51.14. Installing Updates to Webmin
Updated versions of Webmin modules in the latest release are often made available to fix bugs or security problems. Installing these updated modules is always a good idea, as they may fix problems that you have been having or patch security holes that could allow untrusted users to gain root access on your system. Updates are always designed to solve problems rather than add new features, which may potentially have problems of their own.
Of course, if you are not having any trouble, you can just wait until the next full release and install it instead. Each version will always include any updates that were made available for previous versions of Webmin. Updates are only created to solve problems in the latest version, so if you are running an older version, do not expect any more to be released for it. The www.webmin.com/updates.html page lists the downloadable updates for each version of Webmin. You can retrieve any that you need from there to be installed using this module, as explained in Section 51.7 “Installing and Deleting Webmin Modules ”. There is an easier method, however. Webmin can be told to check for, download, and install any updates that it does not already have. This can either be done explicitly using this module or set up to happen on schedule.
To check for and install updates, follow these steps:
1. | Click on the Update Webmin icon on the Webmin Configuration module's main page. |
2. | |
3. | Select the Update from www.webmin.com option. The alternate Update from another source mode is only useful if running your own repository of new modules, which is not covered in this book. |
4. | If you just want to see what updates are needed without actually installing them, check the Only show which modules would be updated box. Otherwise, uncheck it so that updates are actually done. |
5. | If you have deleted some of the standard Webmin modules and don't want them to be reinstalled by the update process, deselect the Install modules that are not currently installed option. |
6. | Hit the Update Modules button. A page listing all updates for your operating system will be displayed, along with the problems that they fix. As long as the box in Step 4 was not checked, the progress of each needed module's download and the results of its installation will be shown as well. If a new version of Webmin is available, a message will appear at the end of the page informing you of that. Because module updates are only released for the latest version, it is advisable to upgrade the entire program as soon as possible. |
Every Webmin module has a version number that the update process uses to keep track of which ones it has already downloaded and installed. A message like Module cron is already up to date shown next to a potential update indicates that it has already been installed. A message like Update to module cron is not related to this OS means that the module does not support your operating system, or that the problem the update fixes does not occur on your OS.
Instead of manually following the preceding steps every now and then, you can configure Webmin to check for, report on, and install new modules on a schedule. When needed updates are found, an email can be sent to you listing the modules that should be or have been installed, and the problems that they fix. The email will also include notification of the availability of a new Webmin release, if there is one.
To enable automatic updates, follow these steps:
1. | Click on the Update Webmin icon and scroll down to the final form on the page entitled Update modules on schedule. |
2. | Check the Scheduled updating currently enabled box. |
3. | |
4. | The Update modules at field specifies the time of day that the scheduled update check is run. Typically you should enter something like 3 to have updates done at 3 a.m., assuming that your system is turned on at that time. The every field next to it sets the number of days between checks. For example, if you enter 3 then updating will be done only every third day. 1 or 2 days is usually a reasonable period. |
5. | If the Only show which modules would be updated option is enabled, a report only showing those modules that need updating will be sent out on schedule. This can be useful if you want to be reminded of new modules, but want to install them yourself to control which updates are used. |
6. | |
7. | If Only report updates is checked, an email report will not be sent if no needed updates are available and no new version of Webmin has been released. This is usually what you want, as it cuts down on the number of unnecessary email messages. |
8. | In the Email update report to field, enter the address to which the update report should be sent. If it is left empty, automatic checking will still be done, just not reported. Email is always sent by calling the sendmail program, the path to which is taken from the Sendmail Configuration module's configuration. |
9. | Hit the Save and Apply button to enable scheduled updating. A Cron job (covered in Chapter 10) will be created that you can see in the Schedule Cron Jobs module, but should not touch. |
Automatic updating can be turned off at any time by deselecting the Scheduled updating currently enabled box on this form and clicking on Save and Apply.