AWS Patch Manager: Resolving No Patches on Ubuntu 24.04 Despite Upgrades

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If you’re working with AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager on an Ubuntu Server 24.04 (noble) EC2 instance and notice that packages aren’t updating automatically, don’t worry. Here’s a simple guide to help you troubleshoot and fix the issue.

First, check your patch baseline settings for Ubuntu. Ensure your configuration allows the system to patch all relevant packages, including updates from the noble-updates repository. Sometimes, the baseline might be set to only identify missing patches without actually installing them.

Next, review the Patch Manager logs. If they show “no packages found that can be upgraded” even when there are updates available, the problem might be with how Patch Manager is identifying or applying updates. Confirm that the patch baseline includes the correct update classifications and settings.

A common cause is that Patch Manager might be only scanning for missing updates but not installing them. To verify, run the following command directly on your instance:

apt list –upgradable

This command will list all packages that can be upgraded, and you’ll likely see multiple packages from noble-updates that are available for update.

If the command shows upgradable packages but Patch Manager isn’t installing them, you can try manually updating your system to see if it works outside the automated process. Use these commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

If these commands successfully upgrade the packages, the issue might be with your Patch Manager configuration. Consider adjusting your patch baseline to include ‘Security’ and ‘Updates’ categories explicitly, and ensure that the ‘RebootIfNeeded’ option is correctly set to allow reboots if necessary.

Lastly, it’s valuable to clear the APT cache to prevent any cached data from causing issues:

sudo apt clean

And then rerun the patching process. After doing this, monitor the logs again for updates.

In summary, verify your patch baseline configuration, double-check the actual update availability on your instance with apt list --upgradable, and manually update to confirm system behavior. Adjust your Settings accordingly, and you should see your system-level updates happening smoothly through Patch Manager.