Upgrading from Hardy

[Gregory Gamble]

Dear Ubuntu Users

I have not kept up with my upgrades and now I'm finding it's near impossible to upgrade and I can't correctly install various software
that needs a more up-to-date system.

I found some advice at:https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EOLUpgrades

... and edited my /etc/apt/sources.list to have lines such as:
#############################
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security main restricted
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security main restricted
deb http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
deb-src http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
....

I updated the manager:
##################
 sudo aptitude install update-manager-core update-manager  
 sudo perl -pi -e 's/^Prompt=.*/Prompt=normal/' /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

I installed the kubuntu desktop
########################
 sudo aptitude install kubuntu-desktop

I installed the generic headers:
########################
 sudo aptitude install linux-image-generic linux-headers-generic

Then I ran the upgrade
##################
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo do-release-upgrade

... but whereas I expected an upgrade to Lucid (or perhaps Intrepid), it seemed to want to go straight to Precise. This is the dialogue

Checking for a new ubuntu release
Done Upgrade tool signature
Done Upgrade tool
Done downloading            
authenticate 'precise.tar.gz' against 'precise.tar.gz.gpg' 
extracting 'precise.tar.gz'
/tmp/tmphK2i6a/DistUpgradeMain.py:102: Warning: 'with' will become a reserved keyword in Python 2.6
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/tmp/tmphK2i6a/precise", line 3, in <module>
    from DistUpgradeMain import main
  File "/tmp/tmphK2i6a/DistUpgradeMain.py", line 102
    with open(fname, "a"):
            ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntaxSyntaxError: invalid syntax

The problem above seems to be a problem with having an outdated Python installed.

##################
I then tried the specific instructions for Hardy to Lucid:
###########################################
sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude safe-upgrade
sudo do-release-upgrade

.... with the same result as above.
###########################################################
I have a Dell AMD 64 if that matters. And the original Kubuntu installed was Dapper Drake and updated through Gutsy to Hardy.

Anyway, if there are better instructions somewhere which I should have followed instead ... please direct me there.
Otherwise, I hope someone out there has some advice that will help me get up-to-date.

Regards and thanks in advance
Greg G