Kubuntu Focus: Release Upgrade Guided Solution

Release Upgrade

Upgrade Kubuntu Focus Suite

Upgrade the Kubuntu Focus Suite (KFS 24.04) with Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, Focus Tools, curated apps, UX preferences, and hardware optimizations.

Background
Clean Install (Recommended)
In-Place Upgrade
Troubleshooting
Revisions
Disclaimer

Upgrade to the Kubuntu Focus Suite 24.04 LTS.

Please read the disclaimer before proceeding. We review and update guided solutions regularly. If you have suggestions or requests, please write support@kfocus.org.

Kubuntu Long-Term Support release cycles last for three (3) years. The release code is shown in the format YYYY.MM. Kubuntu 24.04 LTS was released in April 2024 and is supported through April 2027. Kubuntu 22.04 LTS was released in April 2022 and is supported through April 2025.

Clean Install (Recommended)

We recommend a Clean Install to upgrade to KFS 24.04. As with any OS upgrade, this will provide for the fewest software and configuration conflicts. Most of the time needed to do a clean install or a safe upgrade is spent backing up data. So a clean install is not only more reliable, it is often faster too.

Make sure you backup your data and then follow the Clean Install guide.

In-Place Upgrade

KFS 24.04 comes with many new features, updated software, and improved resilience to system breakage. Part of these new features include substantial filesystem and disk setup changes.

Because of these changes, an in-place upgrade is not recommended and is done at your own risk. It can cause problems that are hard or impossible for a novice to fix, as illustrated on Reddit.

If you insist on an in-place upgrade, please follow these steps:

Back up your data.
In a terminal, type do-release-upgrade and ignore the warnings.
Run ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d to view all PPAs and third-party repos installed on your system. We recommend disabling as many of these repos as possible, leaving only repos with name starting with kfocus- or kubuntu-. If possible, use ppa-purge to remove the PPAs and all software installed from them. For other repos, you may disable them without uninstalling their software by deleting or moving their .list files.
Once you have removed all non-Kubuntu and non-KFocus repos, run a full system update using sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade.
Begin the upgrade to 24.04 LTS (Noble) by running sudo do-release-upgrade --allow-third-party.
Follow the on-screen instructions. Your system will reboot after the upgrade has installed.
Once you have booted into the upgraded system, run sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade && sudo apt install kfocus-main to ensure that the KFS 24.04 is installed properly. Then reboot again.
Re-add any needed third-party repos (ensuring to use the Noble versions of those repos if applicable) and reinstall any needed software.
If the upgrade does not work as expected, you may use the backed-up data from the first step to perform a Clean Install.

Troubleshooting

Q: I'm getting an upgrade notification. How soon should I upgrade?

A: If Kubuntu 22.04 is still serving your needs, there's no need to upgrade immediately. Kubuntu 22.04 LTS is supported with bug fixes, security updates, technical support, and validation on Kubuntu Focus systems through April 2025. You need to upgrade before then for continued support from Kubuntu and the Focus Team.

Q: My system has a separate home or data disk installed. The system automatically decrypts and mounts this on boot. How do I keep this during upgrade?

A: The KFS 24.04 installer automatically detects when your system has more than one disk installed and guides you through setup. This process is mostly automatic and does not require using the terminal. It also allows you to retain any data on the second disk. Make sure you install to the system disk; it usually has 2-4 partitions, unlike the secondary disk which typically has just one.

Revisions

This is a partial revision history. See the git repository for all entries.

2024-09-09 83f53ab1 Enhance upgrade advice for Noble
2024-06-06 c8e9496f Update for Noble
2023-11-18 e770b1c6 Add search and help bar
2023-04-25 19f0fa02 Update Ir14g1, M2g5
2022-12-14 984993c4 Link to clean-install backup advice
2022-07-11 19b39e5a Refine 22.04 direction
2022-06-22 76c476a3 update for 22.04 LTS
2021-10-10 5728326e Reformat to 2-column
2021-09-22 dc862884 Update link and headline colors
2021-08-23 681261b4 Review and update code blocks
2021-04-29 6432a3b6 First publication

Disclaimer

We try hard to provide a useful solution validated by professionals. However, we cannot anticipate every situation, and therefore cannot guarantee this procedure will work for your needs. Always backup your data and test the solution to determine the correct procedure for you.

THIS SOLUTION IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOLUTION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.