Score:0

Upgrading a server vs fresh install

ru flag

I have an old VM which some years ago I upgraded from Ubuntu 14 LTS to 16. Now I've upgraded it to 18. My question is, can I assume that this installation is almost 100% identical to a freshly installed Ubuntu 18 LTS regarding the distribution, kernel, configurations etc?

In other words, should I be upgrading servers or should I be rebuilding fresh ones?

FedKad avatar
cn flag
No. There are differences.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
There was no Ubuntu Core 14; but if you for example upgrade a Ubuntu Core 16 system to Ubuntu Core 18; only the base system itself upgrades; no application packages changed - which is a *huge* difference between the 16 or *year* based products to the far more widely used *year.month* systems (ie. a 16 to 18 upgrade differs greatly to a 16.04 upgrade to 20.04). Ubuntu has used *year* format releases with their 10 year life span to highlight different products to the more common *year.month* products since 2016.. ie. 16 != 16.04
guiverc avatar
cn flag
The release notes generally highlight what the differences are, and if you're impacted by those changes; how to mitigate the changes/differences. eg. locations where specific files may differ on a new install, where as upgraded installs may keep using the older location; these vary on release-to-release upgrade & are documented in release notes (upgrade section).
oldfred avatar
cn flag
Depending on how good you are at housecleaning, you may have lots of cruft. Most log files do get cycled out after so many, but things just accumulate.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
My system is a *release-upgraded* one that's been many times, and as such many things differ over a clean install of the release my system is. If you read the *release-notes* for each of the upgrades; the changes are listed; some of which are changed during *release-upgrade* others are not. For example some *config* files of my system match the older releases which is a different location to a *clean* install of the same release. Both work; my *release-upgraded* system follows older rules to a *new* install - these differences being documented & vary on releases involved. Read the doco!
guiverc avatar
cn flag
My ^ prior comment assumes *year.month* systems though & no the *year* products you mention. There is far less change in the *year* products as few things change during upgrades. On the *year.month* systems all applications get upgraded; where as with *year* systems only the base-OS gets upgraded; meaning you can upgrade from 16 to 18 to 20 with no application changes on a Ubuntu Core system; where as 16.04 to 18.04 will incur changes; as again 18.04 to 20.04 - but change will vary on packages installed. Don't forget 16 & 16.04 are different products
Score:2
cn flag

There will be some differences, but most folks won't notice those differences in normal use.

Whether or not to release-upgrade or to install anew depends upon your preferences and needs. Choose the path that makes you most comfortable.

Since you are running a Virtual Machine, you have a unique opportunity to try both paths before deciding which version to keep.

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