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cron-apt automates apt-get jobs, but it does not install upgrades by default. A standard installation refreshes package lists and downloads newer packages; installing those packages requires an explicit action in /etc/cron-apt/action.d/. The safest setup is therefore staged: configure list refresh and downloads first, verify the results and logs, then decide whether your repository controls and rollback process justify automated installation.
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This guide shows which files control cron-apt, how ordered actions work, how to test a schedule without guessing, and how to avoid turning a routine update job into an uncontrolled system-wide upgrade.
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What cron-apt does
cron-apt is a Debian package that runs apt-get operations from scheduled cron jobs. Debian stable lists version 0.13.0.1. The package recommends a cron daemon or a compatible implementation, so two independent components are involved: cron-apt supplies the apt workflow, while the daemon supplies the schedule.
Debian’s package description defines the default behavior narrowly: cron-apt updates package lists and downloads new packages without installing them. That distinction matters. A machine can have fresh package indexes and downloaded archives while the running software remains unchanged. Installation or upgrading happens only when you add suitable apt-get actions through the action directory.
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cron-apt can be instructed to run operations available through apt-get or aptitude. Its flexibility is also its main risk: a broad upgrade action can change many packages, dependencies and services in one unattended run. Debian warns that automatic upgrading of all packages is not recommended unless you fully control the package repository.
Decide your update policy before editing files
Write down the outcome you want before adding an action. The appropriate configuration for a workstation that only stages downloads is very different from one that installs security updates on a controlled server.
Download-only policy
With this policy, cron-apt refreshes indexes and fetches packages, but does not install them. It is the conservative starting point because you can inspect available changes and choose when to apply them. It also limits the chance that a dependency transition or service restart happens during an unattended job.
Explicit installation policy
An installation policy adds apt-get actions that install or upgrade packages. Use it only after testing the exact repository set, package pinning, dependency behavior, maintenance window, reboot requirements and rollback procedure. Keep installation in a separate action file after refresh and download actions so the execution order is obvious.
Repository governance
Automatic upgrades are safest when every configured repository is trusted and administered by you. Review enabled sources, signing-key ownership and pinning before allowing unattended installation. If an external repository can introduce an unexpected package or dependency, download-only operation gives you a review point that full automation removes.
Install cron-apt and verify its scheduler
- Install the
cron-aptpackage with the package manager used by the target Debian or Ubuntu release. On an apt-based system, the package name is exactlycron-apt; use your distribution’s normal privilege escalation and package-install procedure. - Confirm that a cron daemon or compatible cron service is enabled and running. cron-apt depends on that scheduler; a correctly written configuration will still do nothing if no daemon is executing the job.
- Record the installed package version and read its local documentation. Debian stable lists version 0.13.0.1, but another release can package a different version, so use the files installed on your machine as the authority for available variables and invocation details.
- Locate the package’s scheduled entry or script and note when it runs. Do not assume a particular time, interval or filename: distributions can package schedules differently, and an administrator may already have changed them.
Before changing behavior, make a copy of the existing cron-apt configuration and action directory. This gives you a known comparison point if a later change produces an unexpected result.
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Know the two configuration locations
The official man page identifies two primary configuration areas. Global variables belong in /etc/cron-apt/config. Individual apt-get operations belong in /etc/cron-apt/action.d/.
| Location | Function | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|
/etc/cron-apt/config |
Global variables that affect cron-apt. | Use the installed example as the reference for variable names and values. |
/etc/cron-apt/action.d/ |
Action rules passed to apt-get. | cron-apt reads action files as apt-get arguments, one line at a time, in file order. |
/usr/share/doc/cron-apt/examples/config |
Installed example configuration. | Copy only the settings you actually need into the global configuration. |
The action directory is not a shell-script directory. Its files describe apt-get arguments line by line. Avoid placing shell commands, pipelines or unrelated text there. If you need a variable or behavior, first check whether the installed example or man page defines it.
Build a safe configuration step by step
1. Start from the installed example
Open /usr/share/doc/cron-apt/examples/config and compare it with /etc/cron-apt/config. Copy only settings required for your environment. This avoids carrying obsolete or unrelated sample values into production and keeps the global file easy to audit.
2. Inspect every existing action
List the files under /etc/cron-apt/action.d/, then read each file in the order cron-apt will process it. Existing files may already refresh indexes or download packages. Understanding them first prevents duplicate operations and reveals whether an installation action is already present.
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Keep package-list refresh and download actions separate from any installation or upgrade action. cron-apt processes action files in order, so combining unrelated stages makes it harder to determine what happened after a failure. A staged layout also lets you disable installation without removing the download workflow.
| Stage | Purpose | Decision point |
|---|---|---|
| Package-list refresh | Obtain current repository indexes. | Check repository reachability and signing behavior. |
| Package download | Fetch candidate packages without changing installed software. | Review what would be applied and whether storage is sufficient. |
| Installation or upgrade | Apply selected apt-get changes. | Proceed only when repository trust, dependencies, service impact and recovery are understood. |
4. Add observability before automation
Configure error mail if an administrator will act on notifications. Debian documents that cron-apt can mail errors and can log to syslog or to a separate file. Choose a destination that is monitored, and make sure the cron execution account can write to any configured log location. A notification that nobody reads is not monitoring.
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How action files control installation
Each action file contributes apt-get arguments one line at a time. Because files are processed in order, the directory is effectively a small ordered workflow. The exact filenames and arguments supplied by your distribution are local facts; inspect them rather than assuming that a name such as “upgrade” exists everywhere.
Keep the default behavior intact
If you want download-only operation, retain the actions that refresh indexes and download packages and do not add an installation or upgrade action. This is the behavior Debian describes as the default.
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Add installation only as an explicit stage
To install updates, add an action file containing the apt-get arguments documented for your policy. Place it after refresh and download actions. Review the resulting sequence as a whole: an earlier action can change the package index used by a later action, and a later action can turn a harmless staging job into a system-wide change.
Limit scope deliberately
cron-apt can run anything available through apt-get or aptitude, so avoid broad actions unless they are intentional. If your policy is limited to a defined package set, express that scope using the package-management controls supported by your release, and test dependency resolution manually before scheduling it. Do not assume that an action file automatically understands your desired maintenance window, reboot policy or service exclusions.
Test the workflow before trusting the schedule
The package’s exact invocation command and schedule depend on the installed package and distribution. Rather than inventing a universal command, identify the local cron entry or wrapper script and use that as the canonical invocation. Run a controlled test during a maintenance window, with the same configuration and permissions used by the scheduled job.
- Confirm that the files in
/etc/cron-apt/configand/etc/cron-apt/action.d/contain only intended settings and arguments. - Check that repositories are reachable and that the machine has enough free space for downloaded packages and logs.
- Run the installed cron-apt invocation manually, following the package’s local man page or scheduled wrapper. Do not substitute an ad-hoc apt-get command, because that would bypass cron-apt’s ordering and global variables.
- Observe the complete output and exit status. A successful download does not prove that an installation stage ran, and an email-free run does not prove that no error occurred.
- Inspect the configured log destination, whether syslog or a separate file, and verify that the expected actions appear in order.
- If installation is enabled, verify package versions, service health and any required reboot indication before allowing the scheduled run to repeat.
After the manual test, leave the schedule disabled or in download-only mode until you have reviewed the result. Then enable the desired schedule and monitor its first several runs.
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Scheduling and interactions with other update mechanisms
cron-apt uses cron or a compatible daemon, while many current distributions also provide systemd- or apt-based timers. Treat those mechanisms as separate jobs. Check what is already enabled before adding cron-apt, or you may refresh indexes and attempt downloads concurrently, or apply upgrades twice.
When comparing cron-apt with another automatic-update mechanism, evaluate four practical axes:
- Action scope: Does the mechanism download packages only, or install and upgrade them?
- Control surface: cron-apt exposes ordered files in
/etc/cron-apt/action.d/and global variables in/etc/cron-apt/config. - Scheduling: cron-apt relies on cron or a compatible daemon; another mechanism may rely on a distribution timer.
- Observability: cron-apt supports error mail and logging to syslog or a separate file when configured.
- Repository governance: Any unattended installer is only as trustworthy as every repository and pinning rule it can use.
Choose one authoritative installation workflow. If you retain cron-apt for downloads and another service for installation, document the hand-off and ensure the two jobs cannot operate on the package database at the same time.
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Use logs to answer “what ran?”
A useful log should show when cron-apt ran, which action stage was reached and whether apt-get returned an error. Syslog is convenient when your existing monitoring already collects it; a separate file can be easier to retain for a dedicated maintenance process. Whichever destination you select, verify it during the manual test.
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Use error mail to answer “who must act?”
Configure error mail only when a monitored mailbox or alerting path exists. Test delivery deliberately. If mail is unavailable on the host, rely on a monitored log pipeline instead of assuming that cron-apt’s notification attempt will be seen.
Review download-only runs
Download-only operation still deserves attention. A failed index refresh can leave stale metadata, while a successful download can consume storage without changing installed software. Include repository errors, available disk space and the age of the last successful run in your routine review.
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Troubleshoot by symptom
No run appears at the expected time
- Check that cron or a compatible cron daemon is enabled and running.
- Verify the installed cron-apt schedule or wrapper rather than relying on an assumed interval.
- Confirm that configuration file permissions and paths match the package’s documented locations.
- Look in the configured log destination for scheduler or permission errors.
Package lists refresh, but nothing is installed
This is expected when only the default refresh and download actions are present. Inspect /etc/cron-apt/action.d/ for an explicit installation or upgrade stage. Add one only after completing the repository, dependency and rollback checks described above.
Downloads occur but the expected package is absent
Review the action order and apt-get arguments line by line. A later action cannot act on a package that an earlier stage did not make available, and package selection can be constrained by repository configuration or pinning. Reproduce the sequence manually and inspect apt-get’s output.
An installation fails partway through
Stop repeated unattended attempts. Preserve the log, identify the failing apt-get operation, check dependency and repository errors, and return to a controlled manual maintenance window. Do not simply add another broad action file; that can compound a partially applied change.
Error mail never arrives
Check whether cron-apt is configured to send errors, whether the host can deliver mail, and whether the destination mailbox is monitored. Confirm the same failure in the log destination. Logging and mail are complementary; neither should be assumed without a test.
Two jobs appear to update the machine
Inventory cron-apt and any distribution-provided apt or systemd timers. Disable or reschedule redundant installation workflows, then document which job owns upgrades. Concurrent package-manager operations can produce confusing logs and avoidable failures.
Security and recovery checklist
- Trust every enabled repository and understand who controls it.
- Review package pinning and candidate versions before enabling installation.
- Test dependency resolution with the exact action sequence you will schedule.
- Identify services that could restart and whether a reboot may be required.
- Define how to recover from a bad package or dependency transition before automation is enabled.
- Keep installation actions separate so they can be disabled without removing list refresh and downloads.
- Monitor logs or error mail after each configuration change and during the first scheduled runs.
- Keep a backup of the previous configuration and action files so you can restore a known state.
Debian’s warning is the governing principle: automatic upgrading of all packages is not recommended unless you are in full control of the package repository. Download-only cron-apt is a reasonable baseline; full installation is a policy decision, not a default switch.
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A maintainable setup has a small global configuration copied from the installed example, an action directory whose files are understandable in execution order, and a documented scheduler. The first stages refresh indexes and download packages. Any installation stage is explicit, later in the order, narrowly scoped and covered by a tested recovery plan. Logs or error mail make failures visible, and a manual invocation has already confirmed that the local package version behaves as expected.
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