Disk, or ZumoDrive. CrashPlan is nice because you can use it to back up your data to your own (or to a friend's) computer for free.
2. Keep a Linux live CD on hand: In case anything goes wrong with your upgrade, a Linux live CD will give you an easy way to boot up, get online, and find a solution to your problem.
3. Don't jump on the first release: Ubuntu recommends waiting until the '.1' release of any version increment before upgrading production systems. In plain English, that means you might be better off resisting the temptation to upgrade to Ubuntu 10.04 and instead holding out for the arrival of Ubuntu 10.1 before you upgrade. By that time, most of the bugs should be squashed and the rough edges smoothed out.
4. Find a nearby download server: Upgrading over the network can take several hours as all the files are downloaded. Sometimes heavy server traffic can slow the download considerably. To avoid unnecessary slowdowns, select System, Administration, Software Sources, Ubuntu Software, Download from, and choose a download server that's located relatively near you.
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Delaying upgrade
Hi Brent,When you say that "Ubuntu recommends waiting until the '.1' release of any version increment before upgrading production systems," is this an official position, or just a community based suggestion?
AFAIK, Ubuntu recommends updating straight away to a new release. The update manager prompts you straight away that a new release is available.
Cheers,
Chris
Waiting for 10.1
There will never be a 10.1. Ubuntu numbering is based on release date. 9.10 was released in October (10) of 2009, 10.04 in April of 2010. The next release should be 10.10 in October of this year. In the mean time, the continuous update process (as opposed to Service Packs) fix problems as they are discovered.10.1?
What he/she ment was to wait for the 10.04.1 release.. this is typical of all LTS releases (Long Term Support)