Updating the software running on a operating system is an important part of maintaining a computer. Not only does it allow you to keep up to date with the latest features in the applications you use, it is also crucial to keep your system as secure as possible.
The YUM (Yellowdog Updater Modified) package management tools makes installing/updating/removing packages extremely simple.
Run the one of the following command to update all packages:
If logged in as root:
# yum update
If logged in as a normal user:
$ su -c 'yum update'
Example output:
# yum update Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, presto Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile * base: mirror.as24220.net * extras: mirror.as24220.net * updates: mirror.as24220.net base | 3.7 kB 00:00 extras | 3.5 kB 00:00 updates | 3.5 kB 00:00 updates/primary_db | 715 kB 00:00 Setting up Update Process No Packages marked for Update
Note: No applications actually got upgraded in this example.
For more details on yum, check the following site:
http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/yum/