Linux Update Manager

Linux Update Manager that lets you run all your system update commands from one YAML file.

You get a compact terminal UI, saved logs, run history, a detailed stats dashboard, ... If you struggle updating packages, language tools, and other local tools by hand, this gives you one place to save and manage that flow.

Warning

Your update steps live in ~/.config/update.yaml, treat this file like arbitrary code, because the commands inside it runs through your shell. Keep it owned by your user and do not make it group- or world-writable.

What It Does

• Runs package manager, tool updates, or any build/update command from one YAML config.
• Skips steps when required tools/conditions are met
• Saves per-command logs in ~/.update/logs.
• Stores run history in ~/.update/history.jsonl.
• Shows before and after stats from command output (e.g. old version -> new version)
• Supports dry runs and filters to only run one update.
• Includes a JSON Schema for editor validation and completion.

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or newer.
• PyYAML and rich/textual.

Install the Python packages with your preferred tool. For example:

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

Install

install -m 755 update ~/.local/bin/update
mkdir -p ~/.config
cp examples/update.yaml ~/.config/update.yaml

Then edit ~/.config/update.yaml

Usage

update                    # run selected update steps
update -s                 # stats

# filters
update --only "simple command"
update --skip "multiple commands"
update --section Examples

# testing
update --self-test
update --dry-run          # show what would run
update --config-check     # validate config and filters

Config

Start with examples/update.yaml.

The config is validated automatically at startup. Use update --config-check when you only want to check the file and filters.

The schema is in schema/update.schema.json. The example config links to it like this:

# yaml-language-server: $schema=../schema/update.schema.json

A step looks like this:

Section Name:
  step name:
    run: command to execute
    needs:
      - required-executable-or-path
    skip_if: shell condition that skips when it exits 0
    stat:
      after:
        changed: command that prints a number or short value

run can be one command or a list of commands.

needs is optional. If you leave it out, the updater tries to infer the required command from run.

stat.version cannot be used with stat.before or stat.after.

Use $UPDATE_TMPDIR when a command needs a scratch file that another stat command reads during the same run.

State

Persistent state is stored in ~/.update:

~/.update/history.jsonl
~/.update/logs/
~/.update/update.lock

The saved logs help when a step fails.

$UPDATE_TMPDIR is different. It is temporary scratch space for one run, and it gets removed after that run finishes.

Security

This tool runs configured commands through a shell. Treat update.yaml as executable code.

The script rejects configs that are not owned by the current user. It also rejects configs that are writable by group or others.