What is the process "python3 unattended upgrade shutdown"?

Question

I was looking at the process list on my Ubuntu 18.04 server and saw the following two processes:

 930 ?        Ssl    0:00 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/networkd-dispatcher --run-startup-triggers
 958 ?        Ssl    0:00 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/share/unattended-upgrades/unattended-upgrade-shutdown --wait-for-signal

I am sure I did not start them. What are they? Are they harmful? How do I stop them from reappearing?

Answer 1

These processes are likely not harmful ^[1] .

The "unattended upgrades" mechanism is responsible for automatically installing security updates. You can find more information in official documentation, eg here .

The networkd-dispatcher allows triggering of scripts in response to a change of the network interface state. Again, if you are curious, check the official docs .

There are plently of processes that the OS starts without the user's explicit knowledge or consent. This is perfectly OK and for the most part you should not interfere unless you know exactly what you are doing. Such processes might be crucial to OS operation and even beneficial for your OS security (such as the unattended upgrades system).

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^{[1] _{Of course, we can't truly know without having full access to your computer}}