How to Update an AlmaLinux Server

This guide explains how to update the packages on your AlmaLinux server, how to tell whether a reboot is needed and how to have updates installed automatically. Upgrading to a new major version (for example from 8 to 9) is not covered here.

Which version are you using?

cat /etc/os-release

The PRETTY_NAME line shows the version, for example AlmaLinux 9.8.

Support status of the versions

Within each major version, minor releases (such as 9.7 and 9.8) arrive with dnf upgrade; you do not need to do anything else. Security advisories are published with ALSA codes.

Before you start

• Run the commands as root or with sudo.
• Take a backup. Backups are the customer's responsibility; for your server you can use our backup services or take a copy of the whole server with the System Copy add-on.
• Choose a quiet time. Some services restart during the update, and a kernel update needs a reboot.
• If you lose your SSH connection, you can still reach a VDS server from the console in the client area: Using the Console on a VDS Server.

Installing updates

1. See which updates are available:

   dnf check-update

2. Install them:

   dnf upgrade

   The command shows what it will do and asks for confirmation; press y and Enter. (dnf update is an older name for the same command.)

If you only want security updates, you can use:

dnf upgrade --security

To see the pending security advisories: dnf updateinfo list --security. We still recommend installing all updates regularly.

Is a reboot needed?

A new kernel or core libraries (such as glibc or systemd) only take effect after a reboot. Check with:

dnf needs-restarting -r

The command says whether a reboot is needed. If it is not found, install it with dnf install dnf-plugins-core. To list the services still using old files: dnf needs-restarting -s. To reboot the server: reboot. You can also use Restart in the client area.

Installing updates automatically

dnf-automatic downloads and installs updates on a schedule. Install it:

dnf install dnf-automatic

Set these lines in the [commands] section of /etc/dnf/automatic.conf:

[commands]
upgrade_type = security
apply_updates = yes

upgrade_type = security installs only security updates; write default instead to install all updates.

Turn on the timer:

systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timer

By default the server is not rebooted. If you want, reboot = when-needed in the same section reboots it when an update needs it.

Troubleshooting

• "Waiting for process with pid … to finish": another dnf process is running (often the automatic update). Wait for it to finish.
• "Cannot download repomd.xml" or "Failed to download metadata": check the server's internet and DNS settings, then try again with dnf clean all and dnf upgrade.
• The server does not come back after a reboot: open the console in the client area and check the screen (Using the Console on a VDS Server). The boot menu usually still has the previous kernel. If you cannot solve it, you can open a support ticket from your client area.

The information in this guide is taken from official documentation: AlmaLinux release notes, AlmaLinux errata, dnf command reference, dnf needs-restarting, dnf-automatic.