Ubuntu shows updates / security updates on shell logins

[Seth Vidal]

On Wed, 4 Nov 2009, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:

> Newly installed Ubuntu 9.10, when you log in over ssh you may see:
>
>  34 packages can be updated.
>  10 updates are security updates.
>
> I think this is a nice feature, because many administrators will log
> in to servers remotely over ssh and never see the graphical
> indications from packagekit et al.

Administrators should not be relying on logging into a machine to know 
what is in need of updates. We have multiple mechanisms to notify admins 
about boxes needing updates. Adding it to the MOTD seems like an odd 
choice.


> > Actually I was trying to work out how it's implemented.  The text goes
> into /etc/motd, and as near as I can tell, the Ubuntu "update-manager"
> (roughly equivalent of PackageKit) rewrites it whenever packages
> become available or get installed.  Is this something that PackageKit
> could also do?

Look at yum-cron and how it is can send emails or other events when 
updates need to be applied.

-sv