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canonical: https://solariz.de/posts/20/debianubuntu_with_automatic_apt_unattended_updates/index.md
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![Debian/Ubuntu with automatic APT unattended updates](https://solariz.de/images/20/dog-1603570092.jpg)

I cannot point out often enough how critical it is to keep your internet-based Servers updated. I use and manage some Servers, about 20 currently. But I hate to check them on a weekly base for Security Updates. I still remember days where Sysadmins brag with uptimes – not a smart thing to do.

If you use Debian / Ubuntu there is at least an official simple way to keep the most fears of missed security Updates. Partly as a note for myself I just add this quick “copy and paste” like Information here on how to setup the automatic upgrade on a Debian / ubuntu based server.

You can either just install security patches or do full upgrades of packages. The last one I cannot recommend but it is depending on what your server is doing. In the worst case an upgraded package could break things due to change of behavior or configuration requirements. I stay with the security updates only method.

## Setup Automatic Updates

### Install unattended-upgrades

```bash
apt update && apt install unattended-upgrades
```

After that you need to edit some Files, if they are not existing yet, create them:

### Configure unattended-upgrades

#### `/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades`

```bash
Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins {
        "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}";
        "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-security";
// Extended Security Maintenance        
        "${distro_id}ESM:${distro_codename}";
//      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-updates";
//      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-proposed";
//      "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-backports";
};
Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-Unused-Kernel-Packages "true";
```

Then we need to Enable the whole Process by Editing / Creating:

### Enable Automatic Upgrades

#### `/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades`

```bash
APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "1";
APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "7";
APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1";
```

You can try if everything was successfull using this Command:

*   `unattended-upgrades --debug`