How to automatically install updates by a desktop user

Question

I want to set Ubuntu/Lubuntu [10.04] to automatically install security updates for a normal desktop user (user has no root privileges).

If I set Ubuntu/Lubuntu [10.04] to Automatically Install Updates in the background will it still install the security updates if the user logged in is not apart of the administrator group?

Answer 1

Create a file of name, say, local.pkla, in the directory /var/lib/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d, whose content should be

[Update Manager]
Identity=unix-user:enzotib
Action=org.debian.apt.upgrade-packages
ResultActive=yes

The text between square brackets is simply a comment, and you should substitute enzotib with the real username you want to give the ability to use update-manager without password.

To see possible Actions, run pkaction.

Reference: pklocalauthority manual page.
See also manual pages of pkaction, pkcheck, pkexec, polkit, polkitd.

Answer 2

Unattended security updates are installed without the need of confirmation and without the need to be logged in as an administrator group user by choosing "Download and install automatically" in Update Manager -> Settings -> Updates in the line "When there are security updates":

for 12.04 LTS and later:

for 10.04 LTS:

Other than security updates are not installed by this. If you need to do this please see this answer.