Add a function to upgrade instance(s)

[rpkoller]

Description

I've just learned today from @rfay that an instance once it is created isn't getting upgraded to the latest version. running cat /etc/*release* inside my default instance returned:

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=24.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=noble
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS"
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS"
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION_ID="24.04"
VERSION="24.04.1 LTS (Noble Numbat)"
VERSION_CODENAME=noble
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
UBUNTU_CODENAME=noble
LOGO=ubuntu-logo

using

 docker            27.4.1                                                          
 docker-api        1.47                                                            
 docker-compose    v2.40.3   

so thing were "a little bit" out of date. per randys recommendation I ran sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y upgrading everything to the latest version inside my default instance:

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=24.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=noble
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS"
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS"
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION_ID="24.04"
VERSION="24.04.3 LTS (Noble Numbat)"
VERSION_CODENAME=noble
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
UBUNTU_CODENAME=noble
LOGO=ubuntu-logo

using

 docker            29.1.3                                                          
 docker-api        1.52                                                            
 docker-compose    v2.40.3 

So I wonder if it would be a reasonable step to surface the option to upgrade an instance more prominently? instead of the manual steps outlined above wrap everything into a command like limactl upgrade [instance] or prompt for an upgrade of instance(s) at the end of limactl start (for example after lima got updated to a new version). that way it would be ensured that the instances are up to date. as i've said, I was completely unaware of that fact and assumed lima would take care of that under the hood already. so i would guess that more people would be unaware of that detail?

[afbjorklund]

This method would be highly depending on the host OS, though. Currently we have functionality to upgrade the packages on the first boot, but that would require you to restart the instance (and to enable the feature, in the first place). It was only implemented for APT (in cloud-init), and met with some bugs when it came to DNF...

# Upgrade the instance on boot
# Reboot after upgrade if required
# 🟢 Builtin default: false
upgradePackages: null

So the user is supposed to maintain the VM, using those commands you mention, but we could mention it in the docs. Even though it might be more suited for a longer manual than just a readme or introduction, then it could also mention the other methods such as enabling automatic upgrades in the VM so that it will update itself.

• Allow to update the packages at boot #2129 (comment)

---

debian "unattended-upgrades"

• https://wiki.debian.org/PeriodicUpdates

fedora "dnf-automatic"

• https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/autoupdates/