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#1 2018-11-08 22:56:39

rouelle
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Registered: 2018-03-13
Posts: 32

[solved] System updates while you're away

I'm a fan of Arch, running it on my workstation and on a small laptop.

I'm planning to be away for several weeks and I want to bring and use my Arch laptop. WIFI connections will be sparse and I won't have a lot of DATA for downloading. So system updates will be affected...

I'm thinking to use linux-lts (instead of usual kernel) but is it enough ? How can I update only for security ? I guess partial updates are not possible... Can I stay several weeks without updating?

I won't have this problem with my main workstation as I will keep it up-to-date using ssh connections (and my home Internet).

What would you suggest?

Last edited by rouelle (2018-11-09 19:37:48)


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#2 2018-11-08 23:00:52

graysky
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Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

rouelle wrote:

Can I stay several weeks without updating?

Yes.

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Last edited by graysky (2018-11-08 23:10:06)


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#3 2018-11-08 23:05:49

Trilby
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Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

rouelle wrote:

I'm thinking to use linux-lts (instead of usual kernel)

Why?  LTS kernels are for people who want to keep the same kernel version while still getting backported security updates.  If you are unable to update, LTS is no better than the default kernel.  Just update before you leave, and when you get back home.  Three weeks is harmless.


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#4 2018-11-08 23:13:04

rouelle
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Registered: 2018-03-13
Posts: 32

Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

Trilby wrote:
rouelle wrote:

I'm thinking to use linux-lts (instead of usual kernel)

Why?  LTS kernels are for people who want to keep the same kernel version while still getting backported security updates.  If you are unable to update, LTS is no better than the default kernel.  Just update before you leave, and when you get back home.  Three weeks is harmless.

I see, I thought linux-lts was less often updated.

If three weeks is harmless, I'm thinking of three months! Probably the best solution will be to use public library wifi once a few weeks for the updates.


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#5 2018-11-08 23:38:39

Slithery
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From: Norfolk, UK
Registered: 2013-12-01
Posts: 5,776

Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

If there have been no announcements on the front page since you last updated then you should be fine to update in one go as long as we're not talking 6+ months.

If you're being really cautious then just use the archive to step forward a week/month at a time from when you last updated.


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#6 2018-11-08 23:47:18

mpan
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Registered: 2012-08-01
Posts: 1,188
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Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

rouelle: see arch-audit — that will tell you what vulnerabilities are currently known for your system. You may then decide if and when you want to update. Alternatively you may check Arch security advisories directly.

When back to place where you can update normally, first check the news. You should always do this, but while updating an old system it’s twice as important. If an unlikely event of having more than one message, which is relevant to your system, per few weeks occurs, consider using restoring system to specific date with dates somewhere between each pair of those messages. The same applies to glibc and pacman updates, if any. Arch rarely breaks from not updating, but if it does, it is usually because you have few consecutive manual interventions, pacman updates etc.


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#7 2018-11-09 01:01:14

Trilby
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Registered: 2011-11-29
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Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

rouelle wrote:

I see, I thought linux-lts was less often updated.

I doubt that this is the case, but even it if was, it'd be irrelevant.  If you are not getting the security patches, running any random kernel version versus an -lts version would be the same: you have a kernel that had all the relevant security patches up to the date you left home and nothing after that.


"UNIX is simple and coherent..." - Dennis Ritchie, "GNU's Not UNIX" -  Richard Stallman

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#8 2018-11-09 02:48:32

rouelle
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Registered: 2018-03-13
Posts: 32

Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

Thanks for all the judicious advice! Should I mark this post as solved?


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#9 2018-11-09 03:22:27

circleface
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Registered: 2012-05-26
Posts: 639

Re: [solved] System updates while you're away

Yes, you can edit your first post and change the topic to include [SOLVED].

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