user44742: I originally set up my bitcoin-core node on Ubuntu 16.04 Xenial using apt.
The ppa:/bitcoin/bitcoin package repository that I used isn't maintained beyond version 0.15.0, so I need a different way to upgrade to the latest version.
Options seem to be to use either snap or compile from source.
Would appreciate any advise on options. I have full blockchain and I don't want to do anything stupid like deleting it.
Right now, everything is in /root/.bitcoin. Ideally, I'd prefer to switch to source compiling, so as not to run into this issue again.

user44742: So, I completed this without issue by compiling from source.
The apt package binaries were installed in /usr/bin. When compiling from source I used the ./configure --prefix= option to install the updated binaries in a different location.
All of my configuration and block data remained in /root/.bitcoin. By default, the code looks for bitcoin.conf in ~/.bitcoin so once I executed the new binaries it found the configuration as required.
I haven't removed the apt package, but I did move the older version binaries from /usr/bin and have added the new location to $PATH.

44742: <p>I originally set up my bitcoin-core node on Ubuntu 16.04 Xenial using <code>apt</code>.</p>
<p>The <code>ppa:/bitcoin/bitcoin</code> package repository that I used isn't maintained beyond version 0.15.0, so I need a different way to upgrade to the latest version.</p>
<p>Options seem to be to use either <code>snap</code> or compile from source.</p>
<p>Would appreciate any advise on options. I have full blockchain and I don't want to do anything stupid like deleting it.</p>
<p>Right now, everything is in <code>/root/.bitcoin</code>. Ideally, I'd prefer to switch to source compiling, so as not to run into this issue again.</p>
 44742: <p>So, I completed this without issue by compiling from source.</p>
<p>The <code>apt</code> package binaries were installed in <code>/usr/bin</code>. When compiling from source I used the <code>./configure --prefix=</code> option to install the updated binaries in a different location.</p>
<p>All of my configuration and block data remained in <code>/root/.bitcoin</code>. By default, the code looks for <code>bitcoin.conf</code> in <code>~/.bitcoin</code> so once I executed the new binaries it found the configuration as required.</p>
<p>I haven't removed the <code>apt</code> package, but I did move the older version binaries from <code>/usr/bin</code> and have added the new location to <code>$PATH</code>.</p>
