Question Update the OS with unattended-upgrades

[klowet]

Server operating system version

Debian 11.0

Plesk version and microupdate number

18.0.59

Hi

I have read the 'System Updates' documentation, but some things are unclear for me. I'm eg. using Debian as the OS.

When 'Automatically install system package updates' is checked:

1. Will this do an 'apt upgrade' or what exactly?
2. When will it do that? Can we schedule that?
3. When a reboot is required, will it reboot automatically?

When we would disable that option:

1. Is it safe to use unattended-upgrades?
2. Will unattended-upgrades also upgrade Plesk and it's third-party components?

Thanks

 

[Peter Debik]

1. Will this do an 'apt upgrade' or what exactly?

Yes, apt upgrade.

1. When will it do that? Can we schedule that?

It is done during the daily maintenance tasks. These usually run between midnight and 5 am.

1. When a reboot is required, will it reboot automatically?

No. Plesk never reboots the server automatically.

When we would disable that option:

1. Is it safe to use unattended-upgrades?

It is safe in regard of the installation process, but it is not safe in regard of making sure that after an installation new packages work properly. In the past there were situations were owners of third-party software published faulty updates. The update itself worked, but as their software didn't work properly, it lead to outages of services. It could all be fixed, but server owners woke up in the morning finding that for example their database server was no longer running. Not a Plesk fault, but that's something that can definitely happen with un-attended updates of third-party software.

1. Will unattended-upgrades also upgrade Plesk and it's third-party components?

Only if you check these two options:

 

[klowet]

It is safe in regard of the installation process, but it is not safe in regard of making sure that after an installation new packages work properly.

Isn't that the case too when Plesk does the updates during the daily maintenance tasks?

 

[Peter Debik]

I do not comprehend the question. Wasn't that what you asked in the first place?

 

[klowet]

I mean: what is the difference in risk when using the Plesk built-in system package updater vs unattended-upgrades? In both cases it is possible that third-party software publishes faulty updates and get installed.

 

[Peter Debik]

There is no difference, that's why you can enable the "Enable safe updates for system packages" checkbox. This makes sure that ...

 

[klowet]

Ohh ok, clear. Thanks!