Today, as we mentioned in the morning, is the release date of Ubuntu 17.10 Artful Aardvark. We also mentioned that this version comes with a different desktop environment by default. Below we will see how you can upgrade from an older version without problems.
Ubuntu 17.04 Zesty Zapus was released this year on April 13 but will only be supported until January 2018, when an upgrade to Ubuntu 17.10 is considered necessary.
As for the DE which is different, you should not worry. According to Canonical, your installed packages will not be removed during the upgrade process, but some of Unity's features will be slightly modified to adapt to the new default GNOME Shell desktop.
If you decide to upgrade from Ubuntu 17.04 to Ubuntu 17.10, the first thing you need to do is back up your most important files (documents, music, game storage, videos, etc.) to an external drive. Once done you can install any available updates on your Ubuntu 17.04 system.
Once you have fully updated Ubuntu 17.04, you can start the upgrade process by opening a terminal from Unity Launcher.
Run command:
update-manager
and A software update tool will appear stating that there is a new version of the distribution.
Make it click on button “Upgrade” and follow the instructions on your screen. At the end of the upgrade you will need to reboot computer you.
That's it. You can enjoy Ubuntu 17.10 Artful Aardvark on your PC and remember to select your favorite desktop from the login screen (GDM).
For those who need ISO
- ubuntu-17.10-desktop-amd64.iso
- Kubuntu 17.10
- Lubuntu 17.10
- Ubuntu Budgie 17.10
More flavors in the next few hours, as Canonical repositories still seem to be updated.
Happy Ubuntu day!