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This article suggest upgrading to 18.04 then to 20.04.

https://www.how2shout.com/linux/upgrade-ubuntu-16-04-lts-to-20-04-lts-using-command-terminal/

Is there terminal command to explicitly upgrade from 16.04 to 20.04 "nonstop"?

Update: sudo do-release-upgrade returned error message:

Checking for a new Ubuntu release
Please install all available updates for your release before upgrading.

Found it necessary to perform these commands first

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo do-release-upgrade
sudo reboot

per: https://www.liquidweb.com/kb/troubleshooting-please-install-available-updates-release-upgrading/

gatorback
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    In short no. Ubuntu does not allow jumping versions while upgrading. – user68186 Mar 09 '23 at 00:19
  • If it's speed that you're after, installing 20.04 overtop 16.04 is one option. However, this would result in resetting some of the applications you use to default. So much has changed between 16.04 and 20.04, particularly on the desktop, that a direct upgrade that "doesn't break anything" is guaranteed to be impossible – matigo Mar 09 '23 at 00:22
  • I appreciate the comments. MATLAB works on 16.04 Virtual machine and not on 22.04. I was curious if I started on 16.04 and upgraded to 20.04: would MATLAB work? I guess I can make a "stop at 18.04" and test MATLAB, and if it tests good move on to 20.04 – gatorback Mar 09 '23 at 00:36
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    Does this answer your question? Can I skip over releases when upgrading? – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 01:07
  • The Ubuntu release upgraded tool will upgrade you to the next release (ie. 16.04 -> 16.10), or to the next LTS (18.04). More recently it's also supported to the next non-LTS in the next-LTS development cycle (ie. 20.04 would allow upgrade to 21.04 after 20.10 had reached EOL) but that wasn't yet available at 16.04 (not that it matters as 16.10, 17.04 & 17.10 are all EOL!). Other upgrade paths are unsupported and not QA tested against so all checks are those you perform yourself. – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 01:10
  • FYI: You didn't specify if you're talking about Desktop or Server (it very much matters), but you can upgrade via re-install using the repair installation options of Ubuntu installers to allow a quick/easy re-install of a different release (it was intended for the same release; but no version checks are performed) which I do somewhat regularly... but large jumps still require homework to ensure it'll work perfectly (ie. package review as you may have missed steps done in the interim for apps you rely on and this may cause issues; this is package specific and not release specific) – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 01:12
  • The upgrade path you suggested (18.04 to 20.04) is a supported path as that is from one LTS release to the next release... What you're asking for is very different. – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 01:14

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The Ubuntu release upgrader tool will upgrade you to the next release (ie. 16.04 -> 16.10), or to the next LTS (18.04). More recently it's also supported to the next non-LTS in the next-LTS development cycle (ie. 20.04 would allow upgrade to 21.04 after 20.10 had reached EOL, 21.10 after 21.04 reached EOL) but that wasn't yet available at 16.04 (not that it matters as 16.10, 17.04 & 17.10 are all EOL!). Other upgrade paths are unsupported and not QA tested against so all checks are those you perform yourself.

You didn't specify if you're talking about Desktop or Server (it very much matters), but you can upgrade via re-install using the repair installation options of Ubuntu installers to allow a quick/easy re-install of a different release (it was intended for the same release; but no version checks are performed) which I do somewhat regularly... but large jumps still require homework to ensure it'll work perfectly (ie. package review as you may have missed steps done in the interim for apps you rely on and this may cause issues; this is package specific and not release specific) The re-install process I'm talking about will also re-install your manually installed packages (if internet is available for download during install & the packages are available for your new release), but as system directories are wiped - server configs will be lost thus not useful for server re-installs; being intended for desktop re-installs.

The upgrade path you suggested (18.04 to 20.04) is a supported path as that is from one LTS release to the next LTS release... What you're asking for is very different.

guiverc
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  • FYI: Upgrades from 16.04 to 18.04 are still possible (depending on your geo-location of course; some locations will require ESM upgrading first if certificates in your location have expired & changed on renewal), as I performed an upgrade only yesterday of a 16.04 system to 18.04 – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 01:17
  • Thank you for the detailed answer. I am interested in the Desktop version – gatorback Mar 09 '23 at 02:12
  • If you want to re-install; I've written about it many times on this site (30+ times, & other sites too, as have others), and will shortly start another QA-test of it using the new Ubuntu Desktop installer ... One such example can be found here - https://askubuntu.com/questions/446102/how-to-reinstall-ubuntu-in-the-easiest-way/1451533#1451533 – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 02:28
  • I installed 16.04 & MATLAB in a Virtual Machine. I was hoping that I could upgrade to 18.04 and that MATLAB would work well: unfortunately no. – gatorback Mar 09 '23 at 02:36
  • I have no experience with MATLAB sorry, so I can't provide any advice in relation to that. The upgrade from 16.04 LTS to 18.04 is possible (18.04 LTS is still in standard support), other paths no longer exist for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS which reached EOSS some time ago – guiverc Mar 09 '23 at 09:10