difference between "do-release-upgrade" and "apt-get dist-upgrade"

[Christopher Chan]

On Tuesday, October 05, 2010 04:13 AM, Tom H wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 4:03 PM, Alan Pope<alan at popey.com>  wrote:
>> On 4 October 2010 19:25, Cybe R. Wizard<cyber_wizard at mindspring.com>  wrote:
>>> If done, doesn't the apt-get method do just what 'release-upgrade -d'
>>> or 'do-release-upgrade do'?  IIANM, there is no difference in the end
>>> product; it's just easier on the inexperienced to not need to remember
>>> all the different steps to do.
>>
>> No, as I mentioned in my other mail, do-release-upgrade and
>> update-manager work around specific known quirks in the upgrade
>> process that apt-get/aptitude/dpkg don't cater for themselves.
>
> The fact that do-release-upgrade is a comprehensive one-step solution
> doesn't mean that you can't upgrade to a new release using "apt-get
> dist-upgrade" or "aptitude full-upgrade". There are simply more steps
> to take.
>

Alan is talking about circular dependencies and other such like rubbish. 
There have been those who hosed their installation because they used 
apt-get dist-upgrade to upgrade. And there have been those who have not 
been toasted by upgrading with apt-get dist-upgrade. It all pretty much 
depends on what you have or have not installed.