Ubuntu: Automatically install updates -

Ubuntu: Automatically install updates

Ubuntu has a built-in mechanism for automatic security updates. You can enable it as follows:

Open a terminal.
Run the following command to install the unattended-upgrades package if it’s not already installed:

sudo apt-get install unattended-upgrades

Configure the system to allow automatic updates:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades

This will open a configuration screen where you can enable automatic security updates.

🔄 Enable Automatic Updates for All Packages

If you also want to enable automatic updates for all other packages, you’ll need to modify the configuration files:

Open the unattended-upgrades configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades

Look for the line:

"${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-updates";

Make sure it’s not commented out (i.e., it shouldn’t have // in front of it).

To allow automatic removal of unused packages, add the following line (or uncomment it if it’s already present):

Unattended-Upgrade::Remove-Unused-Dependencies "true";

Save the changes and close the file.

⏱️ Set Automatic Update Interval

You can also configure how frequently the system checks for updates:

Open the file /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades:

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades

Adjust or add the following settings to configure daily updates:

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

Setting values to "1" configures daily checks. You can change the numbers to match your preferences.

🔁 Optional: Configure Automatic Reboots

You can also configure the system to automatically reboot after installing updates:

Open the /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades file again:

sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades

Look for:

Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "false";

Change false to true to enable automatic reboots:

Unattended-Upgrade::Automatic-Reboot "true";

Save the changes.

With these settings, Ubuntu will automatically download and install updates based on your configured parameters.

Configuration