Install all yum updates?

markb · #1 20th January 2005, 12:06 PM

I just installed FC2 on my main PC with the intention of moving from Windows. I have not had that many issues apart from problems with the cdrom which I see is quite common and which at the moment I am working around.

My question is - should I do a "yum update" and update all the packages on the machine or will this cause more problems than it will solve? Coming from a mainly Windows background I am used to being very circumspect about updates as they often cause problems.

Also, is there a way that I can set up automatic updating so that I receive critical and security updates?

***bob*** · #2 20th January 2005, 12:58 PM

Sure, go ahead and do the yum update. It really shouldn't cause you any problems, however there are no absolute guarantees on each individual machine. Keep in mind that with Windows, 90-95% of the updates were smooth too. The big difference is that if you DO run into a glitch, this Forum is here to help out and can generally resolve it within a short time.

As far as the automatic updating - the red exclamation point from 'up2date' will be an indication that updates are available. You then have your options to use Yum, Up2date or Apt/Synaptic to do them. Doesn't hurt to use them all, by the way. Every once in awhile you'll find an update in one that was missed in another.

markb · #3 20th January 2005, 01:48 PM

Ok, I'll go for the yum update then. It's such a cool tool I was just looking an excuse to use it.

taylor65 · #4 20th January 2005, 05:28 PM

my experience has been that doing system-wide updates causes lots of problems - I would suggest you do not do that unless something is broken, then I'd just update the package that's broken.

***bob*** · #5 20th January 2005, 05:36 PM

Taylor, everyone's experience is different. I've never had a problem with multiple updates on either FC2 or FC3, nor have I had problems when changing from yum to synaptic to up2date and back. Sure, it can happen, but the dependency and conflict checks are built-in, so problems should be kept to a minimum.

sailor · #6 20th January 2005, 06:02 PM

I personally "comment out " all the testing and unstable repositories and use those listed as stable. (in the /etc/yum.conf file)
Updating can be a 2 edge sword sometimes it will break things and sometimes fix things...but like bob said that is what this forum is for.

PeTzZz · #7 20th January 2005, 06:04 PM

I want to add that if you are afraid of updating then you should wait some days before doing the updates, because if some updates cause problems then it will be fixed quite soon and after some days there will be no problem doing that update.

Here is an example of one recent package that caused problems (actually you just were not able to update it):
http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32283
It was fixed on the same day (let's say in 12h).

So I suggest to wait some days and take a look to the recent posts here to be sure that it is really safe.

It is a view for home users.

pparks1 · #8 20th January 2005, 09:54 PM

I have a handful of Fedora boxes as well as Red Hat Enterprise boxes and I always run all of the updates on these boxes and haven't experienced a problem because of it.

The only thing I don't regularly install are new kernel versions because those require a reboot and taking some of these servers offline to reboot is not desirable.