# How to upgrade Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04 LTS safely

> Upgrade an Ubuntu 22.04 server to 24.04 LTS in place with do-release-upgrade, with a snapshot first, a backup SSH port, and checks for what changes.

Source: https://vpsnine.com/tutorials/upgrade-ubuntu-22-04-to-24-04 · Updated: 2026-10-21

Difficulty: intermediate · Time: about 45 minutes · Tested on: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Prerequisites:

- A server running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- Root or a user with sudo
- A recent backup or snapshot
- About 3 GB of free disk space

To upgrade Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04, take a snapshot, run `sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade` and reboot, then run `sudo do-release-upgrade` and answer its questions. Canonical's upgrader switches the package sources, installs 24.04's packages, removes obsolete ones, and asks you to reboot at the end.

Ubuntu 22.04's standard security updates end in April 2027, so plan the move before then. We ran this upgrade in a 22.04 container with nginx, OpenSSH and cron installed, using the upgrader's non-interactive mode; it ended on Ubuntu 24.04.5 LTS with nginx and cron running and SSH moved to socket activation (more on that below). A container has no kernel or bootloader of its own, so the reboot wasn't part of our test.

## Before you start

1. **Take a snapshot or backup.** There's no downgrade. A snapshot taken just before the upgrade is the quickest way back.
2. **Free disk space.** The upgrader checks and stops if there isn't enough; `df -h /` should show a few GB free. [Free some up](https://vpsnine.com/tutorials/free-up-disk-space-linux) if needed.
3. **Check your third-party software.** The upgrader turns off third-party repositories (PPAs, Docker, PostgreSQL, Node.js). Check each supports 24.04 ("noble") before you start, and re-enable them afterwards.
4. **Keep a second way in.** If SSH breaks, the [serial console](https://vpsnine.com/help/serial-console) is how you get back in. Make sure you know your root or user password for it.

## Bring 22.04 fully up to date

```bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo apt autoremove --purge
sudo reboot
```

`do-release-upgrade` refuses to start while updates are pending, so this step isn't optional. Rebooting loads the newest 22.04 kernel and clears any "restart required" state.

### Check it worked

```bash
grep PRETTY_NAME /etc/os-release
sudo do-release-upgrade -c
```

The first shows `Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS`; the second says `New release '24.04.x LTS' available.` If it says no release is available, check that `/etc/update-manager/release-upgrades` has `Prompt=lts`.

## Run the upgrade

Run it from an SSH session (it uses `screen` on its own, so a dropped connection doesn't kill it):

```bash
sudo do-release-upgrade
```

What happens, in order:

1. **SSH warning.** Over SSH, it offers to start a second SSH server on port 1022 in case the main one breaks during the upgrade. Say yes. If a firewall (ufw or the panel's) blocks 1022, you can open it temporarily, or rely on the serial console.
2. **Third-party sources.** It tells you it is disabling them.
3. **A summary** of how many packages will be installed, upgraded and removed, and the download size. Answer `y`.
4. **Configuration file questions** for files you changed, such as `Configuration file '/etc/nginx/nginx.conf' ... What would you like to do about it?` Keeping your version (`N`) is the safe default; `D` shows the difference first. Settings kept in drop-in directories (`/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/`, `/etc/nginx/conf.d/`) don't trigger questions.
5. **Services to restart.** Accept the defaults.
6. **Obsolete packages.** Answer `y` to remove them, unless you recognise one you need.
7. **Restart required.** Answer `y`.

How long it takes depends on how much is installed and the download speed.

If you are disconnected, log back in and reattach to the upgrader's session with `sudo screen -x`, or connect on port 1022 (`ssh -p 1022 ...`).

## Check the upgrade worked

After the reboot, log back in:

```bash
grep PRETTY_NAME /etc/os-release
uname -r
systemctl --failed
```

You should see `Ubuntu 24.04.x LTS`, a 6.8 or newer kernel, and no failed units. Then test each of your own services.

## What changed that you'll notice

**SSH is socket-activated.** On 24.04, `ssh.socket` listens on port 22 and starts `ssh.service` when the first connection comes in. `systemctl status ssh` can show `inactive` while SSH works perfectly; `systemctl status ssh.socket` is the one to check. If you change the SSH port, it's set in the socket, not only in `sshd_config`, so follow Ubuntu's documentation for that.

**apt sources moved.** Ubuntu's sources are now in `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources` (the newer format), and `/etc/apt/sources.list` only holds a comment saying so.

**Newer everything.** PHP 8.3 instead of 8.1, Python 3.12 instead of 3.10, PostgreSQL 16 instead of 14, OpenSSL 3.0 stays. Applications pinned to the old versions need attention; PostgreSQL clusters in particular stay on the old version until you upgrade them with `pg_upgradecluster`.

## Re-enable third-party repositories

The upgrader disabled them by commenting them out or renaming the files. Look in `/etc/apt/sources.list.d/`, change `jammy` to `noble` in each one whose vendor supports 24.04, and update:

```bash
ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade
```

For Docker, PostgreSQL's PGDG or NodeSource, reinstalling the vendor's repository with their 24.04 instructions is often simplest.

## Troubleshooting

**`Please install all available updates for your release before upgrading.`** Run `sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade`, reboot, and try again.

**`No new release found.`** Check `Prompt=lts` in `/etc/update-manager/release-upgrades`. Canonical can also hold back upgrades for a while after a problem; `sudo do-release-upgrade -c` shows what it currently offers.

**The upgrade stopped half-way with an error.** Run `sudo dpkg --configure -a`, then `sudo apt full-upgrade` to finish. The details are in `/var/log/dist-upgrade/main.log` and `apt-term.log`.

**SSH doesn't answer after the reboot.** Use the [serial console](https://vpsnine.com/help/serial-console) and check `systemctl status ssh.socket` and `journalctl -u ssh -b`. A custom port set only in `sshd_config` is a common cause, because of socket activation.

## Next steps

- 24.04 itself moves on to 26.04 LTS the same way, one LTS at a time.
- On Debian instead? [Upgrade Debian 12 to 13](https://vpsnine.com/tutorials/upgrade-debian-12-to-13).
- Read the first boot's errors: `journalctl -p err -b`, explained in [read logs with journalctl](https://vpsnine.com/tutorials/read-logs-with-journalctl).

## Doing it on VPSNine

Take a [snapshot](https://vpsnine.com/help/snapshots) in the panel right before you start; reverting to it undoes the whole upgrade. If the server doesn't come back, the panel's [serial console](https://vpsnine.com/help/serial-console) shows where the boot stopped. Building a fresh server on [Ubuntu 24.04](https://vpsnine.com/os/ubuntu-24.04) or [26.04](https://vpsnine.com/os/ubuntu-26.04) and moving your data across is the alternative, and often less work for a server you've changed a lot; [Ubuntu 22.04](https://vpsnine.com/os/ubuntu-22.04) stays available for software that needs it. See [plans](https://vpsnine.com/plans).