[Advanced] How to downgrade or upgrade to version but as Fresh install

Asked by නොදන්නා

i know how to upgrade or downgrade but I want to know is there way to upgrade or downgrade ubuntu as fresh install?

What's the goal? It means as,
* Auto removing every user installed packages, applications, snaps.
* Auto removing every manual installed desktop environments (eg: kde etc) left packages etc that difficult to remove manually
* Auto removing every changes, settings, minor changes etc.
* Auto reset core functionalities and including boot logo etc
* Auto removing every contents; any kind of in the partition (and as the state of first installation)

Is there most accurate way for that?

About downgrade: https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-downgrade-ubuntu-linux-system-to-its-previous-version
(i know its not much recommended but below i have explained about serious problem)

---------side node---------
Past i upgraded ubuntu from 20.04 to 21.04 to see new features and enhancements. It was good.
However i noticed it preserve many unwanted packages, changes etc had on 20.04

Now i want to downgrade from 21.04 to 20.04, because i installed it on all-in-on (full touch) PC that doesn't have cooling fan inside etc. i continued use 21.04 for a while (while applying updates every week so far) but some updates seems now bring a one problem.
As mentioned above due lack cooling facility; now when goes around 1hr since boot then it heat bit more (not soo much) then the device screen auto off and on every few seconds with showing "waiting" notification. it bothers to use that device then i have to turn off for reduce the heat. It has "thermald" pre-installed but no luck and hard to find root cause.

However in that both tasks (upgrade and downgrade); i wanted to accomplish a requirement about bring the device to fresh install state (without format and install the OS again)

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Ubuntu Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
Manfred Hampl (m-hampl) said :
#1

I am not aware of a possibility to automatically remove packages that you have added manually.
The only reasonable way to reset a system to "vanilla" status that I know is a new installation.

You can try digging through the logfiles of apt and dpkg. Maybe you can identify the changes that you want to revert.
The command "apt-mark showmanual" will list all manually installed packages, but the list will also contain key packages that are part of the initial installation (like ubuntu-desktop).

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask නොදන්නා for more information if necessary.

To post a message you must log in.