# Updrading Nix on an Ubuntu base - this is seriously broken!

**URL:** https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updrading-nix-on-an-ubuntu-base-this-is-seriously-broken/53934
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [October 5, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updrading-nix-on-an-ubuntu-base-this-is-seriously-broken/53934 "2024-10-05T09:01:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![asard](https://discourse.nixos.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@asard](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/asard)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updrading-nix-on-an-ubuntu-base-this-is-seriously-broken/53934/1 "2024-10-05T09:01:33Z")

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When I started out the version from:  
nix --version  
nix (Nix) 2.23.0

I tried updating with the info here [Upgrading Nix - Nix Reference Manual](https://nix.dev/manual/nix/2.23/installation/upgrading.html)

But now when I run nix --version i get a lower version than the one that was installed.  
nix --version  
nix (Nix) 2.18.8

A newly installed system I have shows the following:  
nix --version  
nix (Nix) 2.24.9

How do I bring my older install in line with the newer one?

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### Author: ![waffle8946](https://discourse.nixos.org/user_avatar/discourse.nixos.org/waffle8946/32/27221_2.png) [@waffle8946](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/waffle8946)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2024, 1:55pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updrading-nix-on-an-ubuntu-base-this-is-seriously-broken/53934/2 "2024-10-05T13:55:15Z")

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> [@Updating nix to latest version on nix os](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updating-nix-to-latest-version-on-nix-os/52130/3):
>
> 2.18.5 is the newest stable version of nix. 2.19+ has regressions, notably in performance and security. So if you use 2.24.x, know that you are intentionally using an unstable version that may have issues on your system. If it eventually stabilises well enough for NixOS, you will get that newest version automatically when you upgrade to 24.11 or whatever release it shows up in.

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### Author: ![asard](https://discourse.nixos.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@asard](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/asard)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updrading-nix-on-an-ubuntu-base-this-is-seriously-broken/53934/3 "2024-11-04T01:03:20Z")

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Thanks for the explanation of why the versions were different.  
I think it’s a bit problematic to have the default install be the unstable branch.  
As it seems to be the case for all things nix related, the documentation is either lacking, out-of-date or non-existent.

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### Author: ![waffle8946](https://discourse.nixos.org/user_avatar/discourse.nixos.org/waffle8946/32/27221_2.png) [@waffle8946](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/waffle8946)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/updrading-nix-on-an-ubuntu-base-this-is-seriously-broken/53934/4 "2024-11-04T01:25:14Z")

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It’s because nix and nixpkgs are at odds with each other while still being implicitly coupled.