How to upgrade from v8 to v9

I have version 8 running on my laptop and would like to know how to upgrade to v9 without to reinstall all freshly and to loose data. It seems that Software update does only upgrade Ubuntu files and not the Zorin System files. Please be so kind to advise.

Hi madvinegar wrote that it was not possible to upgrade to 9 from 8 directly - so not sure if Wolfman's guide on this is still workable? See Wolfman's post-install guide on the matter - something I will look into when I have the time!

OK will checkout Wolfmans's post, but anyway its pity, as that means I must backup all, and reinstall all apps again. What a waste of time and traffic costs. Would be real better if Zorin takes it a bit more serious, and adds version upgrades without complete reinstalling. How can it be taken as a serious OS variant if you with every upgrade needs to install all your apps and data new? On a test toy OK, but not acceptable for a work related computer. Maybe I will switch back to Ubuntu, like Zorin OS much, but this is now embarrassing. Really. OK Swarfendor437 thanks for advise. Hope that it will help me.

Hi Petr, just remember it is a fork of Ubuntu and a young distribution - certainly not been going as long as Trisquel which does have a roll-up function.

Hi Swarfendor437, young yes, but 100 times better as Trisquel, at least for me, because I tried it (!) and with its proprietary software and other restrictions I could not get it working as I need, spend a lot of time to get it working but no way, so I was seeking more. And by all means Zorin works like a charm from the first second on. I love it besides... I just upgraded to v.9 as Wolfman's post did not help, have had only one disk section without separate home disk partition, so no way to avoid reinstalling. I am just starting to reinstall my apps and data, will take a while. Hope sincerely that until v10 comes a way is found to upgrade to v10 without again to install all over again. Reinstalling all for an upgrade is real not good for most users and your variant is real a good tool for those that came from Win to Linux, but the missing upgrading without reinstall will get them going away... Would be very happy if Zorin becomes a great longlasting Linux variant working for simple users easily... All I am missing is really only the simple upgrade like it works from Ubuntu, my OS X, and on Windows. (Using seldom Windows as Zorin is better for me). Share my working time with Zorin and OS X.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4848&p=22956#p22956

Hi Wolfman, I did exactly what is in this topic, step by step, and anyway, after I rebooted I have had a fine fresh installation, and all my data and installed apps where gone. No clue why, I certainly did all step by step as you wrote there... the only difference I could see that my HD has had only 2 partitions, a Zorin 8 and a swap one as I remember. Nevermind it was happening, if I made a stupid error or not, too late, hope that next upgrade will be more smooth. That's why I would prefer if there is an upgrade without data loss option in next upgrades to avoid that this happens again. Anyway I love Zorin 9 much. So lets look forward to the next upgrade

Hi Petr. I've been running Linux now for about 12yrs and learned early on to always create 3 partitions. use other install on partition selection. depending on hard drive size I have a rule that I make my partitions about 25/75 %. create 25% of drive as (/) and 75% as (/home) but account for at least 2x installed ram for a swap. so for a 250gb drive I would use about 60gb for for the operating system (/) and the rest minus (ramsize x2) for the /home directory. the remainder create as swap.
so when it comes time to upgrade or heaven forbid have to reinstall because I screwed up. all I have to do is install formatting only the / partition. then all my Data and setting remain intact and I dont lose anything. for example I upgraded my Laptop from Zorin 6 to Zorin 9. all my Files Data and setting remained intact. still have my emails. bookmarks, wallpaper. even firefox 30 retained the old sync setting to my sync server.
Dont use my 25/75 as rule I dont do a lot of gaming so 60gb on a 250gb is lots for me but choose size for / that suits your useage. Better yet run 2 drives and format one for / and one for /home. create the swap on the drive used for /home. this way If you try a live CD it will find and use the swap.same if you lose or corrupt your / partition and need to reinstall. the installer will find the swap .
If you let the installer choose you will almost certainly always lose your existing /home partition.

Wolfman's writeup (link above in Wolfman's reply) sums it up nicely but I STRESS DO NOT SELECT the Format the partition box for the /home partition or you WILL LOSE all your data.

try this link for moving /home to a new or seperate partition
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Partitioning/Home/Moving

Many thanks jonas99 for this valuable tip. Will chance my system accordingly. Guess it will solve my needs and avoid another nightmare.

Petr Ungern wrote:Hi Wolfman, I did exactly what is in this topic, step by step, and anyway, after I rebooted I have had a fine fresh installation, and all my data and installed apps where gone. No clue why, I certainly did all step by step as you wrote there... the only difference I could see that my HD has had only 2 partitions, a Zorin 8 and a swap one as I remember. Nevermind it was happening, if I made a stupid error or not, too late, hope that next upgrade will be more smooth. That's why I would prefer if there is an upgrade without data loss option in next upgrades to avoid that this happens again. Anyway I love Zorin 9 much. So lets look forward to the next upgrade

Hi,

if you followed the guide and you got to this window, this is what it should look like (see pic below), only one of the partitions (/dev/sda8) is marked for formatting (the root partition), the home partition (/dev/sda9) MUST not be marked for formatting otherwise you will lose your data!.

You can just use LTS (Long Term Support) versions. They have 5 years support and are considered the most stable ones.
The releases in-between the LTS versions are like a testing ground for newer kernels and features. If some of these features and kernels will be proven to be stable, they are backported to the LTS releases through the usual updates.
The in-between releases have only a 6 month support period! And they are not considered stable (how many bugs could be dealt with, within 6 months only?)
You may only use them for tests or if they contain a kernel that works better with a specific piece of hardware you have.

Therefore, if you want a computer for work (without having to upgrade every 6 months) and not a "test toy" as you said, stick with the LTS releases. Period.

Zorin 9 is an LTS release and will be supported till 2019.

So, if all is working ok now with your computer, you don't need to reinstall anything till 2019.

As I wrote earlier, I have had only 2 partitions swap and Zorin 8. In whether reasons as I did firstly install Zorin 8 on my laptop who dit at that time have had an empty new HD, I made maybe a mistake or not, and I got only that 2 partitions. Nevermind, I have now used jonas99 advice and did move home to the new /home partition in v9, and it seem now that it is as it should be. Only if I understand correctly then any upgrade will require to reinstall all my apps, whilst my data are secure. If so, I guess it will still stop XP movers from using Zorin, as those are unexperienced Linux users and are used that any upgrade secures that their apps and data is secured. Would be real a good idea to find a way that any upgrade works like an update and no apps and no data is lost. Then I would think that Linux has a real chance to catch more of the Windows users, and especially Zorin OS, as it real looks common for windows users that want switch to Linux. But! Nobody should expect that such new Windows to Linux switchers are interested to learn Linux basics like using Sudo, terminal, and similar basics needs. Almost never they will learn that. They are already forced to learn the app difference and that is for many already a problem. If you want ex-Windows users then you need to fix that. I do install for my clients and friends Linux to replace Win XP and none of them is interested in Sudo and other system commands at all. Good for me and bad for Linux acceptance.

Hi, well that is sad - even Geeky Windows recognise the benefit of DOS commands - take Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 boot repairs - that HAS to be done from a command prompt - it's not hard to use and once you get into the habit it grows on you - e.g., Launching an application from the terminal such as synaptic.

1.

Code:

sudo synaptic

From the Menu a long way to go:

A. Menu

B. System Tools

C. Administration

D. Synaptic Package Manager

I used this https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Parti ... ome/Moving to move /home to it's own partition and then used wolfmans guide to upgrade from 8 to 9. It worked like a dream

Hi SteveD, 60 blue jewels to you sir for your kind help!

I just did a "dist-upgrade", and went from 8 to 9, don't know if anyone else has discovered this or not, just thought I'd let you know.

Swarfendor437 wrote: it's not hard to use and once you get into the habit it grows on you - e.g., Launching an application from the terminal such as synaptic.

1.

Code:

sudo synaptic

From the Menu a long way to go:

A. Menu

B. System Tools

C. Administration

D. Synaptic Package Manager

But how many steps to go through the menu to open the terminal before using it to open something else? It's just like keyboard shortcuts, so many people scream how much faster shortcuts are, & they may be if you already have your hands on the keyboard, but if you're like me and keep your hand on the mouse, you can do most of it faster without moving your hand back to the keyboard. Especially if you seldom do the kind of things that require a terminal.

Personally I can do 99% of things faster by going through a few menus than by moving my hands back to the keyboard then either typing a typo, twice or typing the complicated code in wrong then spending an hour searching the Internet for the correct code and then starting over. Then of course I haven't spent several hours at a time trying to memorize a bunch of codes that I'm going to forget before I ever have a reason to use them. If I could live the rest of my life without opening a terminal I would, but when it comes down to the terminal or Windows (especially 8 & newer), I'll use the terminal. After all I had forgotten how bad I hate Windows until this last couple of weeks, when I had to not only use Windows 7 but worse Internet Explorer and ie11 is no better than ie8. Windows is bad enough, but ie locking up 3 or 4 times a day makes the terminal inviting.

Acer DeVille wrote:I just did a "dist-upgrade", and went from 8 to 9, don't know if anyone else has discovered this or not, just thought I'd let you know.

Surpriseing! Just for the clarity of other members, dist-upgrade is NOT distribution upgrade - it looks at applications present and looks at what needs updating to match the kernel - perhaps the kernel got updated and that in turn required the Zorin update to 9 - if this the implementation of Zorin's implementation of a 'roll-up' then it would be interesting to hear from the Admins!

Swarfendor437 wrote: dist-upgrade is NOT distribution upgrade -

That's what I've always been told, but I had installed Z8 on this pc, and now when I check to says that I've got Z9 installed. Your idea about the kernal could be right, I'm not a programmer or coder I have no idea, but it worked this time. I've got one more pc in the house running Z8, I'll do a dist-upgrade on it and report back what happens.