how to convert "ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop" to "ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server"?

[qiubosu]

Dear Sir,

how to convert "ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop" to "ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server" (after the conversion, the GUI desktop will be still available)?

i have a 64 bits server (support virtualization) with "ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop" installed. there are wine, filezilla, openoffice, oracle vm virtualbox etc applications, and some VM OS images installed in this server as well.

now i want to convert the "ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop" to "ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server", and require the above installed applications and VM OS images still work after the conversion. can this be achieved without any hassles? if yes, how to achieve it and what is the easiest way to do it? if the above installed applications not working after the conversion, could them work after being adjustified/reinstalled/tuned?

what i plan to do is to directly upgrade from "ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop" to "ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server", with a burned "ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server" CD. is this ok? otherwise, please advice.

thanks.

[till]

I guess a switch of the operatings ystem from 32bit to 64bit is not possible without reinstalling the computer. And the Ubuntu server has no gui, so if you want to use open office etc. on the server afterwards, better use the desktop version and not the server version from ubuntu.

[qiubosu]

if 1) upgrade ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop to ubuntu 12.04 64 bits desktop, then run "sudo apt-get install linux-headers-server linux-image-server linux-server" to make it as ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server. or 2) run "sudo apt-get install linux-headers-server linux-image-server linux-server" to make ubuntu 10.04 32 bits desktop to ubuntu 10.04 32 bits server, and then upgrade it to ubuntu 12.04 64 bits server.

after convert the ubuntu desktop to server, keep all the GUI staff, i.e. under server OS, can still use the desktop GUI.

do you think this will do the job?

[falko]

I don't think this will work. I guess you will have to reinstall from scratch.