update与upgrade的区别

通常update是指更新系统，比如给windows打打补丁。
而upgrade是指升级，比如将windows xp升级为vista, QQ2007升级为2008.

下面是字面解释
update 可翻译为 更新，软件达到最新，两个版本间差别不是很大
也就是软件支持商所做出的小的修改，及时的修复一些bugs.在发行版本上以WordPress 为例，WordPress 2.83更新到WordPress 2.84或者是说Windows XP SP2 更新到 Windows SP3.

upgrade 可翻译为 升级，软件功能得到很大的提升
相对 update 来说比较大的动作，革命性的改革.比如 WordPress2.7升级到 WordPress 2.8.或者是说从Windows XP 升级到 Windows 7.

update 和 upgrade 的侧重点不一样，update主要是使软件达到最新，比如WordPress 2.84 ，但 upgrade 更侧重的是软件功能得到一个很大的提升，区别于频繁的发布最新的补丁.比如WordPress 2.7 到 WordPress 2.8 ，虽然其中还有WordPress 2.71.

在linux中常常会对apt-get的update与upgrade的区别有疑问，以下是linux系统自己的解释
man apt-get

update
update is used to resynchronize the package index files from their sources. The indexes of available packages are fetched from the
location(s) specified in /etc/apt/sources.list. For example, when using a Debian archive, this command retrieves and scans the
Packages.gz files, so that information about new and updated packages is available. An update should always be performed before an
upgrade or dist-upgrade. Please be aware that the overall progress meter will be incorrect as the size of the package files cannot be
known in advance.

upgrade
upgrade is used to install the newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system from the sources enumerated in
/etc/apt/sources.list. Packages currently installed with new versions available are retrieved and upgraded; under no circumstances are
currently installed packages removed, or packages not already installed retrieved and installed. New versions of currently installed
packages that cannot be upgraded without changing the install status of another package will be left at their current version. An update
must be performed first so that apt-get knows that new versions of packages are available.

dist-upgrade
dist-upgrade in addition to performing the function of upgrade, also intelligently handles changing dependencies with new versions of
packages; apt-get has a “smart” conflict resolution system, and it will attempt to upgrade the most important packages at the expense of
less important ones if necessary. The /etc/apt/sources.list file contains a list of locations from which to retrieve desired package
files. See also apt_preferences(5) for a mechanism for overriding the general settings for individual packages.

这里的update只是刷新了一下源而已。刷新后，有新版本的东西就会出现了。
一般我就是update后再upgrade或者dist-upgrade，不一样的好像就是加dist会更新内核。

http://murray.cn/index.php/2010/01/linux-system-update-upgrade/