How to Upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 LTS

Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa) has left standard support, but many desktops and servers still need a clean bridge release before moving farther forward. The supported path is to upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) first, then continue to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) when you are ready for the next jump.

Ubuntu’s release cycle lists Ubuntu 22.04 LTS in standard security maintenance until May 2027. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS (Resolute Raccoon) is the current LTS release, but Ubuntu release upgrades normally move between consecutive LTS releases, so do not try to skip directly from 20.04 to 24.04 or 26.04.

Canonical’s Jammy upgrade notes list direct upgrades to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 21.10. The 20.04 LTS to 22.04 LTS path is the relevant route now because Ubuntu 21.10 is long out of support.

If you are still on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver), treat this article as target-release context, not as a direct 18.04 to 22.04 procedure. Upgrade through the supported intermediate release path or reinstall from current media before following the 20.04 to 22.04 flow.

Upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 LTS

Back Up Ubuntu Before the Release Upgrade

A release upgrade replaces core packages, removes obsolete packages, rewrites APT sources, and restarts services. Back up important files first, and create a rollback point before touching a daily-use machine. Install Timeshift on Ubuntu if you want a local system snapshot for desktop rollback.

For servers, confirm you have provider snapshots, VM snapshots, image backups, or another restore path that does not depend on the same upgraded system booting successfully. Also keep an out-of-band console available when you are upgrading a remote machine over SSH.

Update Ubuntu 20.04 Before Upgrading

The release upgrader refuses to continue when normal package updates are still pending. Refresh APT metadata and install the available 20.04 updates first, including phased updates that can otherwise stay deferred:

sudo apt update
sudo apt -o APT::Get::Always-Include-Phased-Updates=true full-upgrade

full-upgrade can install or remove packages when needed to finish the current 20.04 package state. It does not move the system to Ubuntu 22.04; do-release-upgrade handles the release change later.

These commands use sudo because release upgrades need administrator privileges. If your account no longer has sudo access, use an existing administrator account or the add a new user to sudoers on Ubuntu workflow first.

If APT upgraded the kernel, graphics stack, systemd, or other base packages, reboot before starting the release upgrade:

sudo reboot

After signing back in, confirm the upgrade tool is available. Normal Ubuntu installs usually include it, but minimal systems may need the package installed explicitly:

sudo apt install update-manager-core

Set Ubuntu to Offer LTS Upgrades

Ubuntu stores release-upgrade policy in /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades. For a 20.04 LTS to 22.04 LTS upgrade, the Prompt setting should be lts:

grep '^Prompt=' /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

Prompt=lts

If the file shows Prompt=never or another value, switch it back to LTS upgrades:

sudo sed -i 's/^Prompt=.*/Prompt=lts/' /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades

Upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 from the Terminal

Ubuntu’s release-upgrade documentation uses do-release-upgrade for Server and cloud images, and the same command works from a terminal on Desktop. Start the stable release upgrade with:

sudo do-release-upgrade

Follow the prompts carefully. The upgrader shows package removals, disabled third-party sources, and service restart questions before it commits the final changes. Read those prompts instead of accepting blindly on production systems.

Do not use the older -d flag for a normal 20.04 to 22.04 upgrade in 2026. That flag tells Ubuntu to check development releases, which was useful before the 22.04 upgrade prompt opened but is not the stable path now.

Upgrade Ubuntu 20.04 to 22.04 with Software Updater

Desktop users can use the graphical updater instead. Start Software Updater from the application menu, or launch it from a terminal:

update-manager -c

Install any remaining updates when prompted, then choose the Ubuntu 22.04 LTS upgrade. The upgrade screens show release notes, package changes, obsolete packages, and a final restart prompt. Keep the machine plugged in, leave the session open, and wait for the restart prompt instead of forcing a reboot.

Verify Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish After Reboot

After the system restarts, confirm that the machine now reports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. The same command is covered in more depth in check Ubuntu version if you need additional version or codename checks:

lsb_release -a

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description:    Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS
Release:        22.04
Codename:       jammy

If the output still shows 20.04 or focal, the release upgrade did not complete. Return to the terminal upgrade path and read the error message before retrying.

Troubleshoot Ubuntu 22.04 Upgrade Problems

Fix the Available Updates Error

The most common blocker appears before the release upgrade starts:

Please install all available updates for your release before upgrading.

Finish the pending 20.04 updates first, reboot, and start the release upgrade again:

sudo apt update
sudo apt -o APT::Get::Always-Include-Phased-Updates=true full-upgrade
sudo reboot

If the same message returns after reboot, review orphaned packages before confirming removal:

sudo apt autoremove --purge

Then retry the stable upgrade command:

sudo do-release-upgrade

For a broader package-maintenance walkthrough, use update packages via the Ubuntu command line before retrying the release upgrade.

Fix No New Release Found

If do-release-upgrade says no new release is available, check the LTS prompt setting and confirm the system is still on Ubuntu 20.04:

grep '^Prompt=' /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades
lsb_release -sr

Prompt=lts and 20.04 are the expected values for a 20.04 to 22.04 upgrade. If the system already reports 22.04, move on to upgrade to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS instead.

Check Held Packages Before Retrying

Held packages can block dependency resolution during a release upgrade. List them before retrying:

apt-mark showhold

No output means no packages are held. If a package appears, review why it was held before removing the hold:

sudo apt-mark unhold package-name

Review Third-Party APT Sources

Old PPAs and vendor repositories are common sources of release-upgrade conflicts. List additional source files so you know what the upgrader may disable or ask about:

find /etc/apt/sources.list.d -maxdepth 1 -type f \( -name '*.list' -o -name '*.sources' \) -print

Remove or disable stale third-party entries only when you recognize them and no longer need that package source. Do not delete every file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d as a shortcut, because active vendor packages may still rely on those repositories after the upgrade.

Clean Up After the Ubuntu 22.04 Upgrade

Once Ubuntu 22.04 is running and your applications open normally, review obsolete dependencies and package cache cleanup. Run autoremove without -y so you can inspect the package list before confirming:

sudo apt autoremove --purge
sudo apt autoclean

Keep old kernels or driver packages if you still need a rollback boot entry for hardware troubleshooting. Remove them only after the upgraded system has booted cleanly more than once.

Keep Ubuntu 22.04 Updated or Continue to 24.04

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS receives standard security updates until May 2027, so you can stay on Jammy while you plan the next maintenance window. Keep routine package updates current with:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

When you are ready to continue, use the same consecutive-LTS approach and upgrade to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. From there, move to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS when Ubuntu offers that next LTS upgrade for your system.

Conclusion

Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is now the supported bridge between older 20.04 systems and newer LTS releases. Keep Jammy patched, watch for third-party repository issues after the upgrade, and plan the next hop to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS before the May 2027 standard security maintenance deadline.