Comment 37 for bug 414181

Revision history for this message
Chris Wilson (notgary-deactivatedaccount) wrote : Re: [Bug 414181] Re: "Install Updates" button does nothing when Update Manager opened by itself

Sorry, I didn't read the bug report carefully enough.

On Wednesday, 29 May 2013, Craig Hansen wrote:

> Alberto, to me, I thought this was a simple issue that could possibly
> have been fixed in the user interface. I thought that this was code that
> was created particularly for ubuntu, and therefore the excuses espoused
> in the top critical bug in the hundredpapercuts project didn't apply. I
> thought that having a significant usability issue in the update-manager
> would qualify as a "paper cut", but according to post #28, since it's
> simply a "bug" it apparently didn't qualify. I thought that this was a
> simple bug that could/should have been fixed in 2009, but now that it's
> 2013, I'm wondering if there's anyone at the wheel, let alone asleep at
> it.
>
> In my little brain, it seems like the "check" button does roughly a
> "sudo apt-get update" and the "install" button should do a "sudo apt-get
> dist-upgrade". But something is wrong with the install button code.
> Since sudo has the property that the password only gets asked for every
> 15 minutes or so, it could be that pressing the "check" button makes
> install work simply because it's doing the "sudo". It also could be that
> the "apt-get update" part somehow greases the skids and makes the
> "install" button work, but I personally think it's more likely a
> privilege escalation issue. It doesn't make sense to me that without the
> "apt-get update" that the "install" should do nothing even when there
> are updates displayed in the window. That the "check" button may or may
> not bring up additional updates seems irrelevant.
>
> If you take Alberto's example, and instead of trying "sudo apt-get
> update" you try "sudo apt-get dist-install" I think you'll find that the
> dist-install proceeds as expected. You might also try "sudo uptime" to
> see if it also fixes the install button. You might also try pressing the
> "check" button and waiting an hour to see if the "install" button now
> fails.
>
> ...and if we're talking about usability here, the fact that there's an
> "check" button at all is kind of stupid - the app should be checking
> periodically for additional updates just so the list of updates isn't
> out of date - after all, that's the purpose of the window anyway - to
> alert the user of updates to the system. ...but that would be an
> "enhancement" request that will be addressed at even lower
> priority...not to mention that it might break the workaround for this
> bug that we've been using for four years. ;-)
>
> --
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> Hundred Paper Cuts.
> Matching subscriptions: Papercut bug mail
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/414181
>
> Title:
> "Install Updates" button does nothing when Update Manager opened by
> itself
>
> Status in One Hundred Paper Cuts:
> Confirmed
> Status in Software Updater:
> Invalid
> Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> Occurs in: Ubuntu 9.04, Ubuntu 10.04, Ubuntu 10.10, Ubuntu 12.04
> Does not occur in: Ubuntu 12.10
>
> Update manager loads periodically and informs of new updates available.
> Clicking "Install Updates" button does nothing.
> The expected behavior (for this user) is that it ask for administrative
> password and then install the updates.
> However, if the "Check" button is clicked, then Admin Pass is requested,
> check is performed, and "Install Updates' button becomes active.
>
> Once learned this is only an annoyance. If this is the correct
> behavior, the install updates button should be greyed or a notice
> given to recheck before installing.
>
> WORKAROUND:
> click "check updates" before clicking on "install"
>
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>