I wonder which way is the best to keep a RaQ up-to-date and secure...either;

a) manual install all updates of i.e. apache, php, mysql etc.

or

b) only install the pkg's from cobalt


I guess option a is the best option, but how big is the chance of messing things up and how hard is it, since the software installed on the RaQ's are pretty stripped.

There is no question that installing updates will keep you secure and up-to-date BUT it was not designed that way. Sun is not the fastest at getting packages out but they do their best to make sure they work and no conflicts arise.

Personally I for the most part install all the Sun Packages AND I also install packages from many of the other sources pkgmaster.com, solarspeed.com etc... The only major custom install I did was PHP because I needed a feature in the latest release of PHP.

So from my point of view I would stick with Sun, and the other free packages it will make live easier in the long run.

Also, make sure you are either subscribed to the cobalt-security forum, or regularly search the mail list archive. It's always useful to check what problems others have had before getting stuck into it yourself.