Why am I here? -------------- You are probably visiting this page because your current Ubuntu operating system has passed the "End-of-Life" (abbreviation: EoL) date. We'll try and explain briefly what it means and which are your options to upgrade your Ubuntu operating system to the newest supported release. What is End-of-Life? -------------------- "End-of-Life" state means that the product you are using has reached a time period when it is not going to be supported and security or any other kind of updates will not be provided for this specific version of the product. As every other product, an Ubuntu operating system is a product that has its period of declination and an End-of-Life date. This is why the Ubuntu operating system has versions (called "releases"), which are supported for a specific period of time. You have probably figured out by now that Ubuntu operating system is released based on time[1]. When you head to download a new version of Ubuntu[2], or when you get your shipped Ubuntu CD[3], it is clearly stated up to when that specific release is supported. For example, Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron LTS (Long Term Support) will be supported for 3 years (desktops) and 5 years (servers) from the time it was released. After that period, users simply upgrade to newer versions, to ensure that they are secured and have support for the operating system they currently use. More information about end-of-life: - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-of-life_(product) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence Why are support and upgrades important? --------------------------------------- Mainly because they provide you the opportunity to file a bug that might be fixed for the release you use. Also, a supported release has important security updates that keep you safe all the time. Does this mean I cannot use Ubuntu anymore? ------------------------------------------- You can use newer Ubuntu releases! You can always download a newer version of Ubuntu and use it just like you have been using it so far. The problem with the unsupported versions remains the fact that many users wish to upgrade - and you probably can do it, without any hassle, if you follow the instructions below. What are my options? -------------------- After the End-of-Life date, Ubuntu (and Canonical Ltd.) do not provide a supported solution to upgrade to newer versions. Your options after End-of-Life are: 1) You can attempt to upgrade to a newer version, given that you do that at your own risk. 2) You can download a new Ubuntu release [2] or request a new CD[3]. You will have to format (erase) your current Ubuntu installation and install a fresh new operating system. Continue reading to find out about things to do before upgrading! What should I expect after upgrades? ------------------------------------ * Expect changes! Good changes! Ubuntu and the open source community are evolving, introducing to their users the best software solutions. Software could change in numerous features, in how you interact with it or how it's graphical dialogs ("windows") look like. * Take a look at the upgrading page: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/upgrading Important new changes are documented there. * In rare cases, some of your work (or software customizations) might not be supported anymore, you should consider contacting the Launchpad Answers[4] or Ubuntu Forums[5], list which applications you usually use and see if there are any reported changes to look out for. Things to do before upgrading ----------------------------- * Backup your important data to a safe place (DVDs, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, etc). Your user directory can be found at a folder called /home * The community can and may help you out if you simply ask. Ubuntu has a wonderful community of simple users and developers who can provide solutions to your problems, even unofficially. It is recommended to ask a question at Launchpad Answers[4] or Ubuntu Forums[5]. How to upgrade unsupported releases ----------------------------------- This is an unofficial guide to upgrading your outdated software (Ubuntu operating system). It has been tested several times and has received successful reports. Short description: Use alternate cd of the latest supported LTS release and upgrade offline. Long description: 1) You need: an alternate CD, Internet connection - or get a copy of the CD from a friend. - Find out the latest LTS release. In our example, Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron is the latest LTS release. - If you want to download the alternative cd, head to: http://releases.ubuntu.com/ - Click on the link that says the name of the LTS release. For Hardy Heron, it's "Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron)" and links to http://releases.ubuntu.com/hardy/ - Scroll down to the "Alternate install CD" section. You will see a list of files you can download for this release. - Whether you have a 32-bit (aka "i386" or "x86") or 64-bit (aka "amd64" or "x64") operating system, choose the appropriate link, click on "PC (Intel x86) alternate install CD" or "64-bit PC (AMD64) alternate install CD". - Your internet browser will ask you to download a file that ends in .iso - Save it somewhere you can find it afterwards. This file is an "image" of a CD - You can open it with a CD burning application. - Once the .iso file is downloaded, you can open it with a CD burning application and burn it[6]. This is usually easy on Ubuntu, you can right-click on the iso file and choose "Open with CD/DVD Creator" or "Open with Brasero Disc Burning". 2) Take out the burnt CD and load it in again. 3) A dialog will be displayed offering you the opportunity to upgrade using that CD. If the upgrade dialog is not displayed for any reason, press ALT+F2 and execute this command: gksu "sh /cdrom/cdromupgrade" or in Kubuntu press ALT+F2 and execute this command: kdesudo "sh /cdrom/cdromupgrade" 4) Follow the on-screen instructions. IMPORTANT NOTE: When you are present with the question to "Include latest updates from the Internet" choose "No". This will allow you to go through the whole upgrade procedure and the upgrade will not fail. 5) After some minutes, you will be asked to restart/reboot your machine for changes to take effect. Go for it! 6) Once back, if everything went well, you'll have a shiny new operating system. However, you need to upgrade. NOTE: After an upgrade to a newer release, you will be asked to get updates from the internet or finish the installation of some packages. If you see a "Partial upgrade" notice, don't worry, press "Yes" and reboot again if the system requests it. 7) That's it! Enjoy your new system. Abbreviations: [A] LTS = Long Term Support [B] EoL = End-of-Life [C] aka = alternatively known as Links: [1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/TimeBasedReleases [2] http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download [3] http://shipit.ubuntu.com [4] http://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu [5] http://www.ubuntuforums.org [6] https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto End-of-Life document author: Savvas Radevic