Configuring SUSE Linux for automatic updates

• Starting YaST
• Configuring your update site
• Configuring the automatic update
• Finishing up with an update

We generally configure our SUSE Linux machines to be automatically updated every night. The automatic update procedure does not automatically reboot your machine. Reboots are not necessary for patches to take effect, with the exception of the rare kernel patch.

Because you can simply reboot whenever you wish to, It is highly recommended that all SUSE machines be configured for automatic updates.

Starting YaST

YaST stands for "Yet Another System Tool". It is your central control panel for all system-wide configuration changes. Go to your kicker, select System, then YaST. You should be prompted for the root password to your machine.

Once in YaST, select the software screen.

Configuring your update site

Under the software tab in YaST, click on "Online Update"

Under Installation source, select "USA: Illinois, Chicago" for the fastest patch server.

Configuring the automatic update

Click on the "Configure Fully Automatic Update" button, and you will get a popup window asking you when and how you would like to perform your updates

Make sure "Enable Automatic Update" is checked. If for some reason you only want to download patches, but not install them, be sure to check "Only Download Patches". Click "OK" when done.

Finishing up with an update

When you've configured everything, you have to click the "Next" button. This brings you into the YOU (YaST Online Update) Patches menu. You can just click on the Accept button and it will install any patches that are required, and then go on with your automatic daily patching.