Automatic security update process with unattended-upgrades

If you use/administer a Debian/Ubuntu system, you can automate the security update process by using the program unattended-upgrades. This tool provides a simple way to manage this task.
To install it :

apt-get install unattended-upgrades
dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades

After selecting “Yes”, a configuration file will be created ( /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades ) with this content :

APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1";

The first line of this file do an “apt-get update” command. The “1” at the end of the line is to indicate it is enabled (0 to disable it).
The second line run the “unattended-upgrade” security upgrade script.

The schedule is managed by :

the location of the
```
apt
```
script file. The default is /etc/cron.daily/apt
the datetime configured in the file /etc/crontab. For the daily setting, the line is :
25 6 * * * root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts –report /etc/cron.daily )

You can update the configuration file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades to :

allow other update types (updates, proposed, backports)

Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins {
      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-security";
      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-updates";
      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-proposed";
      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-backports";
};

exclude some packages (regex are supported)

Unattended-Upgrade::Package-Blacklist {
      "vim";
      "libc6";
      "libc6-dev";
      "libc6-i686";
};

configure an automatic reboot

Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "false";

schedule a reboot

Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot-Time "02:00";

receive an email

Unattended-Upgrade::Mail "youremail@local.domain";

limit the download bandwidth
```
Acquire::http::Dl-Limit "70";
```

More options can be configured. It is well-documented.

References

Debian and Ubuntu Automatic Security Updates

AutomaticSecurityUpdates

My Powershell script categories

Automatic security update process with unattended-upgrades

References

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