Try dropping to a console and doing a dpkg --configure -a which will reconfigure all packages that are awaiting (or previously failed) configuration.
Occassionally you might need to run dpkg multiple times before you get complete success, at which point you can then call an apt-get dist-upgrade to try an install those that didn't previously install.
Basically just repeat those two steps, paying attention to any error messages that might arise, and you'll eventually get a fully updated system. If things really seem to be going wrong you can try apt-get upgrade instead of apt-get dist-upgrade which just tries to upgrade the "current" packages rather than trying to upgrade to the latest Ubuntu release.
The "partial upgrade" button corresponds to apt-get upgrade, while the "upgrade" button corresponds to a "full upgrade". The step that isn't handled by the GUI is dpkg --configure -a and is the most common problem when trying to upgrade and particular packages have jumped a few versions rather than just one.
If you are not afraid do get your hands dirty, the best way to do this is :
apt-cache show packagename
It will show you all the different version of the package that you can install, according to your sources.list definition. You will get something like that ( this is how it looks for me ):
root@shiny-desktop:/home/shiny# apt-cache show libpulse-browse0
Package: libpulse-browse0
Status: install ok installed
Priority: optional
Section: sound
Installed-Size: 100
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Architecture: i386
Source: pulseaudio
Version: 1:0.9.15-4ubuntu2~ppa1
Depends: libavahi-client3 (>= 0.6.16), libavahi-common3 (>= 0.6.16), libc6 (>= 2.4), libcap1, libdbus-1-3 (>= 1.0.2), libgdbm3, libice6 (>= 1:1.0.0), libpulse0 (= 1:0.9.15-4ubuntu2~ppa1), libsm6, libwrap0 (>= 7.6-4~), libx11-6, libxtst6
Description: PulseAudio client libraries (zeroconf support)
PulseAudio, previously known as Polypaudio, is a sound server for POSIX and
WIN32 systems. It is a drop in replacement for the ESD sound server with
much better latency, mixing/re-sampling quality and overall architecture.
.
Client libraries used by applications that access a PulseAudio sound server
via PulseAudio's native interface.
.
This package adds support for zeroconf (aka. Avahi, mdns) discovery of
PulseAudio sinks and sources by client applications.
Homepage: http://www.pulseaudio.org
Original-Maintainer: Pulseaudio maintenance team <pkg-pulseaudio-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Package: libpulse-browse0
Priority: optional
Section: sound
Installed-Size: 144
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Original-Maintainer: Pulseaudio maintenance team <pkg-pulseaudio-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Architecture: i386
Source: pulseaudio
Version: 1:0.9.14-0ubuntu20.2
Depends: libavahi-client3 (>= 0.6.16), libavahi-common3 (>= 0.6.16), libc6 (>= 2.4), libcap2 (>= 2.11), libgdbm3, libice6 (>= 1:1.0.0), libpulse0 (>= 0.9.14), libsm6, libx11-6
Filename: pool/main/p/pulseaudio/libpulse-browse0_0.9.14-0ubuntu20.2_i386.deb
Size: 31522
MD5sum: d7bf325c04432507420551d7c4e04737
SHA1: 537037b6cdcf2e36ab91fff73a543b2bc9a9d2f6
SHA256: 25c9a83f669f3f14b0fdd59141fc048e3053ccdcae5817f338260342ae1164d0
Description: PulseAudio client libraries (zeroconf support)
PulseAudio, previously known as Polypaudio, is a sound server for POSIX and
WIN32 systems. It is a drop in replacement for the ESD sound server with
much better latency, mixing/re-sampling quality and overall architecture.
.
Client libraries used by applications that access a PulseAudio sound server
via PulseAudio's native interface.
.
This package adds support for zeroconf (aka. Avahi, mdns) discovery of
PulseAudio sinks and sources by client applications.
Homepage: http://www.pulseaudio.org
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Origin: Ubuntu
Task: ubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-dvd-live, edubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-live, mobile-mid, mobile-netbook-remix
Package: libpulse-browse0
Priority: optional
Section: sound
Installed-Size: 144
Maintainer: Ubuntu Core Developers <ubuntu-devel-discuss@lists.ubuntu.com>
Original-Maintainer: Pulseaudio maintenance team <pkg-pulseaudio-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Architecture: i386
Source: pulseaudio
Version: 1:0.9.14-0ubuntu20
Depends: libavahi-client3 (>= 0.6.16), libavahi-common3 (>= 0.6.16), libc6 (>= 2.4), libcap2 (>= 2.11), libgdbm3, libice6 (>= 1:1.0.0), libpulse0 (>= 0.9.14), libsm6, libx11-6
Filename: pool/main/p/pulseaudio/libpulse-browse0_0.9.14-0ubuntu20_i386.deb
Size: 31516
MD5sum: 63d4937b22f83cff5cc5be101caa3f27
SHA1: bb436fa7bc14eaad31a9f3778f1a887d96e2521d
SHA256: 1f3a5e7a4376c0ee406f30a1c5ec03dc5f484dc059ceb61462516bb728c6c1c5
Description: PulseAudio client libraries (zeroconf support)
PulseAudio, previously known as Polypaudio, is a sound server for POSIX and
WIN32 systems. It is a drop in replacement for the ESD sound server with
much better latency, mixing/re-sampling quality and overall architecture.
.
Client libraries used by applications that access a PulseAudio sound server
via PulseAudio's native interface.
.
This package adds support for zeroconf (aka. Avahi, mdns) discovery of
PulseAudio sinks and sources by client applications.
Homepage: http://www.pulseaudio.org
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Origin: Ubuntu
Task: ubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-dvd-live, edubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-live, mobile-mid, mobile-netbook-remix
Just check on the different version available to you, and then do :
apt-get install packagname=version
Again as example to the output above :
apt-get install ibpulse-browse0=1:0.9.14-0ubuntu20
As you can see my pulseaudio is from a ppa on launchpad so if i wanted to downgrade/revert back to the original one supplied by jaunty, i'd do the mentioned above with all the pulseaudio packages that i installed.
Best Answer
Install the
apt-listchangespackage. Then when you runapt-get upgradeit should give you the list of changes before you go ahead.