This guide provides step-by-step tutorial for updating a CentOS server's core packages using the YUM package manager.
When to Update
This is typically performed directly after the initial installation of the OS to extend a minimal template installation. Additionally, the administrator should run the update process to install software updates and critical security patches to the server.
Perform Server Update with YUM
In order to perform the system update, login to your server via SSH (as root user).
Run the following command:
# yum -y update
The server will now check the appropriate software repositories for updated files, which will be listed on the command line. If no packages are available for update, your server will return the following response:
No packages marked for update
Now, reboot the server to finalize the package updates:
# reboot
When the server returns online, the system packages defined in previous server output will be updated.