Kubuntu Complaint (sarcasm!) on New Install

Sat Dec 20 13:09:12 UTC 2025

Ray,

I'm not sure if I read what you wrote correctly, but if you're are indeed
still running K18.04, I would definitely advise you to upgrade to the
latest version.

Kubuntu 18.04 is end of life, and 20.04 is also now out of standard
support. At this point there are no security updates, kernel updates, or
driver fixes. The archive repositories still exist, but they are static.
They allow installs and dependency resolution only. They do not provide
ongoing maintenance.

There have been significant improvements since 18.04. Kernel support is
materially better, particularly for storage, NVMe, graphics, firmware, and
power management. Driver support and overall system stability have
improved. Filesystem and bootloader handling is more robust. Timeshift
itself has also improved since the 18.04 timeframe, although it still
depends on correct configuration and should not be treated as a full backup.

For context, I have a Dell XPS laptop bought in 2019 which has been
upgraded continuously across Ubuntu and Kubuntu releases. I have only seen
occasional minor issues during upgrades, all of which were straightforward
to resolve.

The Timeshift restore failure you describe is not unusual on older
releases. It is commonly caused by snapshot layout, UUID, or bootloader
mismatches. Newer releases handle this more reliably, but old snapshots
should not be carried forward.

A conservative path forward would be:
Take a full disk image or sector-level clone of the Kubuntu disk. Do not
rely on Timeshift alone.
Disconnect all other OS drives before upgrading to avoid GRUB and UUID
conflicts.
Upgrade one LTS step at a time, from 18.04 to 20.04, then to 22.04, or do a
clean install of 22.04 or 24.04.

Reboot and verify after each step.
Re-enable Timeshift on the new release and create fresh snapshots.
Reconnect other drives only once the system is stable.

One additional consideration is storage wear. If your SSD or NVMe has been
in service for several years, replacement is sensible. Flash storage tends
to fail abruptly. A new drive is inexpensive insurance, especially for a
fallback system.

Given that Windows 7 and XP are already legacy systems, keeping your Linux
install current gives you a supported and reliable environment when you
need it.

Best wishes,
David

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David

Email   |  david at hackbinary.com

I have no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly more surprising
than anything I can imagine. Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is
not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.
 - J.B.S. Haldane
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, Dec 20, 2025, 05:20 Raymond J Burke <rayburke30 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Raymond J Burke <rayburke30 at gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2025 at 16:08
> Subject: Fwd: Kubuntu Complaint (sarcasm!) on New Install
> To: Kubuntu user technical support <kubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Raymond J Burke <rayburke30 at gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2025 at 08:31
> Subject: Re: Kubuntu Complaint (sarcasm!) on New Install
> To: Kubuntu user technical support <kubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
>
>
> Tommy Trussell 20/12/2025,
> I run dual boot Win7 Pro and K18.04 (see attached). And had been thinking
> of upgrading my k18.04 to a later version. So after reading your post, what
> do you think is the best way to upgrade K18.04 to later. As I mainly use
> Win7 pro and K18.04 as backup. Also I can run XP,Mint 19.02 and K14.04 when
> I connect up those drives they are on.The only problem I have with K18.04
> is that when I save the current system and Want to boot from a previous
> saved restore it fails to mount the restored one I want.So going to an
> upgrade of K18.04 I might be relieved from this. What do you think? I
> forgot I use the ktime app to creata and restore?
>
> Ray
> PS sorry it is "Timeshift" not Ktime as not confused
>
> On Fri, 19 Dec 2025 at 14:59, Tommy Trussell <tommy.trussell at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> My trusty 2015 laptop got flaky, so I ordered a new one. The new laptop
>> arrived, and I installed Kubuntu 25.10, which works perfectly. From
>> previous sad experience, I kept Windows just in case I needed to run a
>> Windows-only diagnostic utility or something.
>>
>> I was thinking about rebooting into Windows and connecting it to the
>> Internet to look for a BIOS firmware update, when Kubuntu presented a
>> firmware update AND successfully installed it. Wow!
>>
>> I also find the "power save" energy profile in Kubuntu is excellent! It
>> reports more than ten hours usage on 80% charge, which is WAY WAY more than
>> the tens of SECONDS my old laptop's battery could handle. :-)
>>
>> I realize my experience won't be true for everyone. The ThinkPad Carbon
>> X1 Gen 12 is on an Ubuntu list as being "supported." I could have saved big
>> bucks buying another brand or a used laptop. I also know I may eventually
>> encounter other things to adjust.
>>
>> I used Lenovo's Vantage utility in Windows to set the battery charge /
>> discharge levels to 80% and 75%. Eventually I will install TLP so I can
>> occasionally kick the battery to 100% without rebooting (assuming that
>> feature works on my model). I don't think I need TLP's power management
>> features, since Kubuntu's work great.
>>
>> Overall I am very impressed at the completeness of the support by Kubuntu
>> on a fresh install. I haven't tried any of the other Ubuntu spins on this
>> model, but I cannot imagine any could be better.
>>
>> MY COMPLAINT: As a non-Windows user (Ubuntu user since Warty, etc. etc),
>> I spent a lot of time reading about, preparing and activating the Windows
>> 11 partition, because I never use Windows and don't know the tricks.
>> (Things like not connecting it to the Internet and not linking to a
>> Microsoft account.) I now know I could have ignored Windows completely!
>> Windows was a waste of my time. :-P
>>
>> I will probably create Windows Restore media, just in case I experience a
>> failure during the warranty period, but I can't think of anything else I
>> might need Windows for.
>>
>> P.S.: You should see the extensive notes I kept for my 2015 ThinkPad E540
>> -- things I had to go through to get things working on Ubuntu 14.04, EVEN
>> THOUGH it was a "supported" model. The trackpad, suspend, battery charging
>> indicator, fingerprint reader, fans, USB ports, screen brightness -- lots
>> of stuff didn't work quite right or even at all, or needed special
>> handling. I filed a bug on the BIOS to fix USB 3.0. Lots of little pain
>> points. I see from my notes I also tested Fedora KDE to see what worked and
>> didn't.
>>
>> On the other hand, here in 2025, Kubuntu recognized everything, including
>> all the features of the trackpad and the fingerprint reader! If there's a
>> feature that doesn't work, I haven't encountered it yet.
>> --
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>>
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