Automatic background updates

[Liam Proven]

On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 1:55 AM, NoOp <glgxg at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On 12/09/2009 10:41 AM, Liam Proven wrote:
>> Is there an "official" way to do this, rather than just using cron to
>> schedule a script that says something like...
>>
>>   apt-get update
>>   apt-get upgrade -y
>>
>> ...?
>>
>
> One thing to keep in mind is that (once you get this working to your
> liking) is that the auto upgrade will go out and fetch updates in the
> background, and in the process the download can saturate your existing
> network connection. For this reason I add an apt download limiter by
> placing an /etc/apt/apt.conf file on all of my systems. The following is
> what I use for a 1.5Mb DSL line, it keeps the download to 1Mb so that I
> still have 500Kb of bandwidth to browse etc.
>
> $ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf
> //---------------------------
> // Options for limiting Update Manager download speeds
> Acquire
> {
> Queue-Mode "access";       // host|access
> http
> {
> Dl-Limit "100";        // 100Kb/sec maximum download rate
> };
> };
> //--------------------------
>
> Just adjust 'Dl-Limit "100"' to whatever you need.
>
> In the past when I had auto update set for customers/relatives etc.,
> they'd be doing something & all of a sudden thought that they had
> network and machine problems. Updates were soaking their connection &
> then the updated installs were soaking the cpu during the installs. So
> now I just add the apt.conf file and drill it in their heads to click
> and perform the updates when they see the notification on the desktop.
> (realise you aren't talking desktop, but the same file helps on my test
> servers as well).

That's a really good idea. Thanks!

-- 
Liam Proven • Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
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