An Upgrade From Lunar To Noble Is Not Supported

This error means Ubuntu can’t jump from Lunar (23.04) to Noble (24.04) in one step; go via 23.10 or reinstall.

You’ll usually see this message after running do-release-upgrade on an Ubuntu 23.04 system. It feels like the tool is broken. It isn’t. It’s telling you the upgrade hop you asked for isn’t on the allowed list for that release.

The good news: you can still end up on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. You just need to pick a route that matches how Ubuntu upgrades are shipped, tested, and published.

An Upgrade From Lunar To Noble Is Not Supported

Ubuntu release upgrades are designed as a chain, not a jump. Each release has a defined next step. When that next step is missing, the upgrade tool stops early and shows the message you saw.

For Lunar (23.04), the normal next step was Mantic (23.10). Noble (24.04) accepts upgrades from Jammy (22.04) and from Mantic (23.10), not from Lunar. That rule is written into the public upgrade metadata the tool reads.

How The Upgrade Tool Decides

do-release-upgrade uses a “meta-release” index to know what upgrades are offered and when they open. If your current release isn’t listed with a valid next target, the tool exits instead of guessing.

If Lunar is past end-of-life, another snag can appear: its package repositories move off the main mirrors. That can block package updates, which then blocks the release upgrade checks.

Quick Signs You’re In This Situation

You See The Exact Error — The terminal prints the message right after the initial checks.
You’re On Ubuntu 23.04 — lsb_release -a shows “lunar” or VERSION_CODENAME=lunar in /etc/os-release.
Updates Fail With 404s — apt update can’t fetch indexes from the usual mirrors because the release moved to old archives.

Upgrade From Lunar To Noble On Ubuntu: What Blocks It

Two rules stack together here. First, Ubuntu expects interim releases to upgrade to the next interim release, one step at a time. Second, upgrades to a new LTS open in phases to keep early issues from hitting large groups at once.

Why A Direct Jump Is Refused

Lunar is an interim release. Interim releases are built for short cycles, and they get updates for a short window. When that window closes, the only clean path is the next release in the chain. Skipping the chain is risky, so the upgrade tool blocks it.

What The Official Upgrade Paths Look Like

Starting Release	Allowed Next Step	Typical Result
23.04 (Lunar)	23.10 (Mantic)	Then you can move to 24.04
23.10 (Mantic)	24.04 (Noble)	Standard LTS upgrade route
22.04 (Jammy)	24.04 (Noble)	Opens after the first point release
EOL Release	Old Archive Mirrors	May need repo edits first
Any Release	Fresh Install	Fastest route for many setups

If you’re reading this from a desktop you can touch, a fresh install is often the cleanest fix. If it’s a server with workloads you want to keep in place, stepping through releases can work well if you plan it.

Check Your Release And Repos Before You Change Anything

Before you upgrade, confirm two things: what release you’re on, and whether your APT sources still point to live mirrors. These checks take minutes and save hours.

Confirm The Codename

Run lsb_release — Use lsb_release -a and note the codename line.
Read os-release — Use cat /etc/os-release and look for VERSION_CODENAME.
Record Your Kernel — Use uname -r so you can compare after the upgrade.

Bring Packages Fully Up To Date

Release upgrades expect your current release to be fully updated. If your mirrors are still live, this is simple. If you get 404 errors, you’ll need to point APT to the old archive first.

Update Package Lists — Run sudo apt update and scan for errors.
Upgrade Installed Packages — Run sudo apt full-upgrade and accept kernel updates.
Remove Old Packages — Run sudo apt autoremove --purge to clear leftovers.
Reboot Once — Restart so you boot the newest kernel and libraries.

If Lunar Repos Are Archived

If your apt update output shows missing Release files or 404s, your sources may need to point to the old archive mirror. That mirror hosts end-of-life indexes so you can still update and move to the next release.

Back Up sources.list — Run sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.bak.
Switch To Old Archives — Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and replace your mirror base with http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/.
Refresh And Upgrade — Run sudo apt update then sudo apt full-upgrade again.

Make A Rollback Plan

Release upgrades touch the boot loader, the kernel, and core libraries. If something goes sideways, you want a clear way back. A little prep here is cheaper than a late-night rescue.

Save A Full Backup — Copy home data and any service data to a second disk or a remote host.
Capture A Package Snapshot — Run dpkg --get-selections > selections.txt so you can rebuild later.
Note Your Services — List the ports and daemons you run, plus their config locations.
Check Boot Space — Make sure /boot is not packed with old kernels.

If you manage systems at scale, take a snapshot before this point. For a home machine, a full backup of your home folder plus a list of installed packages is usually enough.

Step Through Releases With do-release-upgrade

This route keeps your install in place. It’s best for servers, or for desktops with a lot of custom setup that you don’t want to rebuild. The core idea is simple: upgrade Lunar to Mantic, then upgrade Mantic to Noble.

Plan For Downtime

On a server, treat this like maintenance work. A release upgrade can restart services, change libraries, and trigger a reboot. Plan a window, then run the upgrade when you can watch it.

Announce A Window — Tell users when services may reboot or restart.
Pause Extra Jobs — Pause batch tasks, cron spikes, and long builds.
Keep Console Access — Use iLO, IPMI, or a local console if you have it.
Log Output — Run the session inside screen or pipe output to a log file.

Move From 23.04 To 23.10

On a Lunar system that is fully updated, the first hop is to 23.10. If the normal tool can’t see 23.10 because of timing or metadata, you can use the published upgrade metadata for that release.

Install Upgrade Tools — Run sudo apt install update-manager-core.
Confirm Prompt Setting — In /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades, set Prompt=normal.
Start The Upgrade — Run sudo do-release-upgrade and follow the prompts.
Retry With Meta Index — If the tool can’t find 23.10, check https://changelogs.ubuntu.com/meta-release and rerun once your system is current.
Reboot After The Hop — Restart, then confirm the codename shows “mantic”.

Move From 23.10 To 24.04

Once you’re on Mantic, the hop to Noble is the standard path. This upgrade can take a while, and it may ask about config files you changed. If you’re unsure, keep your local version, then compare with the new version after the reboot.

Update Mantic First — Run sudo apt update and sudo apt full-upgrade.
Run The Upgrade — Run sudo do-release-upgrade and read each prompt.
Watch Disk Space — Keep several gigabytes free in / so unpacking does not fail.
Reboot And Verify — After reboot, run lsb_release -a and confirm “noble”.

Common Stalls And Fixes

Broken Packages — Run sudo apt --fix-broken install, then rerun sudo apt full-upgrade.
Third-Party PPAs — Disable them before the upgrade, then add them back after you’re on Noble.
Held Packages — Run apt-mark showhold and clear holds if they block the upgrade.
SSH Sessions — Use screen or tmux so a disconnect doesn’t kill the upgrade.

If you still hit the same message after these steps, double-check the codename you’re on and whether your APT sources match that codename. One mismatched entry can confuse the upgrade checks.

Clean Install Noble And Move Your Data

For many people, a clean install is the shortest route to a stable system. It also clears out years of old packages and repo entries that can trip upgrades. If your machine is a laptop or desktop with no hard-to-recreate services, this approach often saves time.

Prep Checklist Before You Wipe

Copy Home Data — Back up /home plus any extra mount points you use.
Export App Lists — Run apt-mark showmanual > manual-packages.txt so you can reinstall later.
Save Network Notes — Record Wi-Fi names, VPN profiles, and static IP settings.
Check Disk Layout — Note your partitions with lsblk -f or sudo fdisk -l.

Install Steps That Avoid Surprises

Download The ISO — Get Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from the official releases page.
Verify The Download — Compare the checksum so you know the file is intact.
Create A Boot USB — Use a trusted writer tool for your OS.
Pick Install Type — Choose “Erase disk” for a clean slate, or “Something else” to keep a separate data partition.
Restore Your Data — Copy your files back, then reinstall apps from your saved list.

Keep A Separate Data Partition

If you have a separate partition for /home or for data, a clean install can be painless. You install Noble on the system partition, then mount the old data partition.

Label Partitions — Use lsblk -f to identify the correct filesystem UUIDs.
Mount After Install — Add entries to /etc/fstab so data mounts on boot.
Restore App Configs — Copy config folders back in small batches, testing as you go.

After the install, update once, reboot once, and keep the system on official repositories for a few days before adding extra PPAs. That small pause helps you spot a base issue before extra packages muddy the picture.

Keep This Error From Coming Back

The phrase an upgrade from lunar to noble is not supported tends to show up when an interim release reaches end-of-life and its repo mirrors move. The smoother route is to upgrade during the active window, when the normal tool path is open.

Habits That Make Upgrades Boring

Upgrade Interim Releases Early — If you run interim releases, plan to upgrade twice a year.
Keep Backups Routine — Store a recent copy of home data plus a list of manual packages.
Limit Third-Party Repos — Add only what you need, and remove what you no longer use.
Read The Release Notes — Scan for known upgrade issues before you start.

Links Worth Keeping Handy

Release Upgrade Docs — How to upgrade your Ubuntu release
Upgrade Paths List — Ubuntu Release List
Release List — Ubuntu releases
Meta Release Index — meta-release

If you’re already past the easy window, don’t sweat it. Pick one route, follow it in order, and keep notes. After you land on 24.04, the same an upgrade from lunar to noble is not supported roadblock disappears because you’re back on a normal upgrade track.