Ubuntu Turn Off Automatic Updates From CLI with Best 3 Steps

This tutorial will teach you how to “Ubuntu Turn Off Automatic Updates From the Command line.” As you must know, Automatic updates in Ubuntu keep your system up-to-date and secure. However, for some reasons, you may need to manually control your system updates. One of the reasons is that automatic updates may interrupt your workflow. So in these cases, you must disable automatic updates in Ubuntu.

You can follow these guide steps on the Orcacore website to complete Ubuntu Turn Off Automatic Updates From the Command line.

Guide Steps For Ubuntu Turn Off Automatic Updates From the Command Line

To prevent issues and disruption of your work and manage your service, it is better to manually disable automatic updates in Ubuntu. To do this, log in to your Ubuntu server, open a terminal, and follow the steps below to complete this guide.

Step 1. Disable unattended-upgrade Ubuntu

The first step is to turn off the Unattended Upgrades. It is a package that Ubuntu uses for managing automatic updates. To disable the unattended upgrade on Ubuntu, open the following configuration file with your desired text editor like Vi Editor or Nano Editor:

sudo vi /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades

In the file, you must change the value of the automatic updates to “0”. The value “0” means it will be disabled.

Ubuntu Turn Off Automatic Updates

Once you are done, save and close the file.

Step 2. Disable Automatic Update Notifications Ubuntu

At this point, you have learned to Turn Off Automatic Updates in Ubuntu. But you will receive notifications about the automatic updates. To disable the update notifier, run the command below:

sudo mv /etc/xdg/autostart/update-notifier.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/update-notifier.desktop.disabled

Step 3. Run Manual Update in Ubuntu

Now that you have disabled your automatic updates, you can manually run the system update and upgrade by using the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Conclusion

Turning off automatic updates in Ubuntu means you decide when to update your system. This gives you more control but also means you must be careful to keep your system safe. Make sure to check for updates often and install them to keep your system secure and working well. Hope you enjoy this guide.

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FAQs

Why should I turn off automatic updates in Ubuntu?

It gives you full control over updates. This is useful if you want to test updates first or avoid disruptions during important tasks.

How do I disable automatic updates using the command line?

As we discussed in the guide, you need to edit the /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades file and change the upgrade values to “0”.

Can I re-enable automatic updates later?

Yes, you can re-enable automatic updates by editing the same file and setting the values back to “1”.

Is it dangerous to turn off automatic updates in Ubuntu?

No. However, without updates, your system may become vulnerable to security threats and bugs. It’s important to manually check for and apply updates regularly.

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