Score:1

Upgrade or reinstall from 18.04.6 on i386 archtecture

us flag

I am running Ubuntu 18.04.6LTS on "i386" architecture, and since this is no longer supported I would like to upgrade to the latest version of LTS Ubuntu. Current OS is 32-bit, however it looks like my laptop can run 64-bit. How can I upgrade or re-install Ubuntu to get the latest version?

I can't find any instructions for this situation on the Ubuntu website. Please keep in mind that I am not at all tech-savvy, and it took me most of the morning just to figure out the information above. If you are able to help me with a response, please imagine that you are trying to explain this to your grandmother. Thanks!

FedKad avatar
cn flag
Your current version (18.04.6LTS on "i386") is supported until next year. However, if you need to upgrade, you will have to reinstall. Please check that your system can run 64-bit Linux with a "live" CD. In any case, I would recommend you to _wait three more months_ and install Ubuntu 22.04 64-bit.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
You didn't say if you're running a desktop or server system as that matters. You can re-install a desktop of a different release over an existing system (re-use existing partitions without format) and it'll cause your system to be upgraded to the new system without touching user files, settings etc (unless system-wide as these are replaced with new defaults) and it'll re-install your *manually installed* packages automatically (*if available in Ubuntu repositories for the new release*) which allows change of architecture (ie. *i386* [32-bit] to *amd64* [64-bit]) but that's desktop
Score:2
cn flag

You cannot "upgrade" from 32-bit to 64-bit. Just like you cannot "upgrade" from a bicycle to a sedan. Different chassis, no upgrade path.

You must install 64-bit Ubuntu on that hardware. You installed Ubuntu before, now you follow that process again. Download the 64-bit .iso, make a Live USB, run the installer. You remember doing all that before with 32-bit. Time to do it again with 64-bit.

Backup your data on to some other media before installing, since installing risks complete erasure of all data.

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