Headers for Updates: How does it work?

I really like understanding how stuff work, even when there is no problem. So can the experts explain these observations?

  1. I can run this commend:
    sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
    twice in a day, and the number of headers can be completely different. It can go from 9 to 25, even if nothing has happened between.

  2. I can run Ubuntu Software Updater, then immediately after run that same CLI. The Updater will say I am up to date, while the CLI downloads stuff, sometimes a lot. Aren’t they doing the same thing?

  3. Is it wise or unnecessary to run autoclean and/or autoremove after an update or upgrade? It seems that most of the time, I am removing headers and a few lib files, no more.

Cliff

I can’t give you an exact expert answer, but I can assure you that Linux is all about you. You decide. Especially in cases like:

This is all up to you. I rarely use that function, others might find it very useful, depending in their respective needs and wishes. Neither is wise, nor unnecessary.

I would comment on the other questions, as well, but that would be just speculation, so I let it be.

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Hi Cliff,

I’m no expert, but like yourself, prefer to update my system, and do use autoclean, autoremove and clean on each new session. More habit forming since I started using Debian a few years back.

I was of the opinion that apt-get had been deprecated and replaced with apt.

  • sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Other systems have a GUI update icon located in the panel system tray, that open the update manager, i.e this appears to be Gnome Software Manager in Ubuntu. I prefer Synaptic Package Manager.

Mine is out habit due my current Debian Xfce desktop does not have a builtin GUI like Ubuntu. I 'd say horses for horses.

:sunglasses:

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It is in the process of being deprecated, but both are equally valid, as far as I know. Nonetheless, I only use apt.

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Are you sure that it installs something new? If you run sudo apt update, it will always be a fairly long output.

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It’s not being deprecated. Use of apt is being encouraged because of its simplicity.

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