How to upgrade GNOME in Ubuntu 20.04?

I'm currently using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with Gnome 3.36.8. But I like the new GNOME 40 look. I've been using this system for almost 2 years, and I've many programs installed here and everything set up the way I want to. So, is there a way to upgrade my GNOME to the new version? Thank you.

Solution 1:

Unless you can compile Gnome 40 yourself to run on Ubuntu 20.04, you cannot currently install Gnome 40 on Ubuntu LTS because no PPA exists for this. There is, however, a PPA that allows to install Gnome 40 on the latest Ubuntu 21.04. So if you want Gnome 40, move to Ubuntu 21.04 first.

Solution 2:

It is possible to install GNOME 40 on Ubuntu 20.04. I followed these steps and they worked for me.

Note: All packages are still in the experimental phase. Installing the repositories mentioned below may break your system.

Instructions:

1. Install the devacom/gnome-40 and devacom/x11 repositories to fix gnome-shell dependencies:

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:devacom/gnome-40
   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:devacom/x11
   sudo apt-get update
   

2. Install gnome-shell before the upgrade (fix desktop will not load):

   sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop
   

   • You may also want to install the Applications Menu or ArcMenu extensions using your browser.

3. Upgrade your system:

   sudo apt upgrade
   

4. Reboot your system and enjoy.