In some cases, updates to packages running on your server cannot be run automatically – even if these options are enabled:

If this is the case, you can SSH into your server and perform the updates manually by running this command: 

sudo apt update && unattended-upgrade -d

In the event that the update is automatically aborted and does not complete using this method, you may need to update other packages (including third-party packages) using this command: 

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command may prompt you to reboot your server to update the Kernel as it upgrades all packages.

Important: As an additional precaution, we strongly recommend taking a full snapshot of your server before running this command.

In the event that the server reboot is unsuccessful at the end of the upgrade process, the best solution is to restart your server directly from your cloud server provider’s admin dashboard.

If you have absolutely any questions about this process, please feel free to reach out to our support team.

Note: This is relevant for package updates, not upgrading Ubuntu entirely. For more information on upgrading Ubuntu, please refer to our guide here.