How to update your Ubuntu server packages

I have a few VPS based on Ubuntu and I have an alert on my calendar to log in from time to time and update the packages and keep up with security fixes.

Here’s the sequence I use (it’s mostly a note to myself for the next time I forget)

Connect to the server with an account that can use sudo, then refresh the package index:

sudo apt update

This downloads the latest package metadata. It does not upgrade anything yet.

Now install the available upgrades:

sudo apt upgrade

Read the proposed changes before confirming. For an upgrade that may install or remove dependencies, use sudo apt full-upgrade and review the plan carefully.

Remove dependencies that are no longer needed with:

sudo apt autoremove

Then, if needed (depends on the kind of packages that needed an update), reboot the system:

sudo reboot

Ubuntu usually creates /var/run/reboot-required when an installed update requires a reboot. You can check it with test -f /var/run/reboot-required && echo "Reboot required".