/etc/cron.daily/apt apparently not working

doru · 07-22-2010, 05:55 AM

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Server Hardy Heron
/etc/cron.daily/apt apparently does not work.
I do:

Code:

cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily

which I found in my /etc/crontab
and then:

Code:

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

shows a large number of packages to be updated.
When I compared this with a Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop (with GUI), I saw that the files in /etc/cron.daily are identical, the only difference is that anacron is installed on the Desktop, but this should not change the way /etc/cron.daily/apt works. On the Desktop, the system is updated well.

If anyone has experienced this strange behavior, please let me know.

AlucardZero · 07-22-2010, 06:31 AM

Is it configured to apply the packages it downloads?

doru · 07-23-2010, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlucardZero

Is it configured to apply the packages it downloads?

Please tell me how to check this. Of course, I considered that the default installation of a Ubuntu server should be configured to update the system every day.

AlucardZero · 07-23-2010, 06:23 AM

It may be configured to check for and download them but it is not configured to apply them. That would be silly.

Do you have apticron or cron-apt installed? /etc/cron.daily/apt belongs to apt and is less flexible, but does have this:

Quote:

# "APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade"
# - Run the "unattended-upgrade" security upgrade script
# every n-days (0=disabled)
# Requires the package "unattended-upgrades" and will write
# a log in /var/log/unattended-upgrades

doru · 07-24-2010, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlucardZero

It may be configured to check for and download them but it is not configured to apply them. That would be silly.

Do you have apticron or cron-apt installed? /etc/cron.daily/apt belongs to apt and is less flexible, but does have this:

Thank you for your answer.

I don't have apticron or cron-apt installed, only cron.

Should I uncomment that in my /etc/cron.daily/apt? This file also has UnattendedUpgradeInterval=0, should I make it =1? Still, /etc/cron.daily/apt is the same with the one on my desktop.

AlucardZero · 07-24-2010, 07:06 AM

Ok, now compare /etc/apt/preferences and/or all the files in /etc/apt/preferences.d/* if they exist. You should find a difference there.

And no, don't uncomment it in /etc/cron.daily/apt; you're supposed to set apt config variables in /etc/apt/preferences.

doru · 07-25-2010, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlucardZero

Ok, now compare /etc/apt/preferences and/or all the files in /etc/apt/preferences.d/* if they exist. You should find a difference there.

This is the little hell which emerged.
apt is from Desktop (automatic update works) and /etc/apt is from server (automatic update does not work).
Seems to me that, apart from apt/apt.conf.d, there are no other important differences, only some comments and some depositories.

Quote:

sudo diff -r /etc/apt apt
[sudo] password for user:
Only in apt/apt.conf.d: 10periodic
Only in apt/apt.conf.d: 15update-stamp
Only in apt/apt.conf.d: 20archive
Only in apt/apt.conf.d: 50unattended-upgrades
Only in apt/apt.conf.d: 99update-notifier
diff -r /etc/apt/sources.list apt/sources.list
1,4c1
< #
< # deb cdrom:[Ubuntu-Server 8.04.3 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20090709)]/ hardy main restricted
<
< #deb cdrom:[Ubuntu-Server 8.04.3 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20090709)]/ hardy main restricted
---
> #deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 8.04.3 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20090713.1)]/ hardy main restricted
53,64c50,55
< # Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
< #deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security main restricted
< # Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
< #deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security main restricted
< # Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
< #deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
< # Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
< #deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
< # Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
< #deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security multiverse
< # Line commented out by installer because it failed to verify:
< #deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security multiverse
---
> deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security main restricted
> deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security main restricted
> deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
> deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security universe
> deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security multiverse
> deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-security multiverse
Only in /etc/apt: sources.list~
Only in apt/sources.list.d: hardy-partner.list
Binary files /etc/apt/trustdb.gpg and apt/trustdb.gpg differ

I notice that:

Quote:

cat apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0";
APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0";

and, unlike the server, the Desktop has the unattended-upgrades package installed.

AlucardZero · 07-25-2010, 08:22 AM

Well there you go.

doru · 07-27-2010, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlucardZero

Well there you go.

Thank you for your help.

The following pages also indicate that there is no default automatic update in Ubuntu Servers.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AutoWeeklyUpdateHowTo
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Au...ecurityUpdates

I am confused about the function of /etc/cron.daily/apt, which also takes a long time to complete when I run it.

doru · 08-31-2010, 01:28 AM

The solution to automatic upgrades in Ubuntu 8.04 lts server:
I installed the unattended-upgrades and anacron packages (anacron because my server is not always up).
Following /usr/share/doc/unattended-upgrades/README, I put in /etc/apt/apt.conf:

Code:

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

I created apt.conf with permissions: -rw-r--r-- 1 root root

According to the default settings in:

Code:

/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades

which is also mentioned in:

Code:

/usr/share/doc/unattended-upgrades/README

only the security updates are performed automatically. For the others, you should uncomment the ...-updates line.
unattended-upgrades keeps a log in:

Code:

/var/log/unattended-upgrades/

See also:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Au...ecurityUpdates

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AutoWeeklyUpdateHowTo

Thank you again for your time.

Now this looks better:
https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/server...c-updates.html