Ubuntu

How To Upgrade To Ubuntu 17.04 From Ubuntu 16.04LTS

How To Upgrade To Ubuntu 17.04 From Ubuntu 16.04LTS

Introduction to Ubuntu 17.04

Following the release of Ubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) on April 13, 2017, people want to know how to upgrade their system.  Please note that Ubuntu 17.04 is a non LTS release so we do not recommend those running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS in a production environment to upgrade now, but to wait for 18.04 in April 2018, for a long term support version of Ubuntu.  That being said, those who want to get a freshly updated system to the latest release 17.04 we will show you how with ease.  Before we begin the upgrade to ubuntu 17.04, lets take a quick look at Ubuntu 17.04 new features.

Ubuntu 17.04 Features And Changes

How to upgrade to Ubuntu 17.04 from Ubuntu 16.04

Backup System (Install Duplicity)

Before any system upgrades are carried out, we always recommend that you backup your files and folders and move it to a secure external location. To achieve this, install Duplicity, a backup tool that allows you to backup directories by producing encrypted tar-format volumes and uploading them to a remote or local file server.  Run the following commands to install duplicity:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:duplicity-team/ppa sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install duplicity python-gi 

Upgrade to Ubuntu 17.04

Please note that by default, LTS releases are always set to only upgrade to other LTS releases. Since we are upgrading from an LTS to a non LTS instance, we need change settings so we get automatic notification.   Note, we are bypassing this safety feature in order to install 17.04.  Follow the steps below:

Run the following commands to upgrade from Ubuntu 16.04LTS to Ubuntu 16.10 first:

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

After the first upgrade is completed, you will be prompted to restart the system. Go ahead and reboot the machine, and then log back in. Next run the same upgrade command to upgrade this time to Ubuntu 17.04:

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

Verify the upgrade by running the following command:

lsb_release -a

Post Upgrade Tasks

We will quickly look at some post upgrade tasks:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:indicator-multiload/stable-daily sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install indicator-multiload
sudo apt install gksu gksudo gedit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-no-guest.conf # Add following lines [SeatDefaults] allow-guest=false 

Troubleshooting

One issue sometimes reported by users after upgrading to Ubuntu 17.04 is the wi-fi not working anymore due to mac address keep changing. To fix this issue, follow the steps below - source

sudo -H gedit /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
[device] wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no 
sudo service network-manager restart

Conclusion And More Information

This article will get you started with upgrading to Ubuntu 17.04.  Please be sure you want to change away from a LTS release before following the guide.

Fore more details on keeping you Ubuntu System up to date, see How to Upgrade Ubuntu From the Command Line.

Now that your Ubuntu System is up to date, see 22 Best Ubuntu Applications Recommended for 2017.

See release notes for more details

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