How To: Upgrade WSL Ubuntu 18.04 to 18.10
Tags: windows, linux, wsl, howto
Published: 2019-03-29 14:17:45

---
title: How To: Upgrade WSL Ubuntu 18.04 to 18.10
published: true
description: Upgrading WSL Ubuntu from 18.04 to 18.10 is possible; but...
tags: windows, linux, wsl, howto
cover_image: https://blog.davidjeddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/windows10-ubuntu.png
---

Originally posted on my [blog](https://blog.davidjeddy.com/2019/03/29/how-to-upgrade-wsl-ubuntu-18-04-to-18-10/).

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>After reading that Ubuntu 19.04 has been release it got me thinking "can WSL Ubuntu be upgraded?". TL;DR: Yes: BUT. I am no Linux <span style="text-decoration: underline;">expert</span><font color="#191e23"> </font>nor do I understand the inner workings of Linux. I am very much a <span style="text-decoration: underline;">user</span> in most cases. Consider this upgrade an experiment at best, a disaster at worse.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:heading -->
<h2>The Commands</h2>
<!-- /wp:heading -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The actual upgrade process is, surprisingly, un-changed from the typical Ubuntu upgrade. As a series of 4 commands, waiting, re-starting when the snapd Retry/Abort option appears, one last command, and finally a confirmation <code>lsb_release -a</code>.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:code -->
<pre class="wp-block-code"><code>sudo su
apt update -y
apt upgrade -y
apt dist-upgrade
# now wait...
# When the 'snapd could not reach the snap store' error appears. Close the WSL window, then start a new session.
apt-get autoremove
lsb_release -a</code></pre>
<!-- /wp:code -->

<!-- wp:image {"id":815,"align":"center","width":345,"height":339} -->
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img src="https://blog.davidjeddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Are-You-Fucking-Kidding-Me-Rage-Face-Meme-Temp-1462x1440.png" alt="" class="wp-image-815" width="345" height="339"/><figcaption>Sometimes things really are _that_ easy.</figcaption></figure></div>
<!-- /wp:image -->

<!-- wp:heading -->
<h2>But... the snapd (systemd) issue</h2>
<!-- /wp:heading -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>WSL does not support a LOT of Linux system services. Infact, WSL does not support system service from my understanding. This creates problems for things like dbus, snapd, and many others. Thankfully it appears that the core Ubuntu processes do not require it. So, the upgrade from 18.04 to 18.10 <span style="text-decoration: underline;">seems</span> to not have any adverse effect on the stability or usability of WSL Ubuntu. Though, like anything experimental, <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ymmv">YMMV</a></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>If you found this helpful, have a neat tip, or would like to chat about computing; drop a comment below. I'd love to hear about your experience.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></span></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:heading -->
<h2>Resources</h2>
<!-- /wp:heading -->

<!-- wp:list -->
<ul><li> <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-upgrade-to-ubuntu-linux-18-04/">h</a>t<a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-upgrade-to-ubuntu-linux-18-04/">tps://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-upgrade-to-ubuntu-linux-18-04/</a> </li><li><a href="https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/windows-subsystem-for-linux/216/15">https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/windows-subsystem-for-linux/216/15</a></li><li><a href="https://askubuntu.com/questions/686239/how-do-i-check-the-version-of-ubuntu-i-am-running ">https://askubuntu.com/questions/686239/how-do-i-check-the-version-of-ubuntu-i-am-running </a></li></ul>
<!-- /wp:list -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->