elementary OS 6 Odin FAQ

Thank you for your interest in elementary OS 6! We’ve been compiling some of the most frequently-asked questions about the release here.

Can I upgrade from OS 5.1?

We recommend backing up your data and reinstalling elementary OS. For more details, please see Release Upgrades.

Is AppCenter empty? Where are the apps?

AppStream Data

The first time AppCenter is opened, it may need to download the AppStream data—the catalog of apps and their information—before showing them. In the meantime, try closing and re-opening AppCenter or restarting your device once after installing to ensure you're able to see the apps.

We're tracking an issue to improve this experience.

Third-Party Curated Apps

Third-party app developers are responsible for porting their apps from elementary OS 5 to OS 6 and the new Flatpak packaging format. We worked to provide updated documentation and guidance for developers in the months up to the release during the beta cycle, but some elected to wait until after the release to port their apps.

We're seeing third-party AppCenter apps rapidly return to AppCenter in OS 6, and the best news: now that these apps are Flatpaks, they will carry forward to future releases without additional work from the developer.

Ubuntu Repository Packages

Apps that are packaged by Ubuntu as Debian packages in the Ubuntu LTS repositories are not available in AppCenter in OS 6 due to common user complaints that the Ubuntu repositories were outdated and lagged behind feature updates and fixes, combined with the vastly improved experience with Flatpak packages.

If you're looking to install the most up-to-date apps that were not explicitly designed for elementary OS, we recommend Flathub where apps are typically kept up to date and oftentimes provided by the app authors themselves. After installing one app from Flathub, that app's updates and all other apps from Flathub will show up in AppCenter.

Ubuntu repository packages remain available e.g. for developers via apt in the Terminal.

Why won't the installer or OS boot on my hardware?

elementary OS 6 builds on an Ubuntu core. Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS has been delayed due to an issue booting on certain EFI hardware, including some Dell machines. We were unaware of this when releasing OS 6, but are now aware and tracking the upstream issue—and we'll release an updated ISO once the issue is fixed and Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS is released.

In the meantime, there are a few workarounds that can be attempted; see the issue.

Why can't I install in a virtual machine?

We do not recommend installing in a virtual machine, as it won't perform as well as a full install. If you are attempting to install in a virtual machine like VirtualBox, you may encounter an issue where the machine does not make the window large enough; you can try enabling EFI if possible but understand you may encounter other issues.

We've also heard that GNOME Boxes offers a better default virtual machine experience with elementary OS than other virtual machine software, but your experience may vary.

Where can I report an issue or feedback I have?

elementary OS is developed 100% in the open on our GitHub organization. If you're on elementary OS, we recommend using the built-in Send Feedback tool to ensure your issue or feedback goes to the right place:

1. Open System Settings → System → Send Feedback (or search for “feedback” in the Applications Menu)
2. Select what you think is the closest match from the list provided
3. Follow the instructions in your web browser to file an issue

If you're not on elementary OS:

1. Visit our GitHub organization to view a list of all repositories
2. Use the “Find a repository…” search to search for the closest match for where you're seeing an issue
3. On a specific repository, select the “Issues” tab
4. Search the list for key words from your issue; try a few different ways of phrasing it
5. If you find your issue has already been reported, use the built-in 👍 reaction on the issue to mark it as affecting you, otherwise select the “New issue” button and follow the directions

In either case, we may transfer your issue to the correct repository or mark it as a duplicate to keep the list of issues as organized as possible.