The dangers of automatic updates
Submitted by srlinuxx on Fri, 09/14/2007 - 16:27.
When I started using GNU/Linux eight years ago, I was dumbfounded to encounter Debian users who started their day by upgrading their entire system. Yet now, with the updaters that sit in the notification trays of recent GNOME and KDE-based distributions, I realize that these daily upgraders were not daredevils, but pioneers in the idea that all upgrades are desirable. Never mind that this idea is an nuisance and an unwarranted assumption -- let alone that constant upgrades are unsuitable to many styles of computing and contrary to responsible system maintenance.
I don't know about anyone else, but my usual reaction to an updater is irritation. Admittedly, GNU/Linux updaters are not as bad as Windows'. In that operating system, a popup notification about updates seems to ambush you every 30 seconds, and you are constantly warned that your system is at risk if you turn off automatic updates. So far, updaters in GNU/Linux are more restrained, distracting you with a popup about the number of available updates only when you login, or placing an icon in the system tray. Moreover, only one updater exists for the whole system in GNU/Linux, while in Windows Vista you can have as many as three or four. And at least a GNU/Linux updater can be turned off.
However, the tendency toward nagware is still there, distracting you from whatever you are doing with a notice that you probably don't care about at the moment. Give me a log file that I can view at my leisure any day.
But updaters are more than just a nuisance. They're an active hazard.
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Foolish notions of auto-updating other than stable versions ?
Microsoft auto-updates over a nine year period was satisfactory due to their resources being fast and technical competence adequate. Features were added over the years until 2007 from 1998 to be fully satisfactory. This is the cpu control(core voltage, pll freq and interupted cooling) and security of synchronization of atm(sync'd wait state of all data transfer on buses to avoid ctty hacking by avoiding propagation delayed data inputs) and anticrash(error code reporting to Redmond)module in shadowed bios adjustment by virtual administrator. I am very happy with its development, even today.
In the case of Debian versions, only stable can be used for auto-update candidates. Trying to update unstable and testing is all but foolish notions that the few maintainers are thorough enough. Debian repositories often lack all the dependency files for update to begin with?
Typical updates by open sourced developers go thru many trials and tribulations to fight maintainers to get their patches approved for addition. Open sourced software developments are much more political in large projects than Slackware emperor can manage. Puppy is now using copyright and lgpl clause to control its codes.