Upgrading from Lucid to Maverick: Fresh, new Install vs Upgrade using Update Manager

[Basil Chupin]

I was running Lucid 10.04.1 as a fresh install since it was released 
(and upgraded to latest).

I also had Maverick installed on a separate set of HDs to see what it 
was doing. A few 'features' which I had in 10.04.1 I couldn't get (but 
didn't really try too hard to solve this hassle) on Maverick but, 
nevertheless, I decided that what I *COULD* do is to upgrade to Maverick 
using the Update Manager 'cause it kept telling me that 10.10 was 
available for my Lucid.

I also paid attention to some of the people here saying that they had no 
problems with doing such an upgrade, and also to wait for a couple of 
months before doing such an upgrade; and today is pretty close to the 2 
months (sorta :-) ) and so I decided (after making some backups) to take 
the plunge and for the first time do an UPGRADE rather than a fresh, 
clean, install. And so I proceeded to System>Administration>Update 
Manager>Upgrade to 10.10.

Let me state this from the start. Think ahead: if you THINK that you 
will install the next version of Ubuntu as a NEW, FRESH installation 
then when the CD with the latest version is released download it and use 
it to do this new, fresh, installation - bearing in mind that you will 
be up for downloading any updates/upgrades at the time of such an 
installation. When Maverick came out it took me some 75minutes to 
download the CD plus the installation time plus any upgrade time (plus a 
bit more, but not too much. Of course, my comments are based on my 
internet connection speed.)

On the other hand, if you want to upgrade, as I decided to do today, you 
will probably be up for a heck of lot longer time overall.

The Upgrade Manager 'suggested' to me that it would take 105 minutes to 
download the upgrade files (at which point I went shopping after I 
answered "Go Ahead") and after this downloading finished it "told" me 
that it would take 90 minutes to process the new files, except that at 
the 45 minute mark the whole bloody sheebang stopped because the stoopid 
upgrade system was waiting for me answer "Yes" to the question if I 
accepted the EULA re the ttf mscorefonts -- and there was NO way I could 
respond to this because the EULA menu was BEHIND the Update Manager menu 
and there was no way which I knew (and I tried even waiving a live 
chicken's leg [from one of the chicken's next door] to bring up the 
'background' EULA menu to be able to answer "YES!"

Only way out was to hit the Big Red Button and then boot into Recovery 
Mode after which I had to go thru the steps - for which I am grateful to 
NoOp who mentioned them in this list some time back - for recovering 
from an uncompleted/failed upgrade process.

I now do have my previously nicely running 10.04.1 'upgraded' to 10.10 
system operational (but as I haven't tried out all of my apps. I used in 
10.04.1 I don't know how "upgraded" I really am :-( ).

10.10 is NOT behaving the same as in my clean new installation of 
Maverick on the other set of HDs - but this was to be expected.

You win some, you lose some: at the moment I have my WEATHER showing up 
on the top panel whereas I couldn't get it on the clean installation of 
Maverick, for example.

The bottom line from me, I guess, is that you should download the 
installation CD for the latest Ubuntu and install this latest version 
and not waste time upgrading an existing installation to the latest 
using the Update Manager (or the apt-get approach).

YMMV - but please keep in mind that these comments are aimed at those 
who already have some experience with, say, Ubuntu; if you are a 
"newbie" then ask some more questions.

BC

-- 

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