Seamless Transitions: A Comprehensive Guide to Upgrading Ubuntu LTS (22.04 to 24.04)

Posted on July 28, 2025

Ubuntu’s Long Term Support (LTS) releases are renowned for their stability and extended support cycles. However, to leverage the latest features, performance enhancements, and security updates, upgrading to a newer LTS version is a periodic necessity. This article provides a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to smoothly upgrade your Ubuntu system from 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) to the latest 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat).

Important Note for Users on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa): As of April 2025, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS has reached its standard End of Life (EOL). While it’s technically possible to upgrade from 20.04 to 22.04 and then to 24.04, it is strongly recommended to first upgrade to 22.04 LTS and ensure your system is stable before proceeding to 24.04 LTS. The principles outlined below for the 22.04 to 24.04 upgrade apply equally to the 20.04 to 22.04 transition.

 

Why Upgrade to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS?

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS brings a host of improvements, including:

  • Newer Kernel: Enhances hardware compatibility and performance.
  • Updated Software Stacks: Latest versions of applications, libraries, and development tools.
  • Performance Optimizations: General system responsiveness and efficiency improvements.
  • Security Enhancements: Latest patches and security features.
  • Extended Support: Five years of maintenance updates until 2029, with potential for further ESM (Extended Security Maintenance) until 2034.

 

Pre-Upgrade Checklist: Essential Preparations

Before initiating any major system upgrade, thorough preparation is paramount to prevent data loss and ensure a smooth process.

  1. Backup Your Data (Critical!): This is the single most important step.
    • Personal Files: Copy all important documents, photos, videos, and other personal files to an external hard drive, cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox), or a network-attached storage (NAS) device.
    • Configuration Files: If you’ve made extensive customizations, consider backing up relevant dotfiles (e.g., ~/.bashrc, ~/.config/, ~/.ssh/).
    • Application Data: For specific applications, check their documentation for backing up data (e.g., databases, specific game saves).
    • A full system image backup (e.g., using Clonezilla or Timeshift) is highly recommended for easy rollback.
  2. Ensure Sufficient Disk Space: The upgrade process requires significant free space, typically at least 10-15 GB, for downloading packages and temporary files.
    • Check free space: df -h /
  3. Ensure a Stable Internet Connection: The upgrade involves downloading several gigabytes of data. A reliable, fast internet connection is crucial.
  4. Update Your Current System: Ensure your current Ubuntu 22.04 LTS installation is fully up-to-date. 
    sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt dist-upgrade -y
sudo apt autoremove -y
sudo apt clean

    Reboot your system after updating if a new kernel was installed.

  5. Disable Third-Party Repositories (PPAs): Custom Personal Package Archives (PPAs) can often cause conflicts during an upgrade.
    • Open “Software & Updates” (or “Software Sources”).
    • Go to the “Other Software” tab.
    • Uncheck all third-party repositories. You can re-enable them after the upgrade, but be aware that many PPAs might not yet support 24.04 LTS immediately.
    • Alternatively, you can remove them via the command line: 
      sudo apt-add-repository --remove ppa:user/ppa-name
# For a full list of PPAs, check /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
    • After disabling/removing, update your package lists: sudo apt update
  6. Remove Obsolete Packages: Clean up any packages that are no longer needed. 
    sudo apt autoremove --purge
  7. Identify and Address Potential Issues:
    • Broken Packages: Run sudo dpkg --configure -a and sudo apt install -f to fix any broken packages.
    • Incompatible Software: Some applications might not be immediately compatible with the new Ubuntu version. Check their official documentation or community forums if you rely on specific, less common software. Snap packages and Flatpaks are generally more isolated and less prone to upgrade issues.

 

The Upgrade Process: 22.04 LTS to 24.04 LTS

Once your preparations are complete, you can begin the upgrade. Ubuntu uses the do-release-upgrade tool for this purpose.

  1. Install the Update Manager Core (if not already installed): 
    sudo apt install update-manager-core
  2. Configure Release Upgrade Behavior: The do-release-upgrade tool relies on the /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades file to determine which releases to offer.
    • Open this file in a text editor (e.g., nano or vi):

       

      sudo nano /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
    • Find the line Prompt= and ensure it is set to lts. This tells the system to only offer upgrades to other LTS releases. 
      # Default behavior for the do-release-upgrade tool.

[DEFAULT]
# Default prompting and upgrade behavior.

Prompt=lts
    • Save and exit the file.
  3. Start the Upgrade Process: Now, initiate the upgrade using the do-release-upgrade command. 
    sudo do-release-upgrade -d

    Explanation of the -d flag:

    • The -d flag tells do-release-upgrade to check for development releases. While 24.04 is now stable, Ubuntu typically makes new LTS versions available for LTS-to-LTS upgrades a few months after their initial release, to ensure maximum stability. Using -d allows you to access it immediately once the upgrade path is open. Without -d, the tool might tell you “No new release found” until the official first point release (e.g., 24.04.1 or 24.04.2) is out, which might be later in the year.
  4. Follow On-Screen Prompts: The do-release-upgrade tool will:
    • Check for a new release: It will detect Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
    • Prepare for upgrade: This involves downloading the necessary package lists and checking system compatibility.
    • Confirm upgrade: You will be prompted to confirm if you want to proceed with the upgrade. Type y and press Enter.
    • Download packages: The system will download all required new packages. This can take a significant amount of time depending on your internet speed.
    • Install packages: Once downloaded, the packages will be installed. You may be asked about replacing modified configuration files:
      • Recommended: If you haven’t made specific custom changes to a file, choose to install the package maintainer’s version (usually by pressing Y or I for “install the package maintainer’s version”).
      • If you have custom changes: Be cautious. You might choose to keep your current version (by pressing N or O for “keep the currently installed version”) or view the differences (by pressing D) to merge changes manually later. When in doubt, let the maintainer’s version overwrite, and reapply your customizations later.
    • Remove obsolete packages: After installation, the tool will offer to remove packages that are no longer needed. It’s generally safe to agree to this.
    • Restart system: Once the upgrade completes, you will be prompted to restart your system. This is mandatory for the changes to take full effect.

 

Post-Upgrade Steps: Finalizing Your Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Experience

After your system reboots into Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, perform these checks and adjustments:

  1. Verify the Upgrade: Open a terminal and check your Ubuntu version: 
    lsb_release -a

    The output should show Release: 24.04 and Codename: noble.

  2. Run Final Updates: Even after the upgrade, it’s a good practice to run updates again: 
    sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt dist-upgrade -y
sudo apt autoremove -y
  3. Re-enable Third-Party Repositories (PPAs): If you rely on PPAs, go back to “Software & Updates” -> “Other Software” tab and re-enable them one by one. Be mindful that some PPAs may not yet offer packages for noble (24.04). If a PPA causes issues, you might need to wait for its maintainer to provide 24.04 support.
  4. Reinstall or Verify Drivers:
    • Graphics Drivers: Check if your proprietary graphics drivers (NVIDIA, AMD) are working correctly. You might need to reinstall them or select a newer version from “Additional Drivers” in “Software & Updates”.
    • Other Hardware: Verify that all your hardware (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound, printer) is functioning as expected.
  5. Test Applications: Launch your most frequently used applications to ensure they work correctly.
  6. Clean Up Old Kernels (Optional but Recommended): Over time, old kernels accumulate. You can remove them to free up disk space. Use sudo apt autoremove or a tool like Ubuntu Tweak (if available for 24.04) to manage kernels. Be cautious and always keep at least the current and one previous stable kernel.
  7. Explore New Features: Take some time to explore the new features and changes in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS!

 

Troubleshooting Common Upgrade Issues

  • “No new release found.”:
    • Ensure your Prompt=lts in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades.
    • Make sure your current system is fully updated (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade).
    • Try running sudo do-release-upgrade -d to check for development releases (as explained above).
    • Wait a few days or weeks; Canonical often makes the LTS-to-LTS upgrade path available after the first point release (e.g., 24.04.1).
  • Broken Packages/Dependencies:
    • Before the upgrade: sudo apt install -f, sudo dpkg --configure -a.
    • During/after upgrade: If you encounter errors, try sudo apt update --fix-missing, sudo dpkg --configure -a, and sudo apt -f install.
  • Display Issues/Login Loop: This often points to graphics driver problems.
    • Try booting into recovery mode from the GRUB menu.
    • Choose “root” shell and try reinstalling generic drivers: sudo apt install --reinstall xserver-xorg-core ubuntu-desktop (for GNOME).
    • If using NVIDIA, try purging and reinstalling the proprietary drivers or switching to nouveau.
  • Slow Upgrade: This is often due to a slow internet connection or overloaded mirrors. Ensure you have a stable connection.

By following these comprehensive steps, you can confidently upgrade your Ubuntu LTS system, enjoying the benefits of the latest release with minimal hassle. Remember, patience and proper preparation are your best tools for a successful upgrade.

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