What is the command to install security updates?
 

I hate having to ask such a ridiculously newbish question, but I have trawled through the Slackbook and searched LQ without discovering how to do the most basic of procedures. What is the command to install security updates? I assume Slackware has them occasionally, since there are a couple years between releases. Or is my Debian conditioning interfering with my ability to understand Slackware? The only thread I could find was this one: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...pdates-177371/

Just as in the thread you reference, go ahead and install them manually if you must reject "non-security" updates. See the changelog:
ftp://ftp.slackware.com/pub/slackwar.../ChangeLog.txt

There is really no good reason that I can think of to avoid simply upgrading everything that slackpkg
offers you to update. In 100% of cases, I have found that the sheer megabytes of a Slackware upgrade
is a fraction of that which Debian expects you to "upgrade".
Slackware is just way more :tight: in my experience, and unlike Debian, doesn't need to upgrade the bathtub,
garage, and kitchen sink just because a few libs change...Speaking here from 10 years of Debian usage. My advice:
and call it good. I think you'll be surprised at how light the updates are.

Thanks. That is what I was looking for. All I could find in the Book was update name_of_package. Of course, it is entirely possible that I looked over it without seeing it.

Run:
before the other commands.

Perhaps this answers my question here. :)

Don't think so, seems like a different problem. I forgot the "update gpg" once (my brain was on standby, as it often is :) ), and I got an error message but not like yours.

Ah, yes, perhaps you are right. :)

http://docs.slackware.com/slackware:slackpkg

Have fun.

On occasion Slackware releases new programs (very rarely), but it does happen. I run these commands in order after running # slackpkg update gpg.

# slackpkg update

# slackpkg install-new

# slackpkg upgrade-all

If you're upgrading to a new version of Slackware or once in a blue moon I will run

# slackpkg clean-system and see if there are any obsolete applications on my system.

If not already done, the first thing to do is subscribe to the slackware-security mailing list, see the Mailing List Info.

When you receive a security advisory, either use slackpkg as others told you, or use links provided in the mail you'll receive to download the new packages and upgrade manually running the command upgradepkg.

Mailing list archives are available.

Thanks for the answers.
Right now I am "testing" Slackware in a dual-boot set-up with Debian. I was/am not expecting numerous updates, since Slack is a stable distribution. My concern is; if I can figure out the package management system I shall be using Openbox. At that point I would want to install updates, whenever they come along, with the terminal, since there will not be one of those update widget thingies. I was sure there is an easy procedure for doing it, but it was not easy to find documentation. That is, until I checked man slackpkg.:redface: Although I probably still would have needed to ask for clarification. (I am not very bright when it comes to computers.) It is probably safe to mark the thread as solved.

Who knows. Maybe someday distribution in my profile will list Debian and Slackware.

Debian is an awesome distro. :)
If Slackware did not exist I would run Debian.

I have often seen Debian users post the reverse also.:cool: