[07:14] <lordievader> Good morning
[14:18] <apurkrt> hello - how to upgrade kernel (semi)automatically, when I do not want to use "apt-get dist-upgrade"?
[14:18] <apurkrt> simple "apt-get upgrade" won't touch kernel
[14:27] <rbasak> apurkrt: why don't you want to use apt-get dist-upgrade?
[14:30] <apurkrt> scared it could remove some packages... found some superficial info that "upgrade" is safer
[14:31] <apurkrt> rbasak: ^^
[14:32] <sdeziel> apurkrt: "apt-get dist-upgrade -V" will show you a nice overview of what it would like to do and will let you accept or abort
[14:32] <sdeziel> I find "-V" to be easier to visualize
[14:33] <rbasak> apurkrt: so there are effectively three settings here: 1) no new package additions or removals; 2) new package additions but no removals; 3) allow package additions _and_ removals
[14:33] <rbasak> apt-get has a simple CLI for 1 and 3 (upgrade and dist-upgrade). Achieving 2 via apt-get requires setting apt_preferences manually AFAIK
[14:34] <apurkrt> sdeziel: thanks!
[14:34] <apurkrt> rbasak: ok listening
[14:34] <rbasak> apurkrt: "apt upgrade" will do 2, but it isn't intended for automated use yet (unstable CLI).
[14:34] <rbasak> So if you care and really want 2, then you need to write your own apt_preferences file I think
[14:34] <rbasak> See apt_preferences(5).
[14:35] <rbasak> However, I wouldn't worry about the difference between 2 and 3 if you're using a stable Ubuntu release and don't have third party repositories enabled that will mess with you.
[14:35]  * apurkrt looking into it now
[14:35] <apurkrt> rbasak: ok
[14:35] <apurkrt> rbasak: thank you very much!
[14:36] <rbasak> I might have missed some easier way to achieve 2 with apt-get.
[14:36] <rbasak> You're welcome!
[15:20] <apurkrt> after logging in to ubuntu, I see "X packages can be updated.". How this works? This imo requires running "apt-get update" regularly - but grepping for in in /etc I do not see it set in /etc/cron.{hourly,daily,weekly}
[15:21] <pragmaticenigma> apurkrt: it's not using apt-get to perform the check
[15:21] <rbasak> apurkrt: look up update-motd.d
[15:22] <pragmaticenigma> rbasak: That's just the notification... not the cause
[15:22] <rbasak> apurkrt: /etc/update-motd.d/90-updates-available
[15:22] <weedmic> apurkrt: i do not understand what you want, do you want the process to list, then upgrade the items, or to set when they are checked for?
[15:22] <oerheks> i htink it is part of MOTD ?  /etc/update-motd.d/90-updates-available
[15:22] <pragmaticenigma> no no no no no
[15:22] <pragmaticenigma> that's not what they're looking for guys
[15:22] <oerheks> https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-change-welcome-message-motd-on-ubuntu-18-04-server
[15:22] <rbasak> From the update-notifier-common package
[15:22] <apurkrt> I'm basically just interested how it works
[15:22] <rbasak> /etc/cron.daily/update-notifier-common
[15:22] <pragmaticenigma> rbasak: /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
[15:23] <pragmaticenigma> https://www.garron.me/en/linux/turn-off-stop-ubuntu-automatic-update.html
[15:23] <rbasak> pragmaticenigma: I know how it works. I'm trying to provide information about the trail to help with the big picture.
[15:24] <pragmaticenigma> I have no idea what you mean by that rbasak
[15:24] <pragmaticenigma> sorry... meant tag the requestor
[15:25] <pragmaticenigma> apurkrt: in file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic there is a setting "APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists" ... switch its value to zero
[15:25] <pragmaticenigma> apurkrt: https://www.garron.me/en/linux/turn-off-stop-ubuntu-automatic-update.html
[15:25] <rbasak> He didn't ask how to turn it off.
[15:26] <pragmaticenigma> rbasak: Perhaps not, but he was looking for where the setting was
[15:26] <rbasak> He asked how it works, not where the setting was.
[15:27] <rbasak> But anyway, I'm not going to argue.
[15:27] <rbasak> I'll leave it to you to help as needed, thanks.
[15:28] <pragmaticenigma> the config file is how it works... it's part of apt configuration which triggers all the rest of the behaviors they were discussing
[15:31] <apurkrt> thank you all!
[15:31] <Elzington> I'm curious how this works too. How does the system know that there are "X packages can be updated" when you first log into the system prior to running the command "apt-get update"? Does it run when you first log in?
[15:31] <oerheks> Elzington, see the url, it contains a script that looks for new update packages
[15:32] <Elzington> thanks
[15:32] <oerheks> some complain about the 50-motd-news thingy ..
[15:32] <oerheks> phone home, et!
[15:33] <pragmaticenigma> Elzington: Apt is setup to periodically check for updates. There is a script that is located as part of login motd that will check if apt has left a flag indicating there are updateable packages
[15:36] <Elzington> pragmaticenigma: thanks! that is interesting to know
[15:36] <Elzington> oerheks: Yeah, I can see why there would be concern with it automatically on all the time
[15:37] <pragmaticenigma> I disable them only because they slow down the login process
[15:38] <Elzington> That's a good point! I'll have to consider this now
[15:38] <oerheks> :-)
[15:39] <pragmaticenigma> the *motd-news does at least cache its response locally... so it doesn't do it every login