How does the average Joe patch Linux?

Dana Blankenhorn asked this interesting question “how does an ordinary open source user manage patches” without paying expensive subscription fees. But before I answer his question, I want to know how many “ordinary” open source operating system users are there? Most Linux users still have to be computer savvy in the first place because the mere thought of compiling source code is terrifying for the average Joe. Fortunately, the GUI and patch management systems in most Linux distributions have gotten much easier but not easy enough to draw in the masses yet.