Updating Ubuntu

This guide explains how to update Ubuntu virtual machines running on Thalassa Cloud. Regular updates ensure your VMs receive security patches, bug fixes, and feature improvements.

Prerequisites

SSH access to your Ubuntu virtual machine
Root or sudo privileges
Network connectivity for package downloads

Updating Ubuntu

Step 1: Update Package Lists

First, refresh the local package index to ensure you have the latest information about available packages:

sudo apt update

This command downloads package information from all configured repositories.

Step 2: Upgrade Installed Packages

Upgrade all installed packages to their latest versions:

sudo apt upgrade

Review the list of packages that will be upgraded. Type Y and press Enter to confirm.

For a more automated upgrade that doesn’t prompt for confirmation:

sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 3: Perform Distribution Upgrade (Optional)

For major version upgrades (e.g., Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04), use:

sudo apt full-upgrade

This command also handles dependency changes and may remove packages if necessary.

Step 4: Remove Unused Packages (Optional)

Clean up packages that are no longer needed:

sudo apt autoremove

This removes packages that were automatically installed as dependencies but are no longer required.

Step 5: Clean Package Cache (Optional)

Free up disk space by removing cached package files:

sudo apt autoclean

This removes package files from the local cache that are no longer available in the repositories.

Automated Updates

For production environments, consider setting up unattended upgrades to automatically install security updates:

Install Unattended Upgrades

sudo apt install unattended-upgrades

Configure Unattended Upgrades

Edit the configuration file:

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

Enable automatic updates for security patches by uncommenting:

Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins {
    "${distro_id}:${distro_codename}-security";
};

Enable Automatic Updates

sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

Select “Yes” when prompted to enable automatic updates.

Troubleshooting

Package Lock Errors

If you encounter “Unable to lock” errors:

sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/lock
sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock

Then retry the update command.

Broken Dependencies

Fix broken dependencies with:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

References

Rebooting a Virtual Machine