Back in the day it was nice, apt get update && apt get upgrade and you were done.
But today every tool/service has it’s own way to being installed and updated:
- docker:latest
- docker:v1.2.3
- custom script
- git checkout v1.2.3
- same but with custom migration commands afterwards
- custom commands change from release to release
- expect to do update as a specific user
- update nginx config
- update own default config and service has dependencies on the config changes
- expect new versions of tools
- etc.
I selfhost around 20 services like PieFed, Mastodon, PeerTube, Paperless-ngx, Immich, open-webui, Grafana, etc. And all of them have some dependencies which need to be updated too.
And nowadays you can’t really keep running on an older version especially when it’s internet facing.
So anyway, what are your strategies how to keep sanity while keeping all your self hosted services up to date?
Fine, I’ll be the low bar.
Proxmox, I just use the GUI to update
I use community-scripts almost exclusively. Community-scripts cron lxc updater does the heavy lifting.
pct enter [lxc]updatedoes a bunch of work too.
For Docker, I use a couple lxcs with Dockge on it, the “update” button takes me most of the rest of the way.
Finally, I have a couple remote machines [diet-pi]. I haven’t figured out updating over tailscale yet, so I just go round semi frequently for the
apt update && apt upgrade -yVMs get the
apt update && apt upgrade -ytoo. I keep a bare bones mint VM as a virtual laptop, as I don’t have one. I’ll do what I need to do and if I had to install software I’ll just nuke the VM and go again from the bare bones template.