Options:

  --channel channel       Retrieve updates from this channel
                          Use multiple times for multiple channels
  --channelfile file      Retrieve updates from the channels in the file
  --checkonly             Check for update availability, do not install
  --allowplugins          Allow updates to load plugin code
  --gpgkey key            Trust the key id to sign releases
                          Use multiple times for multiple keys
  --gpgkeyfile file       Trust the key ids in the file to sign releases
  --gpghomedir path       Store the GPG keyring in this directory
  --gpg and --nogpg       Use (or do not use) GPG to verify updates
                          (--gpg is assumed by use of the above
                          --gpgkey and --gpgkeyfile options)
  --import file           Import GPG key(s) from file into sa-update's
                          keyring. Use multiple times for multiple files
  --updatedir path        Directory to place updates, defaults to the
                          SpamAssassin site rules directory
                          (default: /var/lib/spamassassin/<version>)
  -D, --debug [area=n,...]  Print debugging messages
  -V, --version           Print version
  -h, --help              Print usage message

Update archives are verified using SHA1 hashes and GPG signatures, by default.

Note that "sa-update" will not restart "spamd" or otherwise cause a scanner to reload the now-updated ruleset automatically. Instead, "sa-update" is typically used in something like the following manner:

        sa-update && /etc/init.d/spamassassin reload

This works because "sa-update" only returns an exit status of 0 if it has successfully downloaded and installed an updated ruleset.

--channel

sa-update can update multiple channels at the same time. By default, it will only access ``updates.spamassassin.org'', but more channels can be specified via this option. If there are multiple additional channels, use the option multiple times, once per channel. i.e.:

        sa-update --channel foo.example.com --channel bar.example.com

--channelfile

Similar to the --channel option, except specify the additional channels in a file instead of on the commandline. This is useful when there are a lot of additional channels.

--checkonly

Only check if an update is available, don't actually download and install it. The exit code will be 0 or 1 as described below.

--allowplugins

Allow downloaded updates to activate plugins. The default is not to activate plugins; any "loadplugin" or "tryplugin" lines will be commented in the downloaded update rules files.

--gpg, --nogpg

sa-update by default will verify update archives by use of a SHA1 checksum and GPG signature. SHA1 hashes can verify whether or not the downloaded archive has been corrupted, but it does not offer any form of security regarding whether or not the downloaded archive is legitimate (aka: non-modifed by evildoers). GPG verification of the archive is used to solve that problem.

If you wish to skip GPG verification, you can use the --nogpg option to disable its use. Use of the following gpgkey-related options will override --nogpg and keep GPG verification enabled.

Note: Currently, only GPG itself is supported (ie: not PGP). v1.2 has been tested, although later versions ought to work as well.

--gpgkey

sa-update has the concept of ``release trusted'' GPG keys. When an archive is downloaded and the signature verified, sa-update requires that the signature be from one of these ``release trusted'' keys or else verification fails. This prevents third parties from manipulating the files on a mirror, for instance, and signing with their own key.

By default, sa-update trusts key id "265FA05B", which is the standard SpamAssassin release key. Use this option to trust additional keys. See the --import option for how to add keys to sa-update's keyring. For sa-update to use a key it must be in sa-update's keyring and trusted.

For multiple keys, use the option multiple times. i.e.:

        sa-update --gpgkey E580B363 --gpgkey 298BC7D0

Note: use of this option automatically enables GPG verification.

--gpgkeyfile

Similar to the --gpgkey option, except specify the additional keys in a file instead of on the commandline. This is extremely useful when there are a lot of additional keys that you wish to trust.

--gpghomedir

Specify a directory path to use as a storage area for the "sa-update" GPG keyring. By default, this is

        /etc/mail/spamassassin/sa-update-keys

--import

Use to import GPG key(s) from a file into the sa-update keyring which is located in the directory specified by --gpghomedir. Before using channels from third party sources, you should use this option to import the GPG key(s) used by those channels. You must still use the --gpgkey or --gpgkeyfile options above to get sa-update to trust imported keys.

To import multiple keys, use the option multiple times. i.e.:

        sa-update --import channel1-GPG.KEY --import channel2-GPG.KEY

Note: use of this option automatically enables GPG verification.

--updatedir

By default, "sa-update" will use the system-wide rules update directory:

        /var/lib/spamassassin/spamassassin/3.002000

If the updates should be stored in another location, specify it here.

Note that use of this option is not recommended; if you're just using sa-update to download updated rulesets for a scanner, and sa-update is placing updates in the wrong directory, you probably need to rebuild SpamAssassin with different "Makefile.PL" arguments, instead of overriding sa-update's runtime behaviour.

-D [area,...], --debug [area,...]

Produce debugging output. If no areas are listed, all debugging information is printed. Diagnostic output can also be enabled for each area individually; area is the area of the code to instrument. For example, to produce diagnostic output on channel, gpg, and http, use:

        sa-update -D channel,gpg,http

For more information about which areas (also known as channels) are available, please see the documentation at:

        C<
-h, --help
 Print help message and exit.
-V, --version
 Print sa-update version and
exit.

An exit code of 1 means no fresh updates were available.

An exit code of 2 means that at least one update is available but that a lint check of the site pre files failed. The site pre files must pass a lint check before any updates are attempted.

An exit code of 4 or higher, indicates that errors occurred while attempting to download and extract updates.