[CentOS] Auto-installing security updates?

[Robert Heller]

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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