I previously discussed using pca to get security updates. One thing I didn’t realize at the time was pca’s ability to list or install only the patches that are classified as security and reliability updates. This ability to filter patches is accomplished by adding the “r” (reliability updates) or “s” (security updates) character to one of the available patch group operands (e.g., missing, installed, all, total, unbundled, bad). The following example shows how the “r” and “s” characters can be used to list all patches that are classified as security and reliability updates:
$ pca -l missingrs
Using /var/tmp/patchdiag.xref from Jan/26/07
Host: tigger (SunOS 5.10/Generic_118833-24/sparc/sun4u)
Patch IR CR RSB Age Synopsis
------ -- - -- --- --- -------------------------------------------------------
118666 09 < 10 -S- 16 J2SE 5.0: update 10 patch (5.0u10)
118667 09 < 10 -S- 16 J2SE 5.0: update 10 patch (5.0u10), 64bit
119213 10 < 11 -S- 17 NSS_NSPR_JSS 3.11.4: NSPR 4.6.4 / NSS 3.11.4 / JSS 4.2.4
119254 32 < 34 RS- 2 SunOS 5.10: Install and Patch Utilities Patch
119850 21 < 22 R-- 18 SunOS 5.10: mpt driver & picl plugins patch
120719 01 < 02 RS- 16 SunOS 5.10 : SunFreeware gzip patch
120824 -- < 07 R-- 12 SunOS 5.10: SunBlade T6300 & Sun Fire (T1000, T2000) platform patc
121118 08 < 10 R-- 25 SunOS 5.10: Sun Update Connection System Client 1.0.8
122032 02 < 03 R-- 16 SunOS 5.10: Update timezones patch
124943 -- < 01 -S- 16 SunOS 5.10: SunFreeware gzip man pages patch
124997 -- < 01 RS- 10 SunOS 5.10: /usr/bin/tip patch
If you want to install all of the available security and reliability updates, you can specify the “r” or “s” character as part of the installation process:
$ pca -i missingrs
Using /var/tmp/patchdiag.xref from Jan/26/07
Host: tigger (SunOS 5.10/Generic_118833-24/sparc/sun4u)
Patch IR CR RSB Age Synopsis
------ -- - -- --- --- -------------------------------------------------------
118666 09 < 10 -S- 16 J2SE 5.0: update 10 patch (5.0u10)
Download 1/11: done
Install 1/11: done
118667 09 < 10 -S- 16 J2SE 5.0: update 10 patch (5.0u10), 64bit
Download 2/11: done
Install 2/11: done
119213 10 < 11 -S- 17 NSS_NSPR_JSS 3.11.4: NSPR 4.6.4 / NSS 3.11.4 / JSS 4.2.4
Download 3/11: done
Install 3/11: done
< ..... >
I wish I would have noticed this earlier, since it would have saved me having to write a shell wrapper. :)