Ubuntu Upgrade Guide: 22.04 LTS → 24.04 LTS (Step-by-Step)

aniket
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:54:34 +0000
Tutorials & Guides

Overview

This guide explains how to upgrade an Ubuntu system from 22.04 LTS (Jammy) to 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat).

This is a production-ready runbook including real prompts you’ll see during upgrade.

Purpose

Upgrade Ubuntu safely

Handle interactive prompts correctly

Avoid breaking services during upgrade

Prerequisites

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS system

Root or sudo access

Stable internet connection

Minimum 5–10 GB free disk space

Backup of critical data (VERY IMPORTANT)

Phase 1 — Verify Current Version

cat /etc/os-release

Confirm:

VERSION="22.04 LTS"
VERSION_CODENAME=jammy

Phase 2 — Update Current System

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

During this step:

Package lists will be fetched

System will upgrade installed packages

If prompted:

Press Y to continue

Phase 3 — Install Upgrade Tool

sudo apt install update-manager-core -y

Configure Release Upgrade

sudo nano /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

Find:

Prompt=normal

Change to:

Prompt=lts

Save:

CTRL + X

Press Y

Press ENTER

Phase 4 — Prepare System

sudo apt dist-upgrade -y

During this step:

System may install/remove dependencies

Kernel updates may be applied

Phase 5 — Reboot System

sudo reboot

Phase 6 — Run Release Upgrade

sudo do-release-upgrade

Interactive Prompts Explained

1. Checking for new release

System checks availability of Ubuntu 24.04

2. Upgrade Summary Screen

Displays:

Packages to install

Packages to upgrade

Packages to remove

Prompt:

Do you want to start the upgrade?

Action:

Press Y

3. Download Packages

Shows download progress

No input required

4. Configuration File Prompts

You may see:

A new version of config file is available

Options:

Y → install new version

N → keep existing version

Recommendation:

Press N (safer)

5. Service Restart Prompt

Restart services during package upgrades without asking?

Action:

Select Yes (recommended)

6. Obsolete Packages

Remove obsolete packages?

Action:

Press Y

7. GRUB / Kernel Prompt

Keep default selection unless experienced

8. Final Prompt

System upgrade is complete. Restart required

Action:

Press Y

Phase 7 — Final Reboot

System will reboot automatically or prompt:

Reboot now?

Action:

Press Y

Phase 8 — Verify Upgrade

cat /etc/os-release

OR

lsb_release -a

Confirm:

VERSION="24.04.4 LTS"
VERSION_CODENAME=noble

Optional Cleanup

sudo apt autoremove -y

Important Notes

Always take backup before upgrade

Ensure stable internet connection

Do not interrupt upgrade process

Perform upgrade during maintenance window

Ensure sufficient disk space

Troubleshooting

Upgrade not detected

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

Fix broken packages

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt -f install

Key Takeaways

Safe upgrade path for production systems

Handles all interactive prompts

Ensures minimal downtime