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Old 12-18-2013, 07:39 PM   #1
Sumguy
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How Long Do You Go Without Updating Your OS?


A while back I was considering trying to install Arch, for the learning experience and great documentation that it offers. I decided against it, because I do not do updates...and Arch is an OS that requires very frequent updates.

Any time such a subject comes up, people always seem to find it odd that I don't like to update (It's O-K, I am odd!)- I prefer a stable system, that you install, and just use for years, the way it is.

Back in my WinD'ohs daze...I mean days.....I went from 1999 (my first 'puter) to 2007 only updating my WIN98 ONCE! (And it was my only OS on my only 'puter.)

So just curious, are any of you as bad as I am with updates?

What is the longest you've gone without an update?

I'm thinking that if I can go 8 years with Winblows, and only do one update, I should be setting some kind of record now that I use a stable OS like Debian and Debian-based Crunchbang (and plan on installing Slack as my learning experiment).

Stories? Comments? Point and laugh?
 
Old 12-18-2013, 08:28 PM   #2
frankbell
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I usually check for updates once a week or so.

I open a terminal and run the commands in the background while I'm doing something else.
 
Old 12-18-2013, 09:15 PM   #3
LuksFormat
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Distros that are based on bleeding edge like Arch for example I usually do an update about every 3-5 months because I fear of doing too much updates could break something.

Other distros are about 1-2 months between system updates.

The longest time I've gone without doing a system update was about 9 months after installation. Don't recall the distro though

Last edited by LuksFormat; 12-18-2013 at 09:17 PM.
 
Old 12-18-2013, 10:18 PM   #4
Sumguy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LuksFormat View Post
Distros that are based on bleeding edge like Arch for example I usually do an update about every 3-5 months because I fear of doing too much updates could break something.
Heh, yeah...that's something that gets ingrained in us from when we used Windurs! (I think in Miscrosh^t's vocabulary, "update" and "break" are synonyms!)
 
Old 12-18-2013, 10:25 PM   #5
Myk267
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I don't remember Windows updates ever breaking anything, but I also don't remember them ever making me feel any safer or better about the operating system...

I update often if I'm logged in. I've got three partitions and I can only run one of them at a time, so the changes are high that at least two of them aren't quite so fresh.
 
Old 12-18-2013, 11:55 PM   #6
LuksFormat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sumguy View Post
Heh, yeah...that's something that gets ingrained in us from when we used Windurs!
Actually, it's more like reinstalls for windows after 5-7 months
 
Old 12-19-2013, 12:32 AM   #7
Sumguy
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Actually, it's more like reinstalls for windows after 5-7 months
LOL- yeah! After it breaks during update...you have to reinstall it. Or even if you don't update it, it'll just break anyway. I would have gone crazy by now, had I not switched to Linux! Seriously!
 
Old 12-19-2013, 01:06 AM   #8
descendant_command
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You *should* update regularly to ensure you are not vulnerable to known exploits.
If you don't want stuff to change/break, use a stable (unchanging) release, like Debian or such.
Only security/bug fixes (not version upgrades) are included in the regular updates.
 
Old 12-19-2013, 01:16 AM   #9
qlue
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I check around once a month if I remember to. Usually, there are no updates. (The virtue of using Crunchbang)
My Windows install, however, gets updated once a year. In fact, that's pretty much the only time I ever boot into it. Now it may seem strange that I even bother to keep it, but I can't open video CDs under Linux for some reason, so I have used it at least once... :P
 
Old 12-19-2013, 01:16 AM   #10
qlue
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I check around once a month if I remember to. Usually, there are no updates. (The virtue of using Crunchbang)
My Windows install, however, gets updated once a year. In fact, that's pretty much the only time I ever boot into it. Now it may seem strange that I even bother to keep it, but I can't open video CDs under Linux for some reason, so I have used it at least once... :P
 
Old 12-19-2013, 01:32 AM   #11
sycamorex
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If you fear that updates will break things, install Slackware (the stable branch). The only updates you'll get between relases are to patch some critical bugs so it stays stable. There's a new release roughly once in 2 years.
 
Old 12-19-2013, 01:41 AM   #12
unSpawn
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sumguy View Post
Back in my WinD'ohs daze...I mean days.....I went from 1999 (my first 'puter) to 2007 only updating my WIN98 ONCE! (..) I'm thinking that if I can go 8 years with Winblows, and only do one update, I should be setting some kind of record now
That's not something to be proud of or boast about.
 
Old 12-19-2013, 05:04 AM   #13
Randicus Draco Albus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unSpawn View Post
That's not something to be proud of or boast about.
Some people will boast about the darndest things. I met a man once who bragged that he had never read an entire book in his life. He actually thought he was impressing me. So this admission of never updating an OS is not a shock.
 
Old 12-19-2013, 06:47 AM   #14
onebuck
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Member Response

Hi,

I too use Slackware and one of the many reasons to keep a stable secure system is to do security updates. Personal responsibility!

So many system owners are gullible that do ignore updates for their system. Be it a MS or Gnu/Linux, some just go merrily along until things do break or cracked then 'Why me'. Damn system is broke!

Just like driving a car requires maintenance on the vehicle or you will eventually be on the side of the road. Why me???
 
Old 12-19-2013, 10:10 AM   #15
TobiSGD
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It depends on the OS how often I update.
My Windows system is updated whenever I boot into it and there are updates available. I use this only for gaming and nowadays many games are also available for Linux, so I don't have to boot it very often. And no, I never saw an update break my Windows (I use Windows since Win95). A Windows system that has to be reinstalled every so often is usually a Windows system that is poorly maintained, a properly maintained Windows system does not need that.

My Debian servers get updated whenever I get a mail from Debian's security mailing list.

My Slackware systems all run -current, so they get updated whenever there is an update, besides from some manual updates of software that I do (newer kernel, libdrm and Mesa).
 
  


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