
I usually run any updates on my Linux machine after I'm done using the machine for the day. Sometimes the update the system says "reboot required" At that point I close the active window. Hit restart, let the machine start up, reboot, and then I sign in again before shutting down for the night. My question is: can I instead just shut down and wait until the next day to start up the computer? (I've read on line that I need a "proper" shut down. With all the text flashing at hyper speed I wonder if I do shut down or even start up properly) Ron

On 4/5/25 16:36, The Hammer via WLUG wrote:
I usually run any updates on my Linux machine after I'm done using the machine for the day.
Sometimes the update the system says "reboot required" At that point I close the active window. Hit restart, let the machine start up, reboot, and then I sign in again before shutting down for the night.
My question is: can I instead just shut down and wait until the next day to start up the computer?
Yes, that has the same effect. The only caveat is if there's a problem with the update you won't spot it until the next day.
(I've read on line that I need a "proper" shut down. With all the text flashing at hyper speed I wonder if I do shut down or even start up properly)
If you're using the shutdown in GNOME/KDE/whatever, that's a "proper" shutdown.

doug> I was gonna reply, but my desktop Linux rebooted - oops my bad..Drafts to the rescue. Guess why my desktop rebooted? I was messing around trying to peek at Quit options ........musta highlighted Shut Down. I caused my own black screen of reboot/death! Ha. But I had Mint/etc updates waiting. I ALWAYS have them waiting. (except just now/rebooted). Gory detail/thoughts on your Q?: I can't think of a reason to fea of your current favored Choice2 below: Choice1: "reboot required" --> shut down now. Fire up tomorrow. OS patches ...mmm, nothing eye catching in the list that pops up on GUI/Mint/MATE on behalf of UpdateManager (not SoftwareManager), the bugger that pesters me, adds popups 1x/day or such... ,,,As you sneak-away/ponder "ready to reboot/shutdown?" you wonder when you feel like peeking at the update list. Choice2, (via any method ...click,allow,bless your imminent death, via anything like GUI choice Quit->Shut Down which probably invokes something like "shutdown --?" couple flags like *-h* The same as *--poweroff*, but does not override the action to take if it is "halt". E.g. *shutdown --reboot -h *means "poweroff", but *shutdown --halt -h *means "halt". Oh, gory! Anyways, the answer seems (always?) dependent on time/patience. Pardon the tangent now, if you're here, I'm amazed: "poweroff" however that really works with "shutdown" or other trick, might vary....... motherboard/etc might get a signal and take a real nap.. If you have hard disks, not SD, beware a days-long sleep ...sticky platter shaft/bearing... (choice3) If I was feeing Totally Watchful, I'd reboot, watch...Log In, ...then Quit. Inevitably=-> "Log In", and boring.....see what Update Manager sees in its playpen. Debates,topics, questions could easily continue if interesting! ---the bottom line might be what's the processes(session, service?) of greatest interest for you on your (desktop)? I leave/let a 2010 Dell Opti w Mint 20.1 sleep on its own, SanDisk HD/root good since 2018/2019?. 500gb/disk1 (disk2 for "your data" helps for long life). CPU Fans still orig and quiet, a miracle! --doug On Sat, Apr 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM The Hammer via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> wrote:
I usually run any updates on my Linux machine after I'm done using the machine for the day.
Sometimes the update the system says "reboot required" At that point I close the active window. Hit restart, let the machine start up, reboot, and then I sign in again before shutting down for the night.
My question is: can I instead just shut down and wait until the next day to start up the computer?
(I've read on line that I need a "proper" shut down. With all the text flashing at hyper speed I wonder if I do shut down or even start up properly)
Ron
_______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/3GBTBO...

Pardon me or the universe: I wrote that previously... Months ago or more? Terrible rant. I don't know how it got sent (again?) today, I was in bed just now .. asleep On Wed, Jul 16, 2025, 8:13 AM Doug Mildram via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> wrote:
doug> I was gonna reply, but my desktop Linux rebooted - oops my bad..Drafts to the rescue.
Guess why my desktop rebooted? I was messing around trying to peek at Quit options ........musta highlighted Shut Down. I caused my own black screen of reboot/death! Ha.
But I had Mint/etc updates waiting. I ALWAYS have them waiting. (except just now/rebooted).
Gory detail/thoughts on your Q?: I can't think of a reason to fea of your current favored Choice2 below:
Choice1: "reboot required" --> shut down now. Fire up tomorrow. OS patches ...mmm, nothing eye catching in the list that pops up on GUI/Mint/MATE on behalf of UpdateManager (not SoftwareManager), the bugger that pesters me, adds popups 1x/day or such... ,,,As you sneak-away/ponder "ready to reboot/shutdown?" you wonder when you feel like peeking at the update list.
Choice2, (via any method ...click,allow,bless your imminent death, via anything like GUI choice Quit->Shut Down which probably invokes something like "shutdown --?" couple flags like
*-h* The same as *--poweroff*, but does not override the action to take if it is "halt". E.g. *shutdown --reboot -h *means "poweroff", but *shutdown --halt -h *means "halt".
Oh, gory! Anyways, the answer seems (always?) dependent on time/patience.
Pardon the tangent now, if you're here, I'm amazed: "poweroff" however that really works with "shutdown" or other trick, might vary....... motherboard/etc might get a signal and take a real nap.. If you have hard disks, not SD, beware a days-long sleep ...sticky platter shaft/bearing...
(choice3) If I was feeing Totally Watchful, I'd reboot, watch...Log In, ...then Quit. Inevitably=-> "Log In", and boring.....see what Update Manager sees in its playpen.
Debates,topics, questions could easily continue if interesting! ---the bottom line might be what's the processes(session, service?) of greatest interest for you on your (desktop)?
I leave/let a 2010 Dell Opti w Mint 20.1 sleep on its own, SanDisk HD/root good since 2018/2019?. 500gb/disk1 (disk2 for "your data" helps for long life). CPU Fans still orig and quiet, a miracle! --doug
On Sat, Apr 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM The Hammer via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> wrote:
I usually run any updates on my Linux machine after I'm done using the machine for the day.
Sometimes the update the system says "reboot required" At that point I close the active window. Hit restart, let the machine start up, reboot, and then I sign in again before shutting down for the night.
My question is: can I instead just shut down and wait until the next day to start up the computer?
(I've read on line that I need a "proper" shut down. With all the text flashing at hyper speed I wonder if I do shut down or even start up properly)
Ron
_______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/3GBTBO...
_______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/HK3W33...

I'm a maniac that's compiling his own kernel.. so my machine gets rebooted all the time.. generally I take updates, then build a kernel, install the kernel and then reboot. On Wed, Jul 16, 2025 at 8:17 AM Doug Mildram via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> wrote:
Pardon me or the universe:
I wrote that previously... Months ago or more? Terrible rant.
I don't know how it got sent (again?) today, I was in bed just now .. asleep
On Wed, Jul 16, 2025, 8:13 AM Doug Mildram via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> wrote:
doug> I was gonna reply, but my desktop Linux rebooted - oops my bad..Drafts to the rescue.
Guess why my desktop rebooted? I was messing around trying to peek at Quit options ........musta highlighted Shut Down. I caused my own black screen of reboot/death! Ha.
But I had Mint/etc updates waiting. I ALWAYS have them waiting. (except just now/rebooted).
Gory detail/thoughts on your Q?: I can't think of a reason to fea of your current favored Choice2 below:
Choice1: "reboot required" --> shut down now. Fire up tomorrow. OS patches ...mmm, nothing eye catching in the list that pops up on GUI/Mint/MATE on behalf of UpdateManager (not SoftwareManager), the bugger that pesters me, adds popups 1x/day or such... ,,,As you sneak-away/ponder "ready to reboot/shutdown?" you wonder when you feel like peeking at the update list.
Choice2, (via any method ...click,allow,bless your imminent death, via anything like GUI choice Quit->Shut Down which probably invokes something like "shutdown --?" couple flags like
*-h* The same as *--poweroff*, but does not override the action to take if it is "halt". E.g. *shutdown --reboot -h *means "poweroff", but *shutdown --halt -h *means "halt".
Oh, gory! Anyways, the answer seems (always?) dependent on time/patience.
Pardon the tangent now, if you're here, I'm amazed: "poweroff" however that really works with "shutdown" or other trick, might vary....... motherboard/etc might get a signal and take a real nap.. If you have hard disks, not SD, beware a days-long sleep ...sticky platter shaft/bearing...
(choice3) If I was feeing Totally Watchful, I'd reboot, watch...Log In, ...then Quit. Inevitably=-> "Log In", and boring.....see what Update Manager sees in its playpen.
Debates,topics, questions could easily continue if interesting! ---the bottom line might be what's the processes(session, service?) of greatest interest for you on your (desktop)?
I leave/let a 2010 Dell Opti w Mint 20.1 sleep on its own, SanDisk HD/root good since 2018/2019?. 500gb/disk1 (disk2 for "your data" helps for long life). CPU Fans still orig and quiet, a miracle! --doug
On Sat, Apr 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM The Hammer via WLUG <wlug@lists.wlug.org> wrote:
I usually run any updates on my Linux machine after I'm done using the machine for the day.
Sometimes the update the system says "reboot required" At that point I close the active window. Hit restart, let the machine start up, reboot, and then I sign in again before shutting down for the night.
My question is: can I instead just shut down and wait until the next day to start up the computer?
(I've read on line that I need a "proper" shut down. With all the text flashing at hyper speed I wonder if I do shut down or even start up properly)
Ron
_______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/3GBTBO...
_______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/HK3W33...
_______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/7AVXOE...
-- I am leery of the allegiances of any politician who refers to their constituents as "consumers".

I sent a longer reply an hour ago, but you've been temporarily spared (got a "await Moderator" email reply due to "Message contains administrivia", cool, what software is our forum on now/again? THANKS Moderator(s)). 2 new semi-concise/stage1 questions for OP/Ron: Q1: How old is computer, do you do backups, is your HardDisk still oldschool spinning platters? (if you still use an old(er) HD, I'd rethink the concept of nightly shutdown. Platter shaft grease gets old/hard -> sticky/striction HD ...may decide not to spin up someday. But a tiny hammer on the HD during powerup could revive...I'll never forget the day TWO of my NetApp HD's on a raid5 (ONE dead disk allowed to rebuild itself, not raid6 which can survive 2 dead disks. My server room had been powered off all night due to a bldg planned night of shutdown! And the backup robot my CA boss sent me, was failing to do sane backups for my MAss/work servers for past weeks on that NetApp. A revisit to server room with sm hammer, a few taps, got one stuck HD to spin, NetApp rebuilt the raid5 ! ) Q2: if "losing my personal files" is the biggest worry (shouldn't it be?), do you have your personal data on a 2nd disk of any speed, to augment an SSD for the OS ? Secondary worries of course include nuisance of having to reload OS+me if the Update Manager makes a giant mess, which (apparently never happens) || (...not to me, ever) long as linux auto-updates have existed in/on my dwindling beasts/zoo. OS magic/behind-scenes: I do believe on instinct that the Update temporary files are stashed to LOCAL HD so you can even do your finish-update bootUP with No Freaking Network up. Hope my aging gut remains right on that.

Doug, Sorry for the late reply. Been super busy. Answer to Q1: The laptop is from 2010. It's a Lenovo Think Pad T400. I use it more as a mobile machine. The little data that I want to keep is backed up. The hard drive is an old spinning platter. Answer to Q2: I had no worries of losing any data files. My only concern was that I did not know if a total shut down (as opposed to a reboot) would corrupt the OS and force me to reinstall it. Further trivia: As far as the machine is concerned, it still runs quite well. It's only quirk (that I may have mentioned some time back) is that the DVD drive pops open at random times. On 4/5/25 20:53, DougWLUG Mildram via WLUG wrote:
I sent a longer reply an hour ago, but you've been temporarily spared (got a "await Moderator" email reply due to "Message contains administrivia", cool, what software is our forum on now/again? THANKS Moderator(s)).
2 new semi-concise/stage1 questions for OP/Ron:
Q1: How old is computer, do you do backups, is your HardDisk still oldschool spinning platters?
(if you still use an old(er) HD, I'd rethink the concept of nightly shutdown. Platter shaft grease gets old/hard -> sticky/striction HD ...may decide not to spin up someday. But a tiny hammer on the HD during powerup could revive...I'll never forget the day TWO of my NetApp HD's on a raid5 (ONE dead disk allowed to rebuild itself, not raid6 which can survive 2 dead disks. My server room had been powered off all night due to a bldg planned night of shutdown! And the backup robot my CA boss sent me, was failing to do sane backups for my MAss/work servers for past weeks on that NetApp. A revisit to server room with sm hammer, a few taps, got one stuck HD to spin, NetApp rebuilt the raid5 ! )
Q2: if "losing my personal files" is the biggest worry (shouldn't it be?), do you have your personal data on a 2nd disk of any speed, to augment an SSD for the OS ? Secondary worries of course include nuisance of having to reload OS+me if the Update Manager makes a giant mess, which (apparently never happens) || (...not to me, ever) long as linux auto-updates have existed in/on my dwindling beasts/zoo.
OS magic/behind-scenes: I do believe on instinct that the Update temporary files are stashed to LOCAL HD so you can even do your finish-update bootUP with No Freaking Network up. Hope my aging gut remains right on that. _______________________________________________ WLUG mailing list -- wlug@lists.wlug.org To unsubscribe send an email to wlug-leave@lists.wlug.org Create Account: https://wlug.mailman3.com/accounts/signup/ Change Settings: https://wlug.mailman3.com/postorius/lists/wlug.lists.wlug.org/ Web Forum/Archive: https://wlug.mailman3.com/hyperkitty/list/wlug@lists.wlug.org/message/TFGBHA...
participants (6)
-
dmildram@gmail.com
-
Doug Mildram
-
Michael Voorhis
-
Robert Krawitz
-
The Hammer
-
Tim Keller