Question

3

How does exactly "do-release-upgrade -d" work?

rated 0 times [ 3] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 1627 / 2 Years ago, wed, july 6, 2022, 5:32:26

About to upgrade the OS from one version to other, for example - from 18.04 to 20.04 or from 20.04 to 22.04 - throughout the process exists and is used the do-release-upgrade command, and it has some options such as -c and -d, now in the following tutorial

How To Upgrade Ubuntu 18.04 to 20.04 LTS using command line

In the Step 4. Upgrade Ubuntu Linux to latest LTS section indicates the following:

Execute the following command:

sudo do-release-upgrade

Please note if you may be greeted with the following message:
Checking for a new Ubuntu release There is no development version of

an LTS available. To upgrade to the latest non-LTS develoment release 

set Prompt=normal in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades. 
In that case, pass the -d option to get the latest supported release forcefully:

sudo do-release-upgrade -d

In the /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades file currently it has the Prompt=lts value - according with some research this value/setting is recommendable

Should I assume that if sudo do-release-upgrade -d is executed then

The current Prompt=lts value is ignored and is used Prompt=normal temporally ? - it only for the process execution life time

The current Prompt=lts value is is ignored and is used Prompt=never temporally ? - it only for the process execution life time

The current Prompt=lts value is is overridden to Prompt=normal? - therefore now is permanently changed

The current Prompt=lts value is is overridden to Prompt=never - therefore now is permanently changed

... and the process goes on

Currently the man do-release-upgrade for the -d option indicates

 -d, --devel-release

        If using the latest supported release, upgrade to the development release

But sadly is not clear.

Question:

How does exactly do-release-upgrade -d work?

Extra Questions

What scenario is applied? 1,2,3,4?

When/why would be mandatory use do-release-upgrade -d?

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answered 2 Years ago rhaeams · Accepted Answer

This question pops up every two years, soon after each LTS release, in various forms.

-d does indeed migrate you to the development release of Ubuntu. That's currently 22.10 Kinetic, NOT 22.04 Jammy.

BEFORE the release of an LTS, using -d from the older release (like 21.10) will indeed upgrade you to the pre-release 22.04. That's how testers get to the development release to do their testing.

The use of -d means "I want to be a tester".

ON RELEASE DAY, there is no automatic mechanism to change the behavior of -d. So for a couple weeks afterward, -d will still migrate you to 22.04, even though it has been released.

This is the window when those "use -d" articles appear. That advice has an expiration date, and it's irresponsible of the folks giving that advice when they fail to so explain.

ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO after release day, the Ubuntu Developers begin working on the next release (22.10 Kinetic), and they move -d from pointing at 22.04 to pointing at 22.10.

This is the window when NEITHER do-release-upgrade nor do-release-upgrade -d will migrate you from 20.04 to 22.04. Instead, -d on 20.04 will return an error message, and the use of -d on 22.04 will make you a 22.10 tester.

THREE MONTHS after release day, the first LTS point release occurs (22.04.1). This is when LTS-to-LTS release-upgrades are turned on. This is when your 20.04.x system will begin to offer you a release-upgrade to 22.04.1.

Recall that the whole point of an LTS Release is long-term stability and reliability. Ubuntu developers and testers use that three-month delay to work out the early bugs and test the migration so it's smooth.

Folks who want to migrate immediately are often not the intended audience for an LTS. If you are an early adopter, consider using a normal 6-month release of Ubuntu.

LTS users should simply be patient. Wait for the tested, safe upgrade window to open in August.