[CentOS] Auto-installing security updates?

Robert Heller
Tue, 19 May 2009 16:20:24 -0000

At Tue, 19 May 2009 16:11:35 +0100 CentOS mailing list <centos at
centos.org> wrote:

>
>
>
> I've been asked to think about setting up an installation for a
recently-
> widowed man.  His needs are small - mail, Internet, on-line banking,
basically
> - but his wife dealt with all of it on her laptop and he feels very
insecure.
>
> It seems to me that CentOS would be perfect for him except for the need to
> keep it securely patched.  I'm wondering if it's possible to
auto-install
> security updates - for that matter, with so small a set of applications
> perhaps auto-installing every update would be good enough.
>
> Maybe this could be done with a script run under cron.daily, so that
anacron
> picks it up?
>
> I'd be glad of any advice.

Rather than do auto updates (sometimes there are conflicts or other
issues needing *intellegent* intervention -- the recent update from
CentOS 5.2 to 5.3 required that glibc be updated before the rest of the
updates for example), maybe you should schedule a regular visit to this
fellow.  Not only will this make sure the machine is properly updated
it also gives you a chance to check for any problems that will have
cropped up.

>
> Anne
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Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933
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