System Updater (sys-updater)
Comprehensive system maintenance automation for Ubuntu hosts with support for apt, npm, brew, and OpenClaw skills.
Features
- APT (Ubuntu): Daily update check, automatic security updates, 2-day quarantine for non-security packages
- NPM: Global package tracking with web search review for bugs before upgrade
- Brew: Package tracking with same conservative workflow as npm
- OpenClaw Skills: Immediate auto-update without quarantine
- Scheduled Reports: Daily Telegram reports at 09:00 MSK
- Bug Review: Automatic web search for package issues before applying updates
Workflow
Daily (06:00 MSK)
run_6am:
├── apt: update, security upgrades, simulate, track non-security
├── npm/brew: check outdated, add to tracking
└── skills: auto-update immediately (no quarantine)
Report (09:00 MSK)
- Summary of all package managers
- Planned updates for next day
- Blocked packages with reasons
T+2 Days (Review)
- Web search for bugs/regressions in tracked packages
- Mark as planned or blocked based on findings
T+3 Days (Upgrade)
- Apply planned npm/brew upgrades
- Send completion report
State Files
state/apt/last_run.json— Last run resultsstate/apt/tracked.json— APT packages being trackedstate/apt/npm_tracked.json— NPM packagesstate/apt/brew_tracked.json— Brew packagesstate/logs/apt_maint.log— Daily logs (10-day rotation)
Manual Commands
# Daily maintenance (runs automatically)
./scripts/apt_maint.py run_6am
# Generate report
./scripts/apt_maint.py report_9am
# Check npm/brew only
./scripts/pkg_maint.py check
# Review packages (after 2 days)
./scripts/pkg_maint.py review
# Apply planned upgrades
./scripts/pkg_maint.py upgrade
# Update skills only
./scripts/pkg_maint.py skills
Configuration
Environment variables:
SYS_UPDATER_BASE_DIR— Base directory (default: ~/clawd/sys-updater)SYS_UPDATER_STATE_DIR— State files locationSYS_UPDATER_LOG_DIR— Log files location
Cron Jobs
Requires 4 cron jobs:
run_6am— Daily 06:00 MSK (apt + check npm/brew + auto skills)report_9am— Daily 09:00 MSK (Telegram report)review_2d— T+2 days 09:00 MSK (web search bugs)upgrade_3d— T+3 days 06:00 MSK (apply planned)
Conservative Design
- Security updates: Applied automatically via unattended-upgrade
- Non-security: 2-day observation period with bug research
- User control: Can block any package with reason
- Safety: Dry-run simulation before any apt upgrade
Requirements
- Ubuntu with apt
- Node.js + npm (for npm packages)
- Homebrew (for brew packages)
- OpenClaw with clawhub CLI
- sudo access for specific apt commands (see below)
Sudoers Configuration
For unattended operation, grant the running user passwordless sudo for specific apt commands only. Do not add the user to full sudoers.
Create file /etc/sudoers.d/sys-updater:
# Allow sys-updater to run apt maintenance commands without password
# Replace 'username' with your actual username
username ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/apt-get update
username ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/apt-get -s upgrade
username ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade -d
Set secure permissions:
sudo chmod 440 /etc/sudoers.d/sys-updater
sudo visudo -c # Verify syntax is valid
Required Commands Explained
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
apt-get update |
Refresh package lists |
apt-get -s upgrade |
Simulate upgrade (dry-run, no actual changes) |
unattended-upgrade -d |
Apply security updates automatically |
Security Notes
- Only these 3 specific commands are allowed
- No
apt-get upgradewithout-s(simulation only for tracking) - No
apt-get dist-upgradeorautoremove - No package installation/removal through sudo
- NPM and brew do not require sudo (user installs)