Arch Linux

fuscia

Member

Registered: 2008-04-21

Posts: 398

when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

how often can one do pacman -Syu and still be considered sane?

jbromley

Member

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2007-02-04

Posts: 268

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

If it's a mission critical server that cannot go down, then never once you've got the system properly set up. Unless there is a critical security patch for something you use, and then you'd probably use something finer-grained than pacman -Syu.

For a normal user machine, more than once daily is probably silly. I believe there are Arch tools that will do this automatically. Once every time you log in is perhaps ridiculous (although I've seen a number of distros that will check for updates every time you log in.) If you feel the need to do pacman -Syu multiple times a day you may want to step back and ask yourself "why?"

All of this is IMHO, of course.

Regards.

heleos

Member

From: Maine, USA

Registered: 2007-04-24

Posts: 678

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I probably do it once an hour...

timetrap

Member

From: Here and There

Registered: 2008-06-05

Posts: 342

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

If it's a mission critical server that cannot go down, then never once you've got the system properly set up. Unless there is a critical security patch for something you use, and then you'd probably use something finer-grained than pacman -Syu.

I think you brought up a good point. How does arch issue security patches? Rolling release lends itself to out-pacing possible security threats by updating, rather than defensively patching old packages. 

Traditional notions of "uptime" probably should not be used to gauge the "sucess" of Arch as a server.

An example:

Let's say I am running a kernel in Arch, 2.6.24.
Now a new stable version is issued, 2.6.25.
Arch devs update the kernel package. I now have two options:
1. Update the package and reboot the server
2. Tell pacman to Hold the package, and "watch the skys" for security updates, not only for the kernel, but for every other package that depends on the kernel

Arch will probably be VERY secure from the perspective of "exploits". Arch trades defense (patching), for mobility (updating). All things considered, they are probably equivalent security messures. But, your hardware setup MUST reflect that "uptime" for server hardware is no longer a messure of successful defense. Uptime for the service is (and should always be) the measure of success.

Clustering, load balancing, and redundancy IMHO are a MUST for a successful Arch based production server. Arch does not have a traditional release system, and should not be deployed in a traditional manner.

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mintcoffee

Member

From: Waterloo, ON

Registered: 2007-10-05

Posts: 120

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Well, why not install an update notifier like alunn and pacman -Syu the moment you get a notification. Now that way, you get the an up-to-date system without the constant pacman -Syu madness

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wonder

Developer

From: Bucharest, Romania

Registered: 2006-07-05

Posts: 5,941

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I probably do it once an hour...

many users that do it like you complain about missing dependency after kernel update from for e.g 2.6.24, 2.6.25 or other major upgrade .

i'm upgrading only if i need the software (new feature) and only after i check forum, bug to see if are problems. thats why i never screw up my archlinux box. i'm using arch for 2 years

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Procyon

Member

Registered: 2008-05-07

Posts: 1,819

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I do pacman -Sy when I get a 404 trying to download a package.
And pacman -Syu with a new kernel and nvidia driver disables opengl, so I only do that before rebooting, which is about once every two to four weeks.

heleos

Member

From: Maine, USA

Registered: 2007-04-24

Posts: 678

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

It really just sort of turned into habit. When I come back to my computer, or log in, the first thing I usually type is 'sudo pacman -Syu'

I don't even know why anymore....

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Only because Arch is a rolling release distro...I do it once every 3-4 weeks

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Misfit138

Misfit Emeritus

From: USA

Registered: 2006-11-27

Posts: 4,189

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I probably do it once an hour...

many users that do it like you complain about missing dependency after kernel update from for e.g 2.6.24, 2.6.25 or other major upgrade .

i'm upgrading only if i need the software (new feature) and only after i check forum, bug to see if are problems. thats why i never screw up my archlinux box. i'm using arch for 2 years

Best answer.

Personally, I do it about once a week.

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rooloo

Member

Registered: 2008-07-09

Posts: 218

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I run it weekly just to make sure I get most of the packages in my cache. That way, if I need too, I can always go back to any previous release.

Sometimes arch updates come daily though, so it just depends.

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Hmm, I run it almost daily.....dang! I'm nuts!

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Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Just coz of this thread....I couldn't resist doing a pacman -Syu.

just reset my clock again ...Next update after 3 weeks !! I swear

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skottish

Forum Fellow

From: Here

Registered: 2006-06-16

Posts: 7,942

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I probably do it once an hour...

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That's F**king nuts. Your primary mirror only updates once a day... right?

Allan

Pacman

From: Brisbane, AU

Registered: 2007-06-09

Posts: 11,405

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

My mirror updates twice daily so I do it around that many....

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slackhack

Member

Registered: 2004-06-30

Posts: 738

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

mwf ftw!

fwojciec

Member

Registered: 2007-05-20

Posts: 1,411

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Ooops, I did it again...  The [extra] repo got refreshed, so I got my hopes up, but, alas, no packages were updated.  Shucks.

iBertus

Member

From: Greenville, NC

Registered: 2004-11-04

Posts: 2,228

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

My habit is once daily and has been for the several years that I've used Arch Linux. If it's a slow day and I'm bored, I'll -Syu when I think about it.

mrunion

Member

From: Jonesborough, TN

Registered: 2007-01-26

Posts: 1,938

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Yup -- once a day.  I log in, read the forums with an eye towards "latest xxxx screwed up my yyyy".  If it seems not too major I pacman -Syu then.

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"It is very difficult to educate the educated."

Sjoden

Member

From: WA

Registered: 2007-08-16

Posts: 380

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Once a day, maybe once every two days. If I am having a problem, more than once a day hoping there will be a fix.

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fuscia

Member

Registered: 2008-04-21

Posts: 398

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

ok, well what's the record for most runnings of the command in an hour?

Leigh

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2004-06-25

Posts: 533

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

I'm totally speratic. I'm able to browse the forums at work and usually will discover any updates that are availiable before going home, or something cool that I want to try. If not, I don't mess with updating.

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rok3

Member

From: NJ, USA

Registered: 2008-03-09

Posts: 44

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

Every 1 to 3 days unless I'm installing a new package.

INCSlayer

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-09-06

Posts: 296

Website

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

i do it when im bored

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Doc Angelo

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2007-11-28

Posts: 52

Re: when does it go from 'updating' to 'just crazy'?

i do it when im bored

Phew, i'm not alone with this...