Automate System and Blocklist Updates on Debian

Introduction

Keeping your Debian system and custom blocklists up-to-date is crucial for security and performance. This guide will help you automate these updates using shell scripts and cron jobs.

Step 1: Create an Update Script for System Maintenance

1. Create the system maintenance script:

   vi ~/maintenance.sh

2. Add the following content to the script:

   #!/bin/sh
   export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
   export DEBIAN_PRIORITY=critical
   
   {
       date
       echo "Updating package list"
       sudo -E apt-get -qy update
       echo "Upgrading packages"
       sudo -E apt-get -qy -o "Dpkg::Options::=--force-confdef" -o "Dpkg::Options::=--force-confold" upgrade
       echo "Cleaning up"
       sudo -E apt-get -qy autoclean
       echo "Rebooting"
       sudo -E shutdown -r now
   } >> /var/log/system-update.log 2>&1

3. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x ~/maintenance.sh

Step 2: Create an Update Script for Blocklists

1. Ensure you have the blocklist scripts created as outlined in the previous guide.

2. Create the blocklist update wrapper script:

   vi ~/run-updates.sh

3. Add the following content to the script:

   #!/bin/sh
   # Wrapper script to update blocklists and then perform system maintenance
   
   # Path to your update-blocklists.sh script
   BLOCKLISTS_SCRIPT=~/update-blocklists.sh
   
   # Path to your maintenance script
   MAINTENANCE_SCRIPT=~/maintenance.sh
   
   # Run the blocklists update script
   if [ -x "$BLOCKLISTS_SCRIPT" ]; then
       echo "Running blocklists update script..."
       "$BLOCKLISTS_SCRIPT"
   else
       echo "Blocklists update script not found or not executable."
       exit 1
   fi
   
   # Run the maintenance script
   if [ -x "$MAINTENANCE_SCRIPT" ]; then
       echo "Running maintenance script..."
       "$MAINTENANCE_SCRIPT"
   else
       echo "Maintenance script not found or not executable."
       exit 1
   fi

4. Make the script executable:

   chmod +x ~/run-updates.sh

Step 3: Automate the Script Using Cron

1. Using this command run the update script daily at 3 AM:

(crontab -l 2>/dev/null; echo "0 3 ** * /root/run-updates.sh") | crontab -

Conclusion

By following these steps, you've set up an automated system to update your Debian system and custom blocklists. This automation ensures that your system stays secure and performs optimally without manual intervention.