Score:0

Can I upgrade from Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop to Ubuntu 21 (04/10) Server without losing data?

de flag

Edit: To clarify I mean to upgrade to either 21.04 or 21.10.

I found this question that is relevant, but the comments on the answers indicate that Ubuntu Desktop either is not uninstalled or that there is a serious risk of unintentionally removing needed packages or of outright bricking the machine. Obviously neither of these is ideal. I wondered if the problems might be resolved if the change were made as part of an upgrade rather than a standalone uninstallation of the desktop capabilities. I have already added most of the server components, and I no longer need the GUI capabilities which are taking up sorely needed space on the hard drive.

guiverc avatar
cn flag
Ubuntu releases using the *year.month* format (*deb* based systems) are different products to those using the *year* format (*snap* only products), and the *year* products only come out on *even* years (eg. Ubuntu Core 20). You cannot upgrade a 20.04 (server/desktop) system to a Core 20 product (server) without re-install (there is no Ubuntu Core 21)
pokyCoder avatar
de flag
I did not even know there was a _year_ format; I just meant either 21.04 or 21.10. But thanks for the info.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
Canonical/Ubuntu introduced *snap* only products in 2016 & thus use the *year* to highlight they are different products, eg. Ubuntu Core 16 was the 2016 release of the server product for devices/appliances or cloud use.
Score:2
cn flag

There is no tested and supported path from 20.04 to 21.04 nor to 21.10. There are a lot of hacks of varying quality.

Recommended: The simplest, safest, and fastest path is to back up your data and services, then install 21.10 Server over the older Desktop system.

  • The backup is in case you select the wrong option during install; if you select the correct option, then all your data and services will still be there.
mangohost

Post an answer

Most people don’t grasp that asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. In Alison’s studies, for example, though people could accurately recall how many questions had been asked in their conversations, they didn’t intuit the link between questions and liking. Across four studies, in which participants were engaged in conversations themselves or read transcripts of others’ conversations, people tended not to realize that question asking would influence—or had influenced—the level of amity between the conversationalists.