Upgrading Ubuntu has gotten simpler over time. The graphical utility makes it a breeze to upgrade to the next version. This HowTo should work for any beta version in the future, but keep in mind that installing beta software should only be done by those that are sure they know what they are doing.

If you are ready to take the plunge, run this command from a terminal or run box:

gksu “update-manager -c -d”

The switches tell the regular update manager to check for beta upgrades. This is necessary even when Edgy is out of beta, in order to upgrade from one version to the next.

You will be presented with a screen similar to this one: (you may have to hit the Check button first)

Go ahead and clic k the Upgrade button. You’ll be presented with the release notes window, and click the Upgrade button again.

You will see the progress dialog:

The upgrade process will go out and determine all the packages required, and then prompt you again to click Start Upgrade (makes you wish there was a flag that says ” really upgrade me silently ” )

On my machine, I received this message, and I clicked the remove button, but you can skip the step if you are worried about it.

And that’s all there is to it. You will be prompted to reboot the computer, at which point you will see that you are running Edgy Eft, and you will notice that your Firefox has been upgraded to the beta of Firefox 2.

If you are determined to install from the command line, however, check the other HowTo on installing using apt-get.