Linux Operating System DEBIAN 13 _ " apt-get upgrade " is it okay to run this command in order to upgrade the DISTRO from DEBIAN 13 to DEBIAN 14

 

 

 

Hi Copilot , currently I an using DEBIAN 13 on my PC/Desktop and is it okay if I run the command "apt-get upgrade" in order to update the DISTRO in order to get the latest software that is available ? THANKS Copilot.

 

MICROSOFT Copilot Answer

 

Great question — this is an important distinction in Debian!

🔄 What apt-get upgrade does

• It upgrades all installed packages to the latest versions available in your current Debian release.
• It does not install or remove packages — only upgrades existing ones.
• Safe to run regularly, but it won’t move you to a new Debian release (e.g., from Debian 13 to Debian 14).

🚀 If you want the latest distro release

• To upgrade the entire distribution (e.g., Debian 13 → Debian 14), you need:
  1. Update your /etc/apt/sources.list to point to the new release (e.g., change bookworm to trixie if that’s the next codename).
  2. Run:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get upgrade
     sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
     

  3. Finally:

     sudo apt-get full-upgrade
     

     or use:

     sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
     

     which handles package removals/additions needed for the new release.

✅ Best practice

• Use apt update && apt upgrade regularly to keep your system current within Debian 13.
• Use apt full-upgrade (or apt-get dist-upgrade) when you want to upgrade the whole distro after changing sources.
• Always backup important data before a full distribution upgrade.

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👉 So yes, running apt-get upgrade is perfectly fine — but it only updates software within Debian 13. If your goal is to jump to the next Debian release, you’ll need dist-upgrade or full-upgrade after adjusting your sources.

Do you want me to walk you through the step-by-step process of upgrading Debian 13 to the next release, or are you mainly looking to keep Debian 13 up-to-date with the latest packages?