I use Ubuntu, and all updates are centralised through the package management
system. This includes both security fixes and routine bug fixes or minor
enhancements.
The security fixes get announced right away, by
appearing on the launcher bar on the left. The launcher icon also displays how
many updates are present (Unity lets programs display information in the icon).
It's still my option as to when to install them, so I may delay until I want to
take a break and make a cup of tea. There's usually not a lot of reason to delay
though, as updates happen transparently in the background and don't normally
interrupt your work.
Routine updates (e.g. bug fixes) seem to get
buffered up and only announced once per week. I can check manually if I want
them sooner, and if a security update comes in the routine fixes will get pulled
in as well (I suppose this is necessary, as the security fix may have a
dependency on an outstanding bug fix that wasn't installed yet). You can decline
updates on an individual package by package basis if you don't want them.
This approach seems to work fairly well. However, since updates are
still under the control of the user, the user could potentially still avoid
doing any updates at all. I don't know of a cure for that which doesn't involve
removing all discretion from the user.
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