Updates that require restart

[silfox2000]

I noted that none of the updates indicate that they require restart in order to be applied. For example updates of the kernel. The new kernel is not loaded until restart. There are several other updates, mostly level 4 and 5 for which I usually wonder if they require restart. My question is - is it possible the updates that require restart to be appropriately marked?

[Pjotr]

Good question; reasonable request.... This forum isn't the place for this, though: I advise to contact Clem about this directly. Either on IRC or by e-mail.

Note that level 4 updates *in most cases* (not all) require a reboot before becoming active. While level 1-3 updates usually don't. So as a workaround, you might make it standard practice to reboot after applying a level 4 update. It's what I do, myself.

[Cosmo.]

There is in the roadmap an entry, whether a prompt for a reboot after a kernel update should get implemented (see the R&D section). Actually I read this entry already since a very long time, but obviously nothing has happened until now. And obviously only kernel updates are mentioned there. Actually level 3 & 4 (only valid for Mint 18.2 & 18.3) updates are very often related to services or drivers and there is no general answer, whether or not a restart of them gets automatically done or if a restart is even possible without a restart. An update for the graphics driver e. g. does also only get effective after rebooting. Theoretically one could investigate, if a current level 3 / 4 updates needs a reboot or at least a manual service restart, but the needed time for this investigation would most likely take the multiple time than the reboot itself.

So I recommend since a long time to reboot the machine after a level 3 / 4 update and I consider the documentation in the help file of the update manager as incomplete, because it does not cover this question. Especially the recommendation in the help file to apply level 3 / 4 updates only one by one does not help, if a reboot (or at least a service restart) should be needed, but not get done, because the documentation misses this point.

In short: If you get a level 3 / 4 update, do a reboot. It can save headaches.

[blockhead47]

Another option might be to install debian-goodies so that you can run checkrestart after upgrades to determine which services are using old versions of libraries and need restarting.

[silfox2000]

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking more about the possibility some updates that are known to require restart to be marked somehow. Well, I'm going to restart the system whether there are level 3, 4 and 5 updates, but for sure there are users that will not do that just because they don't know that they have to do that in order to apply the updates. I may contact Clem as Pjotr advised during the weekend.

[BG405]

Another option might be to install debian-goodies so that you can run checkrestart after upgrades

Great idea, I think it would be good for this to be included in Mint installations! (As well as NOT removing GParted during install, but that's OT for this thread).