This shell script is run as a cron job that I use to control what updates my workstations get at work. Because it is launched from cron, it is root so it can install any needed updates. The panther.txt file that sits on the web server is just a file with a single line that has all the approved updates listed one after another with spaces between them. You can get the list to put in there by running softwareupdate -l on a machine that needs patches.
Before using the script, change the three instances of mycompany.com in the script to match your own company or school.
[robg adds: Due to some very wide lines that weren't easily breakable, I've uploaded the script to the macosxhints' downloads folder. Click the link to open the script in a new window, from where you can copy and paste it into a Terminal editor. Remember to make it executable (chmod 755 script_name), and setting it up as a cron task is left as an exercise for the reader...]
Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20040412192558348