[fnc1]

First Off awesome Job!

With the XBMC team going to xbmcbuntu as the 'official' version with eden I expected not to see things such as:
What Might Break

Updating XBMC itself seems pretty straight forward:
sudo apt-get install ppa-purge python-software-properties pkg-config
sudo ppa-purge ppa:whatever-ppa-you-have-now
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xbmc

or going from a prior Frodo RC candidate

But the linux OS is not updated - and I'm guessing maybe this is why some things might break:
To actually update "XBMCbuntu" for Frodo, which is a full package, then you're pretty much looking at a fresh install if you wish to upgrade the underlying Linux. The OS changed from Lubuntu 11.10 to Lubuntu 12.04. It is possible (in order to preserve systems tweaks) to just update XBMC itself by treating it as a normal Linux install and going to:

I'm wondering why I see nothing for updating the OS and XBMC via a Distribution update path?
Such as:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

So I'm wondering:
If anyone has tried this standard upgrade path?
And why it WOULD NOT be in WIKI anywhere?
Instead it seems to say just wipe out your old install and reinstall the ISO?

[wsnipex]

feel free to do it that way. As usual with distribution upgrades: Things _might_ brake, ymmv.

Personally, I always just do distribution updates on my ubuntu boxes, but it was more often than not that I had to clean up the mess it caused.

Note for not so technically/linux savvy Users:
There is an old admin saying: never touch a running system. So if it works and you don't have a NEED to upgrade the OS, don't.

[fnc1]

I probably will do the dist upgrade and see how it goes... Usually they don't cause major problems, unless something has changed a huge degree from one release to the next... But yeah, i've had my share of trouble shooting...

I was more wondering why it wasn't listed in the wiki or anywhere?
As its the standard upgrade path.

[mediumdry]

I probably will do the dist upgrade and see how it goes...

Please report back here how it went, as I want to do the same and my xbmcbuntu system is a bit of trouble to install from disc or usb to, so I'm looking for experiences with the dist-upgrade.

[fnc1]

Ill post back after i do it... but it will probably be a week or so before I can do it... I have my mysql db on my fileserver, and right now i am expanding/migrating my raid array (day 4 and at 35%)

But if anyone else happens to get around to it before me, I would like to know as well.

[un1versal]

This is what is on the wiki http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBM..._XBMCbuntu

And with good reason regarding doing dist-upgrade type thing, because it would create a support nightmare, given it likely destroys a working install due to the sheer number of packages upgraded in one go. Like wsnipex pointed out it can be done but often inesperienced Linux users break the install and then trying to fix the culprit its frustrating and time consuming (for a normal user mind you).

So all and all, I am 100% against recommending or even suggesting dist-upgrades.

Another argument is that often the tweaks that a machine requires are often outdated and incompatible with newer Linux because the new version of the packages behave unexpectedly with some hacks.

Though freedom is a great thing, do whatever you guys like, just dont come to the forums expecting support on how to fix your Linux install when it breaks because of dist-upgrades.

uNi

[fnc1]

Yes I read that and pasted it in my original post. But really unless youve done a lot of compiling many packages from source you do not normally run into issues. If all one has done is install packages through apt-get or similar there are usually no issues.

And if there are in this case it doesnt look like it matters since you basically have to do a fresh install anyway. So no worries.

Which brings to mind - why not a upgrade from the iso?

My 2cents and I'm still going to go ahead and try a dist upgrade first.

[un1versal]

Im not going to argue here points of view, as long as support questions remain XBMC relevant and not Linux distro relevant in case dist-upgrades bork something, (to the help I provide for free here) And from experience I dont see many replies to posts in here or anywhere else in regards to borked dist-upgrades. (I wonder why that is? And no its not because it doesn't happen usually because it does, And intrawebs is full of questions largely unaswered)

Your userdata should always be backed up so in any case you dont loose all your data.

Anyway since XBMCbuntu is based on a ubuntu derivative this would apply

http://www.liberiangeek.net/2012/04/upgr...tu-cd-dvd/

So your suggestion is already implemented in the XBMCbuntu installer since it is a Ubuntu derivative.

Thats my 3 cents

uNi

[Mman]

How do I know what ppa I have currently to remove? I've tried following the rest of your commands and it just says I have the latest.

[fnc1]

Wasnt trying to argure. Now that post makes since er link rather - which information should defdealnatly be added to the official wiki (which is where most people look for legit info). The absense of such information is what spurred my initial questions. Knowing that an actual upgrade can be done from a previous version os a good thing and I doubt there would be very much of an issue doing a dist upgrade.

But I completely agree about backing things up, and had planned that from the start. (Additionally since my os drive is like 64G id probably make a dd image of it so it need be can just write it nack out to the drive)

That being said I plan on going into with my eyes wide open - coming from someone that has had to with multiple screwed upgrades (including one were they switched to using uuid s which took a few days to get my 5 disk LVM volume mountable again) is I suppose anothrr reason I asked te questions in the first place. And as long as I have my usersettings and database if I have to redo using the iso no big deal.

Thanks again gor the link!

[fnc1]

Mman: on many distro they would be in the sources try 'cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d |grep xbmc'