Upgrading to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from previous versions is now officially possible, using the standard GUI mechanisms. There’s no need for a command-line developer flag.
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS launched on April 25. However, the distro developers delayed direct upgrades to the new version due to some bugs – one of which was quite serious. While not everyone experienced these issues (many upgraded through the command-line without a problem), the risk was present.
With the necessary bugs now resolved, the official upgrade channel to the Noble Numbat is open.
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS has been added by Canonical to the meta-release file. This is what older versions of the distro check to see if a new version has been listed.
- Upgrade alert notification for Ubuntu 23.10 users regarding new release
- Upgrade prompt for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS users to be shown in August
Why is the upgrade prompt for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS users scheduled for August?
The LTS to LTS upgrades are officially enabled only after the first point release in the subsequent series is issued. For Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS, this date is August 15.
The default configuration of an Ubuntu LTS release only checks for new LTS releases in the meta-release-lts file. Although 24.04 is a new LTS release, it won’t be added to that file until August.
If you wish to switch to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from 22.04 LTS prior to August, you can adjust the setting at the end of Software & Updates > Updates to ‘for any new version’.
For those using Ubuntu 23.10 ‘Mantic Minotaur’, no additional actions are required (and there isn’t really a rush to upgrade as the 23.10 EOL is in July).
If you’ve been on standby for an official signal to commence your upgrade to the Noble Numbat, it’s now safe to proceed. Don’t forget to leave a comment to share your experience with me and other readers.
A word of caution: always back up crucial files and settings before upgrading, just to be safe!
Thanks Ivan!