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How can I upgrade to the next version

There's basically no point in upgrading to Yakkety at this point. It exists as a release in the archive, but isn't open for development, the Debian auto-sync hasn't started, and you can't really do anything useful. Unless you're a toolchain hacker or have special interest in a particular Debian sync issue, it's going to stay this way until after UDS.

That said, if you just want to feel like an early adopter, you can upgrade by replacing all instances of "This_version" in your /etc/apt/sources.list with "the_next_version", using the following command, this example uses the current released and testing versions names:

• sudo sed -i 's/focal/groovy/g' /etc/apt/sources.list

Once you've changed the version names use the following command:

• sudo apt update && sudo apt dist-upgrade

Other methods such as using Update Manager will not be working until around Alpha 1. Be advised that "apt-get dist-upgrade"ing isn't a supported upgrade method for regular upgrades; it's only used in the early stages of a development cycle since it's the only way to upgrade during those periods.

Software-Properties-Gtk doesn't work

After running the above command, especially very early in the development cycle could stop Software & Updates (software-properties-gtk) from running. To solve the problem, insert the following text in /usr/share/python-apt/templates/Ubuntu.info:

• Ubuntu.info

I already have a testing installation. Do I have to reinstall the latest alpha/beta when it comes out?

If you have the latest updates installed on your testing installation, you don't have to remove your current testing installation and install the alpha / beta / RC, unless you want to test installation-specific components (the installer, bootloader etc.), or your installation is affected by potential corner cases that may arise during the development cycle that require a reinstall to fix.

The milestone releases (alphas and betas) are slightly stabilized snapshots of the package archive at pre-decided dates, so they reflect the latest state of wily on those dates. If you're up to date, you already have the latest packages. If you have to reinstall, and have an old disc image, you may want to use zsync to avoid having to download the whole image.

If I install the alpha/beta now, do I need to reinstall the final version when it's released?

You don't have to (Update Manager will let you upgrade to the final version), but you may want to, if one or more of the below apply:

• You have tweaked your testing installation to a point where you're not aware of its exact components and configuration
• You have replaced essential components of your installation with versions from external repositories/PPAs
• You have used package installation scripts or similar tools which are not trusted by the Ubuntu development community
• You have applied hacks/workarounds for testing purposes for good reason (prompted during structured testing, bug triage etc.), which may cause problems during daily usage of a stable installation
• You're affected by potential corner cases that may require a reinstall to fix (which will be documented in the release notes)

Update Manager offers a "Partial Upgrade". What should I do?

See here

When/at what time will the alpha/beta be released?

Take a look at the release schedule There's no specific time of the day for releases; just wait for the official release announcement, which will be mirrored immediately in the forum with an announcement thread. If you would personally like to be notified of the release, become a member of the ubuntu-annouce mailing list.

I'm trying to report a bug. What should I do?

Take a look at the Bug Reporting Howto, to see if you have already met the requirements. THen use the following command to make the report:

• ubuntu-bug <Package_name>

There are also instructions on the page to file a bug against a program you don't know the name of.

My testing installation is badly broken. Is there a way to roll back to the stable release

No. You'll have to fix your installation or do a fresh install.

I haven't been getting updates for a while

The archive mirror you're using is probably lagging behind. You can see the status of the mirrors at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archivemirrors. Also note that there will be relatively few updates during the freeze periods leading to alpha and beta releases.

I downloaded the daily ISO image, but it's oversized and I can't burn it on a CD

It was decided during the Raring development cycle that the ISO image could be up to 1GiB in size, so now it is suggested you use a DVD, DVDRW or a USB thumb drive

Is testing a pre-released version in a virtual machine useful?

For testing kernels, X, and anything that interacts directly or at a low level with hardware, it's hard to produce useful bug reports. If filing bug reports from virtual machine installs, don't forget that they will be reports about Ubuntu failing to work on that particular virtual machine, and don't forget to indicate that you're testing on a virtual machine in your bug report. While virtual machines are a valid use case, bugs from real hardware are much more useful. If, however, you're only looking to test high-level functionality such as userspace applications, user interfaces, documentation, translations and so on, virtual machines are mostly fine.