Using the web console for upgrades is discouraged because it can introduce latency, reduce visibility into the upgrade process and increase the risk of an interrupted session that may leave the system in an inconsistent state. When you connect via SSH you gain full control of the terminal, can monitor output in real time and can safely run the upgrade inside a persistent tmux session, which protects the process from accidental disconnections and allows you to re‑attach if needed.

Why SSH is preferable

• Reliability – A network‑bound web console can time out or drop the connection, potentially aborting the upgrade.
• Visibility – SSH shows the exact output of apt update and apt dist-upgrade, making it easier to spot errors.
• Control – You can pause, resume or abort the upgrade at any point without losing your session.
• Automation – Scripts and monitoring tools work more predictably over an SSH channel.

Recommended upgrade workflow

   ssh user@hostname

Connect to the server

   tmux new -s upgrade

Start a tmux session (or re‑attach if one is already running)

   apt update

Refresh package lists

   apt dist-upgrade

Upgrade installed packages

Watch for prompts – If the system asks to install new kernel packages or remove obsolete ones, confirm with Y.

Detach from tmux (if you need to leave the session)

Reboot if required

IF you get disconnected for any reason, simply reconnect and re-attach with 

 tmux attach -t upgrade.

Things to verify before starting

• Backup any critical data or configuration files.
• Check disk space – ensure at least 10 % free space on / and /var.
• Confirm network connectivity – a stable SSH session is essential.
• Review pending reboots – note any services that may require a restart after the upgrade.

Following this approach gives you a controlled, observable upgrade that minimises downtime and maximises system stability - but always be aware that any host upgrade brings risks so have a backup plan in place should the host fail to boot or fail to come back up.