openSUSE Leap 15.3 Is at the End of Life, Here’s How to Upgrade

openSUSE Leap 15.3 will reach the Еnd-of-Life on December 31. So if you're still using it, it's time to upgrade to Leap 15.4.

On December 13, 2022, openSUSE Leap 15.3 will reach the End-of-Life (EOL) and will no longer be supported. Unfortunately, this means there will be no further security updates or bug fixes for the operating system.

openSUSE Leap 15.3 End-of-Life Warning
openSUSE Leap 15.3 End-of-Life Warning

In other words, those who continue to use EOL versions will be exposed to vulnerabilities because these discontinued versions no longer receive security and maintenance updates.

So, if you are currently using openSUSE Leap 15.3, it is time to upgrade to a newer version to continue receiving security updates and bug fixes. This article will show you how to upgrade from openSUSE Leap 15.3 to the currently supported Leap 15.4 version.

How to Upgrade to openSUSE Leap 15.4 from Leap 15.3

Here’s our openSUSE Leap 15.3 system before starting the migration process to Leap 15.4.

openSUSE Leap 15.3
openSUSE Leap 15.3

Step 1: Update All Installed Packages

Ensure that all packages on your system are up to date. Install any pending updates before proceeding.

sudo zypper refresh
suso zypper update
Update all installed packages
Update all installed packages

Then, check to see if your Leap repos defined in “/etc/zypp/repos.d/” are already using the $releasever parameter. For example:

Check for the repos 'releasever' parameter.
Check for the repos ‘releasever’ parameter.

If they are still hard-coded with a specific Leap version number, for example, “15.3“, you must first change them. If this is the case, the command below will help you.

sudo sed -i 's/15.3/${releasever}/g' /etc/zypp/repos.d/*.repoCode language: JavaScript (javascript)

Step 2: Set Leap 15.4 Repos

Now we need to set our openSUSE system to use Leap 15.4 repositories and refresh the information about available packages. Using the command below makes this simple.

sudo zypper --releasever=15.4 refresh
Set Leap 15.4 Repos
Set Leap 15.4 Repos

Step 3: Upgrade to openSUSE Leap 15.4

Time to start the actual upgrade process to openSUSE Leap 15.4. But first, we should mention something crucial.

It is highly recommended that you not run the following command within your openSUSE desktop environment. Your graphical environment may crash during the upgrade, which may also crash your terminal, resulting in an unsuccessful upgrade.

We recommend going to the virtual console using the Ctrl+Alt+F1 keyboard shortcut, logging in, and then using the command below to upgrade your system to openSUSE Leap 15.4.

zypper --releasever=15.4 dup
Start the upgrade process to openSUSE LEAP 15.4
Start the upgrade process to openSUSE Leap 15.4

The command above will begin downloading and installing all the packages needed to upgrade from openSUSE Leap 15.3 to 15.4. Be patient, as the entire process will take some time, depending on your internet connection speed.

Step 4: Reboot

Once the upgrade process is complete, all you have to do is restart your system. Then, the GRUB bootloader will greet you and inform you that you are now running openSUSE Leap 15.4.

GRUB Bootloader
GRUB Bootloader

Log in and enjoy your newly successfully upgraded to openSUSE Leap 15.4 system.

openSUSE Leap 15.4
Upgrade to openSUSE Leap 15.4 succeeded

Additionally, you can check all your available software repositories by running the following:

sudo zypper repos --uri
openSUSE 15.4 Leap Repositories
openSUSE 15.4 Leap Repositories

Conclusion

With only a few days till openSUSE Leap 15.3 support ends, now is the time to upgrade to the most recent Leap 15.4 release. We’ve shown how to do it.

The openSUSE developers did an excellent job, and the upgrade from Leap 15.3 to 15.4 is seamless. The process takes about 30 minutes or a little more with a good internet connection.

We would be happy to share any questions or comments with us using the form below.

Bobby Borisov

Bobby Borisov

Bobby, an editor-in-chief at Linuxiac, is a Linux professional with over 20 years of experience. With a strong focus on Linux and open-source software, he has worked as a Senior Linux System Administrator, Software Developer, and DevOps Engineer for small and large multinational companies.

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