If you're searching for a resource to gain a better understanding of the patch management in Linux, you've come to the right place. Linux patch management is the process of managing patches for applications running on Linux computers. Patching in Linux involves scanning your Linux endpoints to detect missing patches, downloading patches from vendors' sites, and deploying them to the respective client machines. Enhancing your overall system performance, patch management in Linux helps you maintain a secure and productive environment. Linux patching can be complex but with the right Linux patch management tool, it can be easy. ManageEngine's all-around patching solution, Patch Manager Plus, helps resolve compatibility issues and provides hardware support for Linux patch management.
Patch Manager Plus' Linux patch management features help you:
Be sure to keep your Linux servers and all the machines in your Linux environment up to date, so you don't miss out on any of the new features provided by the manufacturer.
Patch Manager Plus' Linux patch management supports Linux security patches and non-security updates (for Red Hat, CentOS and Ubuntu machines only) with bulletin IDs for computers running the following versions of Linux:
Linux versions Redhat 8 and CentOS 8 are now supported by Patch Manager Plus and ManageEngine Endpoint Central
While Linux being open source has its advantages, it can be complex to devise a proper Linux patching strategy. Due to the abundance of Linux distros, it is almost impossible to create a unified Linux patch management strategy for all distros, and it generally requires more knowledge to accomplish this, unlike for Windows systems.
Let's take a look at the list of Linux patch management strategies that you can implement using Patch Manager Plus to ensure patch compliance in your network.
Manually and regularly checking for updates, testing them, and installing them on your endpoints is challenging and time-consuming. The easiest workaround? Automating the entire Linux patching process in your environment.
With automated patch management software, you can ensure regular and efficient Linux patching across your endpoints, thereby keeping vulnerabilities and exploits at bay.
In the event of a patch causing operational or functionality issues in the production endpoints, rolling it back can be a serious headache for admins. Moreover, such events can cause system downtime as well as a drop in productivity.
As a result, it is best to always test your patches in a pilot group of endpoints (also known as a test group). Once approved, these patches can be deployed in phases to the production network.
Vulnerabilities marked as critical should be patched as soon as possible since these are more likely to be exploited by threat actors and cyberattackers. This is why it's important to always prioritize deploying critical or important patches first. Less severe patches, optional updates, etc. can then be deployed based on regular deployment schedules.
Generating detailed reports is crucial for security auditing purposes and tracking network-wide patch compliance. Regularly generate reports that specify patching dates, version info, deployment results, and other details.
As a thumb rule, always look for Linux patch management tools with a central dashboard that features reports on:
The patch management process in Linux includes identifying, prioritizing, and testing the patches in a pilot group of computers. Next, you should deploy and monitor the updates for Linux computers to ensure they remain up to date and secure. With Patch Manager Plus, you can seamlessly deploy Linux security and non-security updates by choosing between manual and automatic deployment methods.
You can deploy your patches in your Linux machines manually by following these steps :
sudo apt-get update # Fetches the list of available updates
sudo apt-get upgrade # Strictly upgrades the current packages
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade # Installs updates (new ones)
yum check-update # To check for the list of available updates
yum update # Installs updates for all the packages
zypper check-update # To check for the list of available updates
zypper update # Installs updates for all the packages
However, manual deployment often results in errors. There are many steps involved, and it can be difficult to identify where a mistake was made. Due to the complexities involved, patch management is often time-consuming for users. Thankfully, Patch Manager Plus has developed a solution for all these complications: complete automation using the APD feature.
After the automation is applied, the entire Linux patch management process becomes more efficient. This Linux patch management software automates the entire process. It scans for missing patches, downloads them, and tests them in a non-production environment. If the patches don't cause any issues, Patch Manager Plus approves them to be rolled out in the production environment and schedules reports.
To automate the patch management process, follow these simple steps:
Explore a fully-featured online demo of Patch Manager Plus today. This demo will give you insights into the different modules Patch Manager Plus has provides.
In the world of Linux, patches are more than just something you might apply to the source code of a kernel. With the right Linux patch management software in hand, you can deploy Linux security patches and non-security updates (for Red Hat, CentOS and Ubuntu machines only) that help keep your Linux endpoints secure, error-free, and updated with the latest features.
Patch Manager Plus provides a module for patch management in Linux that helps admins ensure that all the Linux machines on the network are up to date with critical Linux security patches and non-security updates (for Red Hat, CentOS and Ubuntu machines only). This ensures there are no security vulnerabilities in the network. With this tool, you can patch your Linux endpoints and third-party updates for Linux. You can also choose to install patches based on severity. With Patch Manager Plus, patch management in Linux computers is no longer a challenging task.
Note: For patching Red Hat and SUSE, it is recommended that all the managed endpoints have valid system licenses.
See the full list of Linux applications supported by Patch Manager Plus.
It is essential to prioritize both Linux server and Linux desktop patching as they are equally critical for maintaining the overall security and stability of the Linux environment. With Patch Manager Plus, you can seamlessly keep all the Linux servers in your network up to date by offering the choice between manual and automatic patching.
You can manually deploy patches to Linux servers from the product console by manually creating a configuration or you can deploy by following the below-given steps:
sudo apt-get update # Fetches the list of available updates
sudo apt-get upgrade # Strictly upgrades the current packages
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade # Installs updates (new ones)
yum check-update # To check for the list of available updates
yum update # Installs updates for all the packages
zypper check-update # To check for the list of available updates
zypper update # Installs updates for all the packages
You can eliminate the time-consuming task of manual patching for your Linux servers by leveraging the Automate Patch Deployment feature of Patch Manager Plus. It automates the entire patch management process in Linux servers from scanning systems for missing patches, testing and approving them on a pilot group of computers to rolling out the patches to the production environment.
Linux patching (or patching in Linux) is the process of applying patches (or software codes) to fix vulnerabilities or to add new features to the Linux endpoints across your network.
Patching your Linux systems is crucial to prevent threat actors from exploiting vulnerabilities in them. It strengthens data security and fends off recurring attacks. Some patches also add new features and functions to the applications.
The process of Linux update management involves managing and applying patches to the Linux-based operating systems and to the applications running on Linux computers. Thus, ensuring the Linux environment is secure and up-to-date.
ManageEngine Patch Manager Plus supports patching for over 850 third-party applications across Windows, Mac, and Linux endpoints, offering all-around protection. With detailed, customizable reports, admins can get comprehensive visibility of the patch compliance in their network. Explore the features of Patch Manager Plus from here.
You can download Patch Manager Plus for free by visiting https://www.manageengine.com/patch-management, selecting the 32-bit or 64-bit version and clicking Download.
Linux Patching is crucial as it helps keep your Linux environment secure and up-to-date. Patch Manager Plus is a reliable Linux patch management tool that helps you achieve seamless Linux patching in your network. You can implement an efficient approach to managing patches in your environment by choosing between manual and automatic patching methods.
