Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date
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No sane person manually updates all of their stuff all of the time.
In the Fedora realm, I use
dnf-automatic.
http://dnf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/automatic.html
The below instructions are for Fedora 26 and newer as the exact name of the timer changed from what it previously was.Update: 2018/12/04
As of Fedora 28 (possibly 27), the original timer and service name was implemented.
dnf install -y dnf-automaticNow you need to edit the
/etc/dnf/automatic.conffile to do what you want.
Generally I change the following fields from their default values to this.apply_updates = yes emit_via = email email_from = [email protected] email_to = [email protected] email_host = your.smtp.serverOptionally, edit the timer frequency. I leave it at the default of 1 day.
nano /usr/lib/systemd/system/dnf-automatic.timerEnable the timer.
systemctl enable dnf-automatic.timerYou can list the time to see the status
systemctl list-timers --allIt will look like this
NEXT LEFT LAST PASSED UNIT ACTIVATES Tue 2017-11-21 22:42:15 CST 52min left Tue 2017-11-21 21:42:15 CST 7min ago dnf-makecache.timer dnf-makecache.servi Wed 2017-11-22 20:47:10 CST 22h left Tue 2017-11-21 20:47:10 CST 1h 2min ago systemd-tmpfiles-clean.timer systemd-tmpfiles-cl n/a n/a Tue 2017-11-21 21:47:57 CST 1min 59s ago dnf-automatic.timer dnf-automatic.service n/a n/a n/a n/a sysstat-collect.timer sysstat-collect.ser n/a n/a n/a n/a sysstat-summary.timer sysstat-summary.ser 5 timers listed.I typically reboot at this point and then check the timer again to make sure it is running as expected.
systemctl list-timers NEXT LEFT LAST PASSED UNIT ACTIVATES Tue 2017-11-21 22:00:00 CST 5min left n/a n/a sysstat-collect.timer sysstat-collect.service Tue 2017-11-21 22:04:18 CST 9min left n/a n/a dnf-makecache.timer dnf-makecache.service Tue 2017-11-21 22:09:18 CST 14min left n/a n/a systemd-tmpfiles-clean.timer systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service Tue 2017-11-21 22:54:18 CST 59min left n/a n/a dnf-automatic.timer dnf-automatic.service Wed 2017-11-22 00:07:00 CST 2h 12min left n/a n/a sysstat-summary.timer sysstat-summary.service
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Very helpful, thanks!
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If there are no updates to install, do you still get an e-mail reporting this?
Or only if there are updates installed?
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Nice guide, does this also work on the downstream forks of Fedora?
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@dustinb3403 said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
Nice guide, does this also work on the downstream forks of Fedora?
As long as they use the standard DNF packages, yes.
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@brrabill said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
If there are no updates to install, do you still get an e-mail reporting this?
Or only if there are updates installed?
So, everything was set up properly, apparently. Because I just ran it manually again and received an e-mail.
Have to get used to Linux, where if it doesn't say anything, it worked!
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@brrabill said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
If there are no updates to install, do you still get an e-mail reporting this?
Or only if there are updates installed?
No, only when it does something.
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As others have said, but never hurts to repeat ... great writeup.
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Guide updated to reflect timer name change back to original.
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I'm surprised this isn't a default setting.
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After upgrading to Fedora 29, my system was not updating regularly.
Looking at
systemctl list-timers --allI could see the timer was there but not scheduled to run.I have no idea what broke, because after researching, I found that they reintroduced the original naming, but the specific timers should have still been functioning.
Whatever. I removed the
-installand started the original.systemctl stop dnf-automatic-install.timer systemctl disable dnf-automatic-install.timer systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timer
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@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
I'm surprised this isn't a default setting.
Or at least provide an option during installation.
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
After upgrading to Fedora 29, my system was not updating regularly.
Looking at
systemctl list-timers --allI could see the timer was there but not scheduled to run.I have no idea what broke, because after researhcing, I found that they reintroduced the original nameing, but the specific timers should have still been functioning.
Whatever. I removed the
-installand started the original.systemctl stop dnf-automatic-install.timer systemctl disable dnf-automatic-install.timer systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timerYep, I was also experience the same thing too.
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@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
I'm surprised this isn't a default setting.
Default for who or what?
If you install Fedora 29 + Cinnamon desktop, there is a GUI updater installed by default.
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@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
I'm surprised this isn't a default setting.
Defualt for who or what?
If you install Fedora 29 + Cinnamon desktop, there is a GUI updater installed by default.
In this day and age - I more expect things to autoupdate themselves for consumers... of course Fedora... so it is really a consumer thing? Is there a difference between client and server? I think we've had that conversation before.. though I don't recall the exact output.
Now I'm ready for your impending /FFS
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@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
Now I'm ready for your impending /FFS
@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
In this day and age - I more expect things to autoupdate themselves for consumers... of course Fedora... so it is really a consumer thing?
I just said there was something installed by default on Desktop. Not this, but something.
@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
Is there a difference between client and server? I think we've had that conversation before.. though I don't recall the exact output.
There is no difference. It is all in the initial install choices you make. The desktop ISO has a different installer I believe. But that doesn't change the underpinning.
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@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
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@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
I wouldn't expect you to auto install updates on Server...
and my expectation is only for workstations.. and since Linux OSes don't really truly have a difference, then I guess a default type setting on it is not likely... of course, as you said - it could be one of the options you mentioned..
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@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
I wouldn't expect you to auto install updates on Server...
and my expectation is only for workstations.. and since Linux OSes don't really truly have a difference, then I guess a default type setting on it is not likely... of course, as you said - it could be one of the options you mentioned..
FFS The Cinnamon desktop install DOES.. I said this many times...
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@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
I wouldn't expect you to auto install updates on Server...
and my expectation is only for workstations.. and since Linux OSes don't really truly have a difference, then I guess a default type setting on it is not likely... of course, as you said - it could be one of the options you mentioned..
FFS The Cinnamon desktop install DOES.. I said this many times...
I think you mentioned it gives you a GUI, nothing about it automatically setups up auto updates.
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@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
I wouldn't expect you to auto install updates on Server...
What? Why not? I sure would. You'd need a pretty good reason to avoid updates at their most critical spot.
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@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
I wouldn't expect you to auto install updates on Server...
What? Why not? I sure would. You'd need a pretty good reason to avoid updates at their most critical spot.
because we use Windows isn't a good reason?
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@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@Dashrender now to address auto updates for server.
That also comes down to how you install.
I always, 100% of the time, start from the NetInstall ISO and choose the Minimal option during install.
That means there isn't jack shit setup by default.
I honestly have no idea what any of the other options install.
I wouldn't expect you to auto install updates on Server...
What? Why not? I sure would. You'd need a pretty good reason to avoid updates at their most critical spot.
Exactly. All my systems have dnf-automatic or yum-crom. All of them.
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@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
Does this use a built-in smtp server to send emails? What if I want to have it log into an office 365 account to send messages?
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@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
Does this use a built-in smtp server to send emails? What if I want to have it log into an office 365 account to send messages?
That's what the SMTP Server (aka an MTA) would be for. The SMTP server is literally the thing that logs into O365 or Gmail or whatever.
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So, for example, if you are using Postfix, you would configure Postfix to log into O365 when sending emails.
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@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
Does this use a built-in smtp server to send emails? What if I want to have it log into an office 365 account to send messages?
That's what the SMTP Server (aka an MTA) would be for. The SMTP server is literally the thing that logs into O365 or Gmail or whatever.
I understand that, I wanted to know if there was another config file somewhere for dnf-automatic to specify this information.
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@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
Does this use a built-in smtp server to send emails? What if I want to have it log into an office 365 account to send messages?
That's what the SMTP Server (aka an MTA) would be for. The SMTP server is literally the thing that logs into O365 or Gmail or whatever.
I understand that, I wanted to know if there was another config file somewhere for dnf-automatic to specify this information.
I don't believe so, I think that the SMTP config is the only place.
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I just did a search on this topic, and ML was the top hit
https://mangolassi.it/topic/15902/how-does-dnf-automatic-send-emails
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@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
Does this use a built-in smtp server to send emails? What if I want to have it log into an office 365 account to send messages?
That's what the SMTP Server (aka an MTA) would be for. The SMTP server is literally the thing that logs into O365 or Gmail or whatever.
I understand that, I wanted to know if there was another config file somewhere for dnf-automatic to specify this information.
I don't believe so, I think that the SMTP config is the only place.
OK. So, since I most likely need to install a mail server to accomplish this, is postfix the best one for this?
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@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@scottalanmiller said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@wrx7m said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
@JaredBusch said in Using dnf-automatic to keep Fedora up to date:
/etc/dnf/automatic.conf
Does this use a built-in smtp server to send emails? What if I want to have it log into an office 365 account to send messages?
That's what the SMTP Server (aka an MTA) would be for. The SMTP server is literally the thing that logs into O365 or Gmail or whatever.
I understand that, I wanted to know if there was another config file somewhere for dnf-automatic to specify this information.
I don't believe so, I think that the SMTP config is the only place.
OK. So, since I most likely need to install a mail server to accomplish this, is postfix the best one for this?
Yes, definitely. It's well known, easy to configure, and the default on most all systems (and definitely all that use DNF.)
