Re: How do I permanently disable unattended downloads of software/security updates?

[Stella Ashburne <rewefie@gmx.com>]

Hi

Thanks for your help and time. I really appreciate it.

> Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 5:29 PM
> From: l0f4r0@tuta.io
> To: "Debian User" <debian-user@lists.debian.org>
> Subject: Re: How do I permanently disable unattended downloads of software/security updates?
>
> NB: You can still filter `apt-cache rdepends` results with some other switches like `--no-pre-depends`,  `--no-recommends`,  `--no-suggests`,  `--no-conflicts`,  `--no-breaks`, `--no-replaces` and `--no-enhances`.

Thanks for the above tip.

Can I do something like the following using your above filters?

sudo apt rdepends <package-name> --no-recommends
sudo apt rdepends <package-name> --no-suggests


> 
> As said Socrates: "I know that I do not know.". It happens everyday for me ;p
>

I think you're being modest. You know so much more than me.

> Back to your question, here are other suggestions I can think about:
> * cron-apt
> * apticron (its goal is only to send notifications by emails but it certainly triggers `apt update` to do that. So maybe this update triggers some other things from your side as well, like widgets...)
> * widgets/applets for your favorite desktop environment (I can't help you, I don't use any...)

My knowledge of computing, Linux and Debian is elementary and hence I won't know how to set up a cron-apt or use apticron.

Question: Is it a prerequisite (pre-condition) that to set up a cron job to download updates at a fixed time every day, the OS must have the installed package "unattended-upgrades"?

> 
> NB: If not explicitely mentioned by a debian-user poster, most of the time (s)he is a subscriber of this mailing-list. At least I am, so you can omit my email address in each of your answers (I'm currently receiving all your emails twice) ;)
>

I apologize if I have caused inconvenience to you and shall remember to remove your email address when I reply to yours.

Best regards.