Here are answers to some commonly asked questions and solutions to common problems when testing pre-release Ubuntu versions. It will be updated during the testing period as necessary, so you may want to check back. Feel free to post suggestions for things that you think should be included (I won't promise to include them all, since making the document unnecessarily long typically discourages people from reading).
[*]How can I upgrade to Natty?
There's basically no point in upgrading to Natty 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 "maverick" in your /etc/apt/sources.list with "natty", and issuing ``` sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get 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.
[*]**I already have a testing installation. Do I have to reinstall the latest alpha / beta / RC 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, betas and the RC) are slightly stabilized snapshots of the package archive at pre-decided dates, so they reflect the latest state of Natty 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]("https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ZsyncCdImage") to avoid having to download the whole image.
[*]**If I install the alpha / beta / RC 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:
[list]
[*] 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)[/list]
[*]**Update Manager offers a "Partial Upgrade". What should I do?**
[Read this]("http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1343434").
[*]**When / at what time will the alpha / beta / RC be released?**
Take a look at [the release schedule]("https://wiki.ubuntu.com/NattyReleaseSchedule"). 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 a sticky thread as well.
[*]**I'm trying to report a bug, but I'm redirected to [this page]("http://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs"). What's going on?**
That's intentional; you'll understand what's going on once you read that page :)
[*]**I'm trying to report a bug, but I don't know which package it belongs to. What should I do?**
Take a look at the [Bugs/FindRightPackage page on the wiki]("wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage"), and try invoking Apport's (currently rather primitive) symptom-based reporting mode by issuing ```
ubuntu-bug- My testing installation is badly broken. Is there a way to roll back to the stable release, or a relatively stable point in the development branch?
No. You'll have to fix your installation or do a fresh install.
- I haven't been getting updates for a while. Is it that there's nothing new in Natty, or is there a problem with the servers?
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, beta and RC releases.
- I downloaded the daily CD image, but it's oversized and I can't burn it on a CD.
The daily images get built automatically, and due to the rapid and asynchronous nature of uploads to the development branch, no effort can be made to make them fit on a CD on a daily basis; such an effort is only made for the milestones. Note that you can still use oversized CD images for testing in a virtual machine.
- Is testing Natty 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.