Questions about Discover and updates

[KbntLvr]

Update (pun!):

Since my doing a clean install of Kubuntu 18.04 LTS exactly two weeks ago, all of the mysterious behavior that has been reported about "Discover" in this thread has been discovered (pun!).

- The notifier said 5 updates; Discover said 3

- I click "Update All" and Discover freezes; had to launch System Monitor to "End Process"

Since my clean install, I've installed (not a pun) additionally Apper and Synaptic Package Manager. So, now, I've got Discover, Muon Package Manager, Apper, and Synaptic Package Manager, not to mention the command line. Ya think that'll do the trick?

Get this: Yesterday, Apper installed updates and CRASHED.

So, now (here we go again), I'm focusing on the use of Muon Package Manager. So far, so good! Just installed 5 updates. Seems to be working. Isn't that GREAT?

The problem with Synaptic Package Manager is that I would have to go to System Settings to "Force fonts DPI" (on the fonts page), (to, say, 168) before launching Synaptic Package Manager, in order to have the font big enough to read (and then to return DPI back again), because it's not a KDE program and apparently isn't implemented to respond to the normal KDE font settings. Then again, that's not really that much of a problem.

So, the recommendation NOW is to turn off auto install (see my earlier post in this thread) and manually launch Muon Package Manager to install updates whenever the update notification pops up.

[Qqmike]

There's plenty of workarounds for us. My concern is for the new people or the average non-technical user attracted to all the neat things about Kubuntu, but then not knowing about getting the updates properly. For me, Discover is still hit-or-miss; Muon always works; as does the command line. I think I'm more aware of this issue now because I put Kubuntu on the wife's laptop (dual-boot Win 10 but not 10 used now), and she is not so technically inclined.

had to launch System Monitor to "End Process"

Catch claydoh's tip (above): Control-Alt-ESC gives you a kill cursor (skull and cross bones) -- just use it to click the upper right "X" on Discover.

[Dave Rove]

I'll note that both Discover and Muon were flaky for me in 18.04, freezing or crashing if I clicked "update" too promptly or if I tried to close the window the moment "No more updates" appeared. I then started watching the CPU activity in the "System Load" applet that I'd placed next to the system tray, and watched for the CPU bars to drop back to a low activity before hitting any buttons, which usually only meant waiting a few seconds — and then I had no more problems.

It seems that if you hit buttons while Muon and/or Discover are doing heavy background tasks, indexing or whatever, then they don't behave well.