How to install server updates

This article describes how to install updates on an unmanaged server. Maintaining an up-to-date server with the latest patches and fixes is one of the most important things you can do to make your server more secure.

Follow the appropriate procedures below for your server's operating system.

CentOS and Fedora

To download and install the latest updates immediately, type the following command as the root user:

yum update

The previous command runs in interactive mode, which means you are asked at certain points during the update process whether or not you want to continue. To install updates without any user intervention, type the following command instead:

yum -y update

Debian and Ubuntu

To search the repositories for updates and then install them immediately, type the following command as the root user:

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade

The previous command runs in interactive mode, which means you are asked at certain points during the update process whether or not you want to continue. To install updates without any user intervention, type the following command instead:

apt-get -y update && apt-get -y upgrade

Other Linux distributions

For other Linux distributions, consult its documentation for the steps to install updates.