Re: Debian tips was Re: Too many Linux?

I demand that Simon Waters may or may not have written...

> On Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:21:06 +0000, Chan Tai Man wrote:
>> $ apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
>> I'm timid to make it a cron job.

> apt-get install apticron cron-apt

> Is Debian for "tell me when to patch".

> Answer the questions, and it will (by default) get cron to do the "apt-get
> update", and the download part, and notify you (choice of methods, but
> email makes sense) when there are updates ready to be applied, but does not
> run the installation. Saves waiting for the downloads, and makes sure you
> get emailed in a timely fashion when it has done them.

I do that (more or less) from a file cron.d. The command is:

(/usr/bin/aptitude update && /usr/bin/aptitude autoclean && (echo yes |
/usr/bin/aptitude -y -d upgrade)) > /dev/null

> You then just do "apt-get upgrade", or "apt-get -s upgrade" for the truely
> timid who want a dry run first.

Much the same here, except that I just run aptitude.

> I dare say there are better methods, but this doesn't require any end user
> clue, so I use it myself!

That's as good a reason as any ;-)

[snip]
>> [1] Does Sarge check the gpg signature before installing a package.

> I think this is only available in later versions of Debian.

> Unstable appears to be checking signatures now.

As does testing.

> Of course signatures are only as good as the vetting procedures for who
> gets to sign, and how good they are at key management, so whilst I think it
> is a useful addition to the Debian security framework, it isn't some sort
> of security magic, it just means any flaws are as they were when it left
> the signer (or someone with access to his secret key).

It's also an extra line of defence against a compromised server.

--
| Darren Salt | d youmustbejoking,demon,co,uk | nr. Ashington,
| Debian, | s zap,tartarus,org | Northumberland
| RISC OS | @ | Toon Army
| <URL:http://www.youmustbejoking.demon.co.uk/progs.packages.html>

Last one to the pub's an MSCE professional!
.