Update question?

[DMGrier]

So I got a book called Ubuntu unleashed 2011 edition and I am going through each part of the book and I just started.

So I just ran through the first issue, I started with update process. So I started with

sudo apt-get update

Then apt-get dist-upgrade

and then this pops up

E: Could not open lock file /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (13: Permission denied)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), are you root?

Would I by right in saying it is telling me I have to be in root to do this update? I heard that root can be a dangerous.

I know there is a GUI for this task but I am trying to learn terminal. Some info on this would be great.

[Mr. Shannon]

The sudo cammand temporarily elevates you to root privleges. The book just left off the sudo on the second command. Try this:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

And yes, root can be very dangerous. When logged in as root I don't even think Linux will ask for confirmation if you try to delete the operating system, but I could be wrong and I'm not about to test the theory. Note: using sudo can be dangerous as well but you have to explicitly apply it to a command so there is less chance of the user doing something stupid. To read more about sudo go to this link: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

EDIT: There may be other reasons why sudo is better than root but I don't know for sure.

[DMGrier]

Thanks so much, I can move around Ubuntu pretty well with the exception of terminal. Just never really learned how to use it.

[2F4U]

Another reason why sudo may be preferable over root is that the root user is well known and a hacker's first target. If there is no root user (as in Ubuntu) a hacker would need to first guess the name of an user account before attempting to guess the password. So there is one additional line of defence.

[koleoptero]

Another reason why sudo may be preferable over root is that the root user is well known and a hacker's first target. If there is no root user (as in Ubuntu) a hacker would need to first guess the name of an user account before attempting to guess the password. So there is one additional line of defence.

There is a root user in ubuntu as in every linux system, and in ubuntu it uses the same pass as the user so it's not exactly safer.

[tommpogg]

So I got a book called Ubuntu unleashed 2011 edition and I am going through each part of the book and I just started.

So I just ran through the first issue, I started with update process. So I started with

sudo apt-get update

Then apt-get dist-upgrade


Notice that apt-get dist-upgrade will upgrade the whole system to the newest release.
If you just want to upgrade the installed software, use


sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade


For more details, you can check the online help or a guide (for instance Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference (http://ubuntupocketguide.com/index_main.html))

[pinballwizard]

Notice that apt-get dist-upgrade will upgrade the whole system to the newest release.
Reference (http://ubuntupocketguide.com/index_main.html))

apt-get dist-upgrade does not move you to the next release. Where did this idea come from?


jason@Vitalstatistix:~$ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
[sudo] password for jason:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
jason@Vitalstatistix:~$

And I remained on 10.10, and didn't magically migrate to 11.04.

[tommpogg]

apt-get dist-upgrade does not move you to the next release. Where did this idea come from?


You are aright and I am sorry for the mistake.
I read it in the guide I suggested, but the man pages agree with your comment.

Sorry again and thank you for correcting me