Yup. I'm not sure it if's just debian/ubuntu, or it's for all of Linux (I assume the latter), but it's a scheduling daemon. Right now, here's root's crontabs.
30 22 * * * echo "Starting dist-upgrade: $(date)" >> /tmp/update.log && /usr/bin/apt-get update -y && /usr/bin/apt-get dist-upgrade -y
From the Ubuntu Wiki Page (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CronHowto?highlight=%28cron%29) about cron, it says that the first five spaces (here: "30 22 * * *") specify, in order, the *minute*, *hour*, *day of month*, *month* and *day of week*.
So I have these tasks scheduled to occur at 10:30 (2230 military time) each night:
Make a note about system upgrade in /tmp/update.log
Get list of latest updates (apt-get update -y)
Download + install them (apt-get dist-upgrade -y)
That's ridiculous. That's gonna be such a bandwidth whore.
Good idea though, if you can afford the bandwidth/CPU speed you'll be eating 10:30 each night downloading and installing shit. :P
If your distro gets minor updates every now and then, once a week is best. Otherwise I'd personally set it to once a month or quarter.
Any distro CAN run cron, and every distro that I'm familiar with does.
On darkside, I have a nightly crontab to back up key databases and files.
Quote from: Newby on March 28, 2006, 08:40:02 AM
That's ridiculous. That's gonna be such a bandwidth whore.
Good idea though, if you can afford the bandwidth/CPU speed you'll be eating 10:30 each night downloading and installing shit. :P
I can EASILY afford the CPU speed (2.8GHz runs Linux like nobody's business), and afford the bandwidth (nobody will be awake until 6:30 the next morning). And the only time I'll be downloading is if an update comes out. Apt-get update will check hit/miss on the repository lists, and if theres a miss THEN it downloads the list, and apt-get dist-upgrade will only download if everything isn't current.
Quote from: rabbit on March 28, 2006, 09:44:43 AM
If your distro gets minor updates every now and then, once a week is best. Otherwise I'd personally set it to once a month or quarter.
It's pretty much configured for when I switch to dapper drake (development version), so I don't get piled up on. But yeah, this is a bit overkill.
I should do something similar to this with FreeBSD && portupgrade.
Btw, this idea is copywrite 2006 Joe. (kidding, but still.. royalty please).
Quote from: iago on March 28, 2006, 02:47:12 PM
On darkside, I have a nightly crontab to back up key databases and files.
Hehe, I do the same on deepthought. Crontabs are so more straightforward and flexible than Windows' "Scheduled Tasks."
I use cron to stop my computer from flying ahead 1 minute every week >:\
Why the hell would it do that? =p
EDIT -
My computer is sync'd with USAC on startup. Not that I need to restart very often.
Quote from: Ergot on March 29, 2006, 12:54:04 AM
I use cron to stop my computer from flying ahead 1 minute every week >:\
I have a crontab to do that as well. :)
Quote from: Joe on March 29, 2006, 09:59:59 AM
Why the hell would it do that? =p
EDIT -
My computer is sync'd with USAC on startup. Not that I need to restart very often.
/me shrugs.
His CPU is in relative motion, I'd say. ;)
Quote from: Ergot on March 29, 2006, 12:54:04 AM
I use cron to stop my computer from flying ahead 1 minute every week >:\
Speaking of that, what's the command to update to a NTS server? Darkside tends to lose time, so it would help to update it nightly. :)
# ntpdate pool.ntp.org
Hehe @ darkside being to slow to even keep track of time.
Quote from: Joe on March 30, 2006, 07:49:35 AM
Hehe @ darkside being to slow to even keep track of time.
It happens. It's because his CPU is in relative motion. Duh.
Quote from: Joe on March 30, 2006, 07:49:35 AM
Hehe @ darkside being to slow to even keep track of time.
The time isn't kept track of by the CPU, it's an independent component in the BIOS. And it's a really old computer, so it's got a crappy BIOS.
Quote from: iago on March 30, 2006, 01:11:07 PM
The time isn't kept track of by the CPU, it's an independent component in the BIOS. And it's a really old computer, so it's got a crappy BIOS.
Obviously, I was testing Joe. I meant that your BIOS is in relative motion.
... >_>
I seriously kind of knew that (though I've never really worded it), since it's obvious that time is kept when the computer has no power.
I always wondered why the forums time was always late 10-20 minutes every time I checked. :)
I think auto-updating is a neat idea, for a server/testbox like BATSERVER which is currently Resting In Peices.
Quote from: Sidoh on March 30, 2006, 01:14:39 PM
Quote from: iago on March 30, 2006, 01:11:07 PM
The time isn't kept track of by the CPU, it's an independent component in the BIOS. And it's a really old computer, so it's got a crappy BIOS.
Obviously, I was testing Joe. I meant that your BIOS is in relative motion.
... >_>
I seriously kind of knew that (though I've never really worded it), since it's obvious that time is kept when the computer has no power.
I wasn't listening to you, but yeah, if the bios is moving then the whole computer is. Maybe I should stop it from vibrating to fix the clock?
All right, darkside's time should be fixed nightly now.
The script is super simple:
#!/bin/sh
DATE="/bin/date"
NTPDATE="/usr/sbin/ntpdate"
NTPSERVER="pool.ntp.org"
$DATE
$NTPDATE "$NTPSERVER"
$DATE
Notice that I like to store program names in variables. Most people don't do that, but I find it helpful in case a program moves.