SolydXK Update Packs explained

[Arjen Balfoort]

Short description
SolydXK uses update packs to update the SolydX and SolydK systems at your home, organisation or company. These update packs are necessary to keep your system up-to-date and secure without jeopardizing the stability of your system.

Debian, by default, is a “rolling” distribution: its repositories are continuously changing which means you get system updates regularly. However, each update introduces a potential risk to your system.

This is why SolydXK has introduced the Update Pack (UP) method to manage the way updates are brought to the users of SolydX and SolydK.


The UP Process explained
SolydXK increases stability and security by testing the incoming packages before they are released. To guarantee up-to-date security, the SolydXK Security repository is updated on a daily basis, and therefore the SolydXK security repository is not included in the UP process. Note that not all security updates are offered through the security repository. The testing team will decide if an update is necessary.

The Update Pack is a quarterly process. The testing period is initiated on the first of the month, and will take two weeks of testing before making the Update Pack available for the public. The following dates are planned testing periods:

• Q1: January 1 – January 15
• Q2: April 1 – April 15
• Q3: July 1 – July 15
• Q4: October 1 – October 15

During this testing period, the SolydXK testing team will test the Update Pack on breakages and security risks. The last day of the testing period is the day the Update Pack becomes available to the public.

To further increase security both Firefox and Thunderbird are being built from source if there are new versions available. These packages do not necessarily follow the UP frequency, but will be released whenever they are available, tested, and found okay for release by the testing team.

If testing breaks, the testing process is stopped until the next quarterly. This is then communicated to the SolydX and SolydK users stating the reason and a description of the rest of the process.

The following channels are used to communicate to the SolydX and SolydK users:

• Blog: http://solydxk.nl/news
• RSS: http://solydxk.nl/feed
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solyd.xk
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/solydxk
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112450904523917402004
• Forum (this includes a breakages thread): http://forums.solydxk.nl

If a critical production breakage has been identified, this has to be solved asap. Either by downgrading or upgrading that package or another workaround which will be communicated by the above mentioned channels.

If testing is successful, this is also communicated by the above mentioned channels.

Current UP information
The information shown by the "Update Pack Info" button in the Update Manager:

[up-info=production][/up-info]

[kwisher]

I switched to testing a while back and I would now like to switch back to the stable UP system. Problem is I did not keep my original sources.list. Can someone please provide the correct repo's for the stable UP?

TIA

[GeneC]

Here you go..

Code: Select all

deb http://packages.solydxk.com/production/ solydxk main upstream import kdenext
deb http://debian.solydxk.com/production testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.com/production/multimedia testing main non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.com/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://community.solydxk.com/production/ solydxk main

Reference HERE

[kwisher]

Here you go..

Code: Select all

deb http://packages.solydxk.com/production/ solydxk main upstream import kdenext
deb http://debian.solydxk.com/production testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.com/production/multimedia testing main non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.com/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://community.solydxk.com/production/ solydxk main

Reference HERE

Thank you, Gene.

[nomko]

Maybe a weird question, but how do i know when/how/what the Update Packs are downloaded and installed??

[ane champenois]

Maybe a weird question, but how do i know when/how/what the Update Packs are downloaded and installed??

If you're talking about when it was done, you have a list of what have been updated (and from which version to another) in the Update-manager: View>History of updates.

[zerozero]

nomko
if your sources.list are correct;
if updatemanager says that you're up-to-date
then you have the latest UP installed

you can also check with

Code: Select all

cat /var/log/updatemanager.packlevel

[Orbmiser]

nomko
if your sources.list are correct;
if updatemanager says that you're up-to-date
then you have the latest UP installed

you can also check with

Code: Select all

cat /var/log/updatemanager.packlevel

Not to beat a dead thread here?

But for me just installed 2013-08 on Aug. 24th
But cat /var/log/updatemanager.packlevel returns 2013.06.06

So kind of confused distro version vs. pack version?

[Snap]

Same here. Is it the correct one?

[CjTX2]

New Install from SolydX 201308 DVD downloaded and burned 2013AUG26. After install and update, Update Manager shows:

Current Update Pack available: 2013.08.06
Latest Update Pack used by this system: 2013.06.06?

(/var/log/updatemanager.packlevel also returns 2013.06.06)

How can I get it to update to correct number?

[Arjen Balfoort]

Code: Select all

su
echo "2013.08.06" > /var/log/updatemanager.packlevel

[GeneC]

Correct here (SolydX 64)

Code: Select all

gene@solydx:~$ cat /var/log/updatemanager.packlevel
2013.08.06

[Fargo]

I just did an install of the latest iso last night on my wifes machine. I was curious as to how I would update the system upon release of the first (for me) Update Pack. As I was reading the Update Pack Info, I found it a little confusing how the notice went directly from 'Changes' into the terminal method for installing without mentioning how to install automatically via Update Manager.

To make the Update process a little less confusing for new users, I recommend making the following changes to the 'Update Pack Info' page: After the list of changes there should be a heading "Auto Installation Method" with breif directions on how to install using Update Manager. For example:

Auto Installation Method:

"To update your system using the Update Manager, Simply click 'Refresh' to alert the system to the latest available packages then click 'Install Updates'. Thats it! Now sit back and let the updates install and follow any additional on screen directions"

I like stating "Thats it!" to confirm for the person thats all you have to do. Please add any additional directions or wordings that I may have incorrect. I actually haven't had a chance to update my system yet. So I don't even know if the directions I gave above are accurate.

Anyway, after the brief directions for Auto Installation, you should have the section for "Manual Install" or "Issues and Work Arounds" as it currently is.

[Arjen Balfoort]

I like it!

[ane champenois]

I like it!

Me too, less technical, more simple

[Arjen Balfoort]

I updated the text, and you can check it in the testing environment (see frame in OP): http://forums.solydxk.nl/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1619

[Fargo]

Obviously if their is ever anything that needs to be done manually before or after the auto update, it would also need to be noted in the Auto Installation section.

For example, I just watched the video tutorial for doing updates.http://solydxk.com/community/tutorials/#up The update pack in that video showed some terminal code for installing Steam and something else (lightdm???). Looking at the 'U.P. Info' in the video, it was unclear to me if a person would have to manual copy/paste that code into terminal after the update or if it was going to auto install. Or was the install even required? In short, I didn't understand why the CLI info was there.

Since the video did not show installation of the CLI packages I assumed they were installed automatically or were optional. But it helps to illustrate why I think a small section describing the Auto Install should be included in every 'Update Pack Info' page. If something like the Steam install was an optional package then it should be made clear it is optional and that it could be installed any time later using the Package Manager.

[Fargo]

Does opening the Update Manager always refresh the sources? I swear after my install last night I had to click the 'Refresh' button before an update for the UM was present. I noticed the same issue with Synaptic in Mepis that sometimes things didn't refresh on the first try. I think this can be tested by throwing in a livecd of the current iso.

Otherwise, I think your wording explains things well.

[vtpoet]

Okay, I'm feeling stupid.

So... Am I correct in understanding that SolydXK does not default to UP after installation?

And if I want to defult to UP, I have to change (or hash out) my sources list from:

deb http://packages.solydxk.nl/production/ solydxk main upstream import kdenext
deb http://debian.solydxk.nl/production testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.nl/production/multimedia testing main non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.nl/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
deb http://community.solydxk.nl/production/ solydxk main

To:

deb http://packages.solydxk.nl/ solydxk main upstream import
deb http://debian.solydxk.nl/production/ testing main contrib non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.nl/production/multimedia/ testing main non-free
deb http://debian.solydxk.nl/security/ testing/updates main contrib non-free

And before I update, I need to install the solydxk keyring?

sudo apt-get install solydxk-keyring

[zerozero]

no
your sources.list are fine! the sources.list you are seeing in that post are deprecated (Thanks a lot for pointing that out!!)


also the keyring is obviously installed in our systems (this is a leftover from the very beginning of the distro) (Thanks again!!)

/cleaning and updating the topic now