Choosing updates

[Oxyris]

I'm a bit afraid of breaking my machine because I've heard some people have had that problem after updating. How safe is it to just let update manager install all available updates? I currently have 300+ updates waiting and I've just been going through them and installing the ones that I know what they do. Some of them, like one of the linux kernal updates say to install a different one instead (linux-generic-pae-meta-package versus linux-generic-pae(new install)) and others are updates for applications I don't have (bunch of updates for Evolution; I'm using Thunderbird).

[CharlesA]

I just let it install all updates. I have only had a problem once and that was fixed before a reboot.

[mcduck]

You will never get updates for applications you don't have, so every update really is for somehting you have installed now.

Also the rules for updating a package in Ubuntu are pretty strict, updates are only provided to fix security issues and more serious bugs. Because of this it's highly recommended to just install all the available updates.

It's really, really rare for normal updates coming from Ubuntu's official repositories to break anything, they are pretty thoroughly tested. So unless you are using third-party repositories there should be no reason to worry about anything breaking.

(the most common reason I've seen anybody having troubles after updates are those who have manually installed proprietary graphics card drivers directly from AMD or nVidia's website instead of using the versions form Ubuntu's repositories. In that case updating the kernel requires you to reinstall the driver as well. And of course updating to new Ubuntu release version can cause problesm, but that's completely different thing that just installing the normal updates)

[kd5mkv]

I have seen (Not Authenticated) in the update window. Because these are not
from trusted sources. If you run programs from the Ubuntu trusted sources, repository,synaptic and canonical supported you should not have to worry about updates. Your system requires system and security updates to keep things running properly, remember Ubuntu was made to be user-friendly.

[centaurusa]

I'm a bit afraid of breaking my machine because I've heard some people have had that problem after updating. How safe is it to just let update manager install all available updates?

It is highly unlikely that Update Manager will break your Ubuntu installation - however, it can happen - very occasionally. (See, for example: http://linuxnorth.wordpress.com/2012...se-of-backups/) The safe thing to do is to maintain an up-to-date disk image of your system before any major updates. Then, if things go south, you can reload the earlier image and be back in business in minutes.

Also, you aren't receiving updates for apps. that you don't have (i.e. Evolution). It is more likely that you have installed, and are using, Thunderbird without uninstalling Evolution. Because Evolution remains installed, Update Manager continues to pump out updates (just in case you want to go back to using this mail client [grin]).

[Oxyris]

Well thanks you all for the help and suggestions. Updating and nothing seems out of whack yet so I'll keep confident on updating.

[d4m1r]

Unfortunetly, there is no easy way to ignore updates on Ubuntu so if you do get prompt to install updates for things you don't want or even have, either you install them now and get rid of them or you'll just be prompt to update them in the future....Why we get those updates at all, I'm not sure, but it may be someone to do with decencies being left over after removing the main application package....

[mcduck]

Unfortunetly, there is no easy way to ignore updates on Ubuntu so if you do get prompt to install updates for things you don't want or even have, either you install them now and get rid of them or you'll just be prompt to update them in the future....Why we get those updates at all, I'm not sure, but it may be someone to do with decencies being left over after removing the main application package....

The thing is, you will never get updates for things you don't have installed.

The update mechanism only looks for new versions of packages you already have on your machine.If you don't want those updates you should uninstall the packages the updates are for.

[Peripheral Visionary]

I'm pretty paranoid about updates, especially kernel updates. I feel like "it ain't broke, so why fix it!"

I reluctantly allow only critical security updates and nothing else. I still see "broken after update" threads in these forums far too frequently to be comfortable allowing anything but critical updates.

[d4m1r]

The thing is, you will never get updates for things you don't have installed.

The update mechanism only looks for new versions of packages you already have on your machine.If you don't want those updates you should uninstall the packages the updates are for.

I meant like getting an update for thunderbird-xxxx but not having thunderbird installed...It should be smart enough to NOT check for updates for the dependencies if the main package isn't installed....