Zorin OS 17 to 18 Upgrade Guide - Will Break Zorin OS

[Moderator Warning:
I am leaving the original contents below so that users can see the Faulty Guide and be able to recognize it, should they encounter it out in the wilds.
However, this guide is very risky and likely to break your build. Do Not Follow.]

In today’s video, we’ll be exploring the latest release of Zorin OS 18, which is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Noble Numbat. This new version brings updated software, a more refined desktop experience, and better hardware compatibility. However, before we begin, it’s important to note that this upgrade process is unofficial and should be done at your own risk. Make sure you have a complete backup of your important data before proceeding, as system upgrades can sometimes lead to unexpected issues if not handled carefully.

Now, let’s get started with the upgrade. I’m currently running Zorin OS 17.3, which is based on Ubuntu Jammy Jellyfish. As you can see on the screen, the system information shows the Zorin OS version and my current Linux kernel details. To begin the process, we’ll first open the terminal. The first step is to update the package index and apply all the latest updates available for your system. This process might take a little while, depending on your internet speed and how long it has been since you last updated your system.

Once the update process is complete, we’ll move on to modifying the repository files. These are the configuration files that tell your system where to download software and updates from. Since Zorin OS 17 is based on Ubuntu Jammy, and Zorin 18 is based on Ubuntu Noble, we need to replace every instance of “Jammy” with “Noble” in those repository files. Instead of editing each file manually, I’ll show you a single command that automatically finds and replaces all the entries for you. After running it, you’ll see a list of files where the changes have been made. Once the command finishes successfully, we can verify the changes by checking the repository list again. On your screen, you should now see that all instances of “Jammy” have been successfully replaced with “Noble.”

Next, we’ll proceed with the upgrade process itself. We’ll execute a sequence of commands to refresh the package lists, fix any broken dependencies, and perform the full system upgrade to move from Zorin OS 17 to Zorin OS 18. Follow each step carefully and don’t skip ahead, as this process may take some time and could involve a couple of reboots depending on your system. Once the upgrade finishes successfully, we’ll return to confirm the results.

Welcome back! As you can see on the screen, by running neofetch, the system now shows that Zorin OS 17.3 has been successfully upgraded to Zorin OS 18, along with the newest Linux kernel. Everything works smoothly without any major issues. To enhance your experience even further, I recommend installing the Zorin OS Desktop package. This will provide you with the full Zorin desktop environment and ensure smoother performance and better system integration. Once installed, simply run the final cleanup commands and reboot your system.

And that’s it — Zorin OS 17 has been successfully upgraded to Zorin OS 18 Noble Numbat. This is currently the only detailed guide available on the internet for performing this upgrade, so if it helped you, please show your appreciation with a like and subscription to TechSolutions. It really helps support the channel and keeps these practical tutorials coming. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!

Terminal commands:

  1. grep -r jammy /etc/apt/ | grep -v "#"
  2. sudo find /etc/apt/ -type f -name "*.list" -exec sed -i 's/jammy/noble/g' {} +
  3. grep -r noble /etc/apt/ | grep -v "#"
  4. sudo apt clean
  5. sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
  6. sudo apt update
  7. apt-cache policy grub-efi-amd64
  8. sudo apt install grub-efi-amd64 shim-signed
  9. sudo apt --fix-broken install
  10. sudo apt dist-upgrade
  11. sudo update-grub
  12. sudo reboot

Video Guide Link : https://youtu.be/eQ6vOtX8Tpk

I have closed this topic and adjusted the title to clarify that this "guide" is faulty and highly likely to break your build of Zorin OS.

In the past, these guides would appear on the net, prior to when ZorinGroup released the Zorin Upgrader Tool. They were wrong, then, too.

Why this guide is wrong:

Merely changing the sources to the next release name does not address the configurations and package curation.
It bypasses that preparation.
This mixes the Noble Sources with the Jammy configurations.

This guide does go a step further by at least attempting to correct Grub configuration errors, but in a rather slapdash way.
Finally, it will try to reconcile the Frankenstein sources and build using --fix-broken install which can easily fail on most dependencies.

As of Oct 16 2025:

The ZorinGroup has not yet released the files for the direct upgrade approach, which does work with the Zorin Upgrader tool already safely in place.
So, if a user tried this guide today - they will break their system.
If they try after the release date for Zorin OS 18 Direct Upgrade; they are likely to break their system.

This guide is dangerous and fundamentally serves no purpose, since the ZorinGroup already has a safe direct upgrade approach in place.

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