System76 just opened the Pop!_OS 24.04 upgrade path for 22.04 users

System76 has published the official upgrade path for Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS. The hardware manufacturer released new documentation today. This guide details exactly how users on the older 22.04 LTS version can transition their operating systems to the current release.

For those unfamiliar with the Linux landscape, Pop!_OS is an Ubuntu variant developed by System76. The company originally built it to ship on their own custom laptops and desktops. It quickly gained a massive following outside of their hardware ecosystem because it solved one of the biggest headaches in PC gaming: graphics drivers. The installer bundles Nvidia and AMD GPU support right out of the box. I actually run Pop!_OS on one of my own laptops for exactly this reason. You install the operating system, download Steam, and your games just work.

Before Valve released the Steam Deck and pushed the Proton compatibility layer into the mainstream, gaming on Linux was a massive chore. Players had to manually add package repositories and compile drivers just to get a graphics card recognized. Pop!_OS bypassed all of that friction. It remains a default recommendation for anyone looking to ditch Windows.

While Pop!_OS 24.04 officially launched in December 2025, moving from one Long Term Support release to another is a delicate process. The 22.04 version came out back in 2022. Users making this jump are skipping over years of underlying architecture changes.

A brand new desktop written in Rust

The biggest change in the 24.04 release is the user interface. Previous versions of Pop!_OS relied on a heavily modified version of the GNOME desktop environment. System76 eventually decided that modifying someone else's code was holding them back. They spent the last few years building their own interface from scratch.

The result is the COSMIC desktop environment. System76 built COSMIC entirely in the Rust programming language. This Epoch 1 release focuses on speed and deep customization. Users can tile their windows automatically, adjust panel layouts, and tweak the interface without needing third-party extensions. Because it is written in Rust, the desktop is highly responsive and less prone to memory leaks.

This matters heavily for gaming. A lightweight desktop environment leaves more system resources available for running demanding PC titles. Pop!_OS already had a reputation for squeezing extra frames out of hardware. The move to COSMIC pushes that advantage further.

The terminal command to start the process

According to the System76 blog, users can trigger the upgrade directly through the OS upgrade tool in their system settings. Those who prefer the command line can simply open their terminal and type a quick release upgrade command to begin the download.

The company strongly advises users to back up their files before initiating the process. Operating system upgrades touch core system files and kernel modules. A power failure or corrupted package during the installation can leave a computer unbootable.

System76 founders Carl Richell and Erik Fetzer started the company in 2005 with a clear goal: make Linux computers accessible to normal people. The company now manufactures its Thelio desktop line in Denver, Colorado. Pop!_OS is the software realization of that original hardware goal. By providing a clear path from 22.04 to 24.04, they are ensuring their existing user base can safely make the leap to the new COSMIC era.