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Guide to patching Linux servers for security and performance

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Introduction

Linux server patching is a fundamental aspect of server maintenance and security. Regularly updating software and operating systems on Linux servers protects against vulnerabilities, improves server performance, and ensures compatibility with recent technology standards. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to perform server patching on Linux distributions, including both RPM-based distributions (such as Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and CentOS) and Debian-based distributions (such as Ubuntu). Proper server patching supports a secure and stable infrastructure for any server environment.

 

Prerequisites

  • Root Access to the Server: Ensure administrative access to perform updates.
  • Familiarity with Linux CLI Commands: Basic knowledge of command-line operations is essential.

 

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Connect to the Server

SSH into the server with root or superuser privileges to begin patching.

 

Step 2: Gain Root Privileges

If you’re not logged in as the root user, enter the following command to gain root access:

sudo su -

 

Step 3: Check for Available Updates

Run the appropriate command for your Linux distribution to check for available OS updates.

# For RPM-based distributions: Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS
yum check-update

# For Debian-based distributions: Ubuntu
apt update

 

Step 4: Apply the Updates

After checking for available updates, run the following command to apply them.

# For RPM-based distributions: Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS
yum update -y

# For Debian-based distributions: Ubuntu
apt upgrade -y

 

Step 5: Reboot the Server

Once the updates are installed, reboot the server to apply the changes fully:

reboot

 

Step 6: Verify Updates are Complete

After the server has rebooted, run the update check commands again to confirm that no further updates are needed. Successful completion should display the following outputs:

# For RPM-based distributions: Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS
Dependencies resolved.
Nothing to do.
Complete!

# For Debian-based distributions: Ubuntu
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

 

Conclusion

Regular Linux server patching is essential to maintain security, performance, and compatibility with the latest technology standards. By following these steps, administrators can ensure that their Linux servers remain secure and up-to-date.

For additional assistance or if you encounter any issues, please contact our support team at support@ipserverone.com.

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