If you are a Ubuntu user, you are probably well aware of the recent 8.04 upgrade release. As you know, you can either do a clean installation (format and install fresh) or an upgrade installation (install on top of your existing OS). If you are pondering which is best for you, then I recommend this recent article on Linux.com: “Ubuntu 8.04: Upgrade or clean install?“.

The author explains their experience in upgrading both ways as well as the benefits and drawbacks to each. Having done two Ubuntu upgrades myself (5.10 to 6.06 and 6.06 to 7.04), I found a clean install each time was what worked best for me. Of course, the decision is yours to make and you probably cannot go wrong with either choice.

Of course, the #1 thing to do before any upgrade is to make sure your data is backed up!