How do I upgrade Debian versions? The other day, one of our subscribers had asked us just that. Upgrading to a newer version of Debian is actually relatively simple and for the most part, can be done in very short time with just a few quick steps.
So if you have Debian Linux installed on your PC and are eager to try out a newer released version, go grab yourself a beverage and proceed to read on.
How to Upgrade Debian to a Newer Release
Please note that this tutorial assumes that your upgrading from a local hard drive installation of Debian. This process wont work on a compressed squash file system.
- Open a terminal and type or copy and paste the following:
sudo su
- Now to edit sources list, type:
cd /etc/apt/ && gedit sources.list
- Replace all occurrences of for example: etch with lenny and save the file.
- Back at the terminal, enter the following to update the sources:
apt-get update - Once the update has finished type the following to upgrade the distribution, (and follow any onscreen instructions):
apt-get dist-upgrade
If all goes well, once finished you should be able to reboot into your newer Debian kernel!