Introduction

If you are still running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (Xenial Xerus), your system has reached its final end-of-life stage. Extended Security Maintenance (ESM) ended in April 2026, meaning your installation no longer receives any security patches or updates. This leaves your machine vulnerable to exploits. The most reliable path forward is to upgrade to a supported Long Term Support (LTS) release. However, there is no direct upgrade path from Ubuntu 16.04 to the latest LTS. You must upgrade in stages. This guide walks you through the entire process, from preparation to a fully patched modern Ubuntu system. For those unable to upgrade immediately, we also cover the alternative of paying for continued Ubuntu Pro ESM support.

What You Need

• A working Ubuntu 16.04 LTS installation
• Administrative (sudo) access
• Stable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth (multiple gigabytes)
• At least 20 GB of free disk space
• A full system backup (external drive or cloud) – do not skip this
• Patience: the upgrade takes several hours
• Optional: a test machine or virtual machine to practice first

Step 1: Assess Your Current System and Data

Before making any changes, document your current state. Run lsb_release -a to confirm you are on 16.04. List all installed packages with dpkg --get-selections > packages.txt. Check for critical services (web server, database, etc.) and note any custom configurations. This information will help you troubleshoot later.

Step 2: Create a Full Backup

This is the most crucial step. Use rsync to copy your entire /home directory, /etc for configuration files, and any application data to an external drive. Example: sudo rsync -avz /home /media/backup/. Also export database dumps (e.g., mysqldump --all-databases > alldb.sql). Verify the backup integrity before proceeding.

Step 3: Upgrade to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (Bionic Beaver)

Since you cannot jump directly to 22.04 or 24.04, you must first upgrade to 18.04. Update your current package lists: sudo apt update and then sudo apt upgrade. Install the update-manager-core package if not present. Run sudo do-release-upgrade. Follow on-screen prompts – this will download hundreds of packages and reboot. Expect 1-2 hours depending on internet speed.

Step 4: Upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa)

After restarting into 18.04, verify the upgrade with lsb_release -a. Apply any pending updates on 18.04: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. Then run sudo do-release-upgrade again to move to 20.04. This step is similar in duration. Test that your applications still work after the reboot.

Step 5: Upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) or 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)

From 20.04, you can upgrade directly to 22.04 or 24.04. The recommended target for Long Term Support is 22.04 (supported until 2027) or 24.04 (supported until 2029). Repeat the same process: update 20.04, then sudo do-release-upgrade. If you want 24.04, you may need to add the -d flag if the normal tool doesn't offer it (but generally it will). After completion, run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade to ensure all patches are applied.

Alternative: Subscribe to Ubuntu Pro for Continued ESM

If upgrading is not feasible (e.g., hardware limitations or critical legacy software), you can purchase Ubuntu Pro from Canonical. This extends security updates for 16.04 for up to 10 years total (until 2031). Visit ubuntu.com/pro, sign up for a free personal token (limited to 5 machines) or a paid plan. Then run sudo apt install ubuntu-advantage-tools and attach the token with sudo ua attach [TOKEN]. This will re-enable ESM repositories. Note that this only covers security updates, not newer versions of software or feature releases.

Step 6: Verify the Upgrade and Enable Automatic Updates

After final reboot, check the OS version: lsb_release -a. Ensure unattended-upgrades is installed and configured: sudo apt install unattended-upgrades. Edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades to enable security updates. Run sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades. Finally, test that your backup restoration would work in case of failure.

Tips

• Test in a virtual machine first. Use VirtualBox or VMware to simulate the entire upgrade before touching your production machine.
• Do not skip intermediate releases. Going from 16.04 directly to 20.04 or later will break the system. The upgrade tool enforces this, but manual attempts will fail.
• Check hardware compatibility. Very old hardware may not support the newer kernel (e.g., 32-bit CPUs). In that case, consider Ubuntu Pro or a lightweight distribution like Xubuntu or Lubuntu.
• Monitor disk space. Each upgrade stage uses temporary files. Use df -h before starting and clean up with sudo apt autoremove between stages.
• Budget sufficient time. A full three‑stage upgrade can take 4–8 hours. Plan a maintenance window.
• Keep a wired internet connection. Avoid Wi‑Fi interruptions during large downloads.
• If something breaks, reinstall from scratch. With a good backup, a clean install of 24.04 LTS is often faster and more reliable than troubleshooting endless dependency conflicts.