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We all keep every computer we have patched and current, right? Every application. Every web browser and every OS library – fully patched, right?

Well, … er … probably not.

Why not? Because it isn’t easy. Keeping just the OS patched is easy. Apple, Microsoft and Linux distributions have made it even easier the last 5 years. But the OS patches are only 10% of the problem. We need to patch the browser, plug-ins, email, office-apps, and every other application on the machine in a timely manner. Are you up to that task? I’m not.

There’s a simple solution. Linux patch management.

Ubuntu Linux distributions include thousands of free applications and make patching all of them trivial. They are updated just as easily as the OS patches. Let me explain.

Desktop Ubuntu Patching

In the upper right-hand corner of the desktop, Ubuntu places an Update Manager notifier. It is unobtrusive, but clear.

• The notifier is a red ! in color; it automatically updates package information daily.
• If any package installed on your system using the Synaptic program has an update, the notifier will be displayed, red. Just click the icon to start the process (get more information). If there are no updates, the notifier isn’t displayed.
• Applying patches usually doesn’t require you to stop doing whatever you are already doing.
• Applying patches usually doesn’t require a reboot, unless there is a kernel update.
• Applying patches usually doesn’t require any manual configuration file changes. Any changes are usually handled by the installation package.
• Any application installed using the GUI package manager ( specifically, any debian-based package depot), will be maintained and updated through the same interface.
• Whether an update to a package is available or not is automated.

Server Ubuntu Patching

I’m certain there’s a way to determine when patches are available, but I never check. I simply update the local package depot list and update all installed packages.
Old way:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

2014 update:

sudo aptitude update

sudo aptitude dist-upgrade

I prefer aptitude for a few reasons, but that isn’t critical. The dist-upgrade option will load newer kernels – don’t worry that too much new software will be installed. That isn’t what happens. Been using the 2nd set of commands for a few years without any issues.

Yes, it really is that simple. BTW, these commands work on desktop Ubuntu too. In fact, every Saturday morning, I run a script from a laptop that remotely connects to all the other Ubuntu machines and runs both of those commands.

There are other options of patching Linux, but 95% of the time, these commands are all that you need to know.

Wouldn’t it be nice if other computer vendors made software updates that easy?