How to Manually Upgrade Ubuntu 16.04 to the Latest Version

Some tasks require a specific operating system (OS) and version. Therefore, you can always re-OS your cloud server in Account Management Panel (AMP). Ubuntu 16.04 long term support (LTS) version reaches end of life (EOL) in 2024 according to Ubuntu’s release cycle.

But if you’re ready for the latest version, you can manually upgrade Ubuntu in SSH.

To view the support status for installed packages:

ubuntu-support-status

• Before any major Linux OS upgrade, create a snapshot in Account Management Panel (AMP) in case anything goes wrong
• We recommend creating backups of any important data, re-OSing your cloud server, and upgrading that clean installation to mitigate possible issues
• Realize this process can take over ten minutes to complete and prompts for configuration decisions often. Continue only if you’re sure you have time to complete the upgrade process

InMotion Hosting Cloud customers should contact Managed Hosting first to ensure compatibility.

Upgrade Ubuntu

1. Log into SSH as root
2. Update package lists and upgrade existing software:
   

   sudo apt update && sudo apt dist-upgrade

3. Install update-manager-core:
   

   sudo apt install update-manager-core

4. (Optional) If you wish to upgrade to the latest Ubuntu version, edit your update-manager configuration file:
   

   nano /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

   
   At the bottom, change the prompt option from lts to normal:
   

   Prompt=normal

5. Check what version you can upgrade to:
   

   do-release-upgrade -c

6. (Optional) Whitelist port 1022 in your firewall – iptables, CSF, etc.
7. Upgrade Ubuntu:
   

   do-release-upgrade

   
   You’ll be prompted to make configuration decisions throughout the upgrade process. In most cases, it’s better to remove obsolete packages and install the newer package maintainer’s version to configuration files unless you’ve made changes to the file. An example of some of the prompts you’ll receive:
   Configuration file '[path-to-file/file-name]'
==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
Y or I : install the package maintainer's version
N or O : keep your currently-installed version
D : show the differences between the versions
Z : start a shell to examine the situation
The default action is to keep your current version.
*** [file-name] (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ?
8. Once the installation finishes, restart the server
9. Log back into your server
10. Check your server version:
    

    lsb_release -a

    Or
    

    cat /etc/os-release

Congratulations! You’ve upgraded Ubuntu.

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