Introduction
Sometimes, upgrading Ubuntu to a newer version can stop midway due to various issues, causing the system to become unstable. In this blog, we'll go through steps to diagnose and fix your system after an incomplete upgrade.
1. Check for Broken Packages
Start by identifying and fixing any broken packages:
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt --fix-broken install
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
2. Check System Logs
The system logs contain valuable information that can help you understand what went wrong:
System Journal Logs:
journalctl -p err -b
Upgrade Logs:
less /var/log/dpkg.log
less /var/log/apt/term.log
Crash Reports:
ls /var/crash
3. Check Disk Health
If the upgrade process was interrupted due to disk issues, check your hard drive's health using smartctl:
sudo apt install smartmontools
sudo smartctl -a /dev/sda
sudo smartctl -t short /dev/sda
4. Check Filesystem for Errors
You can check your filesystem for errors and repair them using fsck:
sudo fsck -f /dev/sda1
Ensure to replace /dev/sda1 with your root partition.
5. Check System Services
If the system boots but some services are not running, you can check for failed services:
systemctl --failed
Restart any failed service and check logs for more details:
sudo systemctl restart <service-name>
sudo journalctl -xe
6. Run Ubuntu Diagnostics Tool
Ubuntu offers built-in diagnostic tools that can help with hardware and software checks:
sudo apt install checkbox-gui
checkbox-gui
7. Run Memory Test
To rule out memory issues, run a memory test from the GRUB menu:
When booting, press Esc or Shift to access the GRUB menu, then select Memory Test (memtest86+).
8. Reinstall Ubuntu (Last Resort)
If diagnosing the system doesn't help and it’s still broken, you can reinstall Ubuntu without losing data. During installation, choose the option Reinstall Ubuntu, which keeps your files intact but reinstalls the operating system.