Update app

[nilsA]

The updating app is "misbehaving".

From "old" I tend to use <SUDO APT-GET UPDATE/UPGRADE> routine. However, sometimes it will not work, probably because of Kubuntu prestarting the Upgrade app. It is teh upgrade part that will not run. Then, if iI start the Upgrade app, it does not show the password window, and nothing happens. The only thing to do, is "big red switch" - physical restart.

So, for some time I have been waiting for the upgrade app, and do the upgrade there. Fine - until today, when the upgrade app seems to do the update thing, but not the upgrade. No password window. But - today I then can do the old <SUDO APT-GET UPDATE/UPGRADE> routine. Only problem - the upgrade app will not shut down, and Lubuntu will not accept any shutdown. So, I have to restart physically.

Obviously there is something wrong here - anyonw able to help me?

(This happens on a dual boot old ASUS PC, where I have a WIN10 problem that may or may not be related to a power supply problem - while the Kubuntu øruns just fine.)

[jglen490]

The older apt scripts (i.e., apt-get) have themselves been updated. The now current sequence is

sudo apt update

followed by

sudo apt full-upgrade

The older "apt-get" routines should still work - in theory. But if they are not working for you, then try the newer "apt" scripts and see if they work.

[nilsA]

The older apt scripts (i.e., apt-get) have themselves been updated. The now current sequence is

sudo apt update

followed by

sudo apt full-upgrade

The older "apt-get" routines should still work - in theory. But if they are not working for you, then try the newer "apt" scripts and see if they work.

Apt-get does work - it is the "collision" with the graphical update application that is the problem.

[jglen490]

That's true, you can't run apt on the command line and and a graphical software manager such Muon, Discover, or Synaptic - at the same time. You can run apt, or Muon, or Discover, or Synaptic individually. They all use the same files and indexes to do the same things.

What you can do, and I do this all the time, is when Discover pops up a notification, you can run apt, OR Muon, OR Synaptic to perform the upgrade and update. In my experience, Discover does not do a good job beyond the notification function. I have used Discover to find and install a piece of software, I just don't believe Discover is quite ready to notify and update.

[nilsA]

That's true, you can't run apt on the command line and and a graphical software manager such Muon, Discover, or Synaptic - at the same time. You can run apt, or Muon, or Discover, or Synaptic individually. They all use the same files and indexes to do the same things.

What you can do, and I do this all the time, is when Discover pops up a notification, you can run apt, OR Muon, OR Synaptic to perform the upgrade and update. In my experience, Discover does not do a good job beyond the notification function. I have used Discover to find and install a piece of software, I just don't believe Discover is quite ready to notify and update.

My problem is, I can't run apt - it seems like Discover get into "someting" even before I open it. So I have to close down and try again. Or somethimes Discover does work.

[jglen490]

So if apt (command line) does not run to completion it errors out and provides a notification in the command line session. If it seems like it is "hanging", then try to kill Discover (or Muon, or Synaptic) and see if that frees up apt. The normal Discover notification process is to determine if new updates are available, then count them, then provide the notification and release the files and processes it uses. At least that is the behavior that I see in 18.04 LTS on my desktop machine.

[nilsA]

So if apt (command line) does not run to completion it errors out and provides a notification in the command line session. If it seems like it is "hanging", then try to kill Discover (or Muon, or Synaptic) and see if that frees up apt. The normal Discover notification process is to determine if new updates are available, then count them, then provide the notification and release the files and processes it uses. At least that is the behavior that I see in 18.04 LTS on my desktop machine.

How do I kill Discover? If I try to close the program, I get a message saying the process is not finished - and it will stay that way "forever". If I try to restart I get the same type of message. Sometimes I can go in terminal and do <closedown>, other times <closedown> does not work.

As it is, I'd rather get rid of Discover, it is just a nuisance.

[chimak111]

pkill plasma-discover

There's no need to get rid of it. Just don't use it for updating.

[nilsA]

pkill plasma-discover

There's no need to get rid of it. Just don't use it for updating.

<APT-UPDATE> works just fine.

<APT FULL-UPGRADE> will not run because of some process is running. Or rahter - *sometimes* it willa not.

<KILL PLASMA-DISCOVer> does not help. I have to restart the PC.

[jglen490]

<APT-UPDATE> works just fine.

<APT FULL-UPGRADE> will not run because of some process is running. Or rahter - *sometimes* it willa not.

<KILL PLASMA-DISCOVer> does not help. I have to restart the PC.

Do you know what process is interfering with apt when using full-upgrade? It will usually throw an error of some sort if it fails.

[SpecialEd]

<APT-UPDATE> works just fine.

<APT FULL-UPGRADE> will not run because of some process is running. Or rahter - *sometimes* it willa not.

<KILL PLASMA-DISCOVer> does not help. I have to restart the PC.

Don't forget sudo for the upgrade command.

[nilsA]

Don't forget sudo for the upgrade command.

Yes, I do sudo. And until the phenomenon reappears, I don't remember anything about processes.

[chimak111]

Leaving Discover's "features" aside, it's possible that the poster is attempting to use one method when the other is automatically already running.

Possible automatic methods could include unattended upgrades, and the apt-xapian-index thing.

[Thomas00]

At some point I picked up the recommendation to use pkcon instead of apt update/upgrade which I have been using for quite a while.

pkcon refresh
pkcon update

Can/should I stay with pkcon or rather switch to the below?

apt update
apt full-upgrade

[Snowhog]

As far as I'm concerned, it's just a personal choice. I use apt (used to be apt-get) and have never had any issues. I NEVER use a graphical package manager to update/install packages. Using konsole, I get to 'see' what is going to happen, and if I don't like what I see, I don't have to continue (that rarely happens, but can if/when a package(s) are going to be 'held back', resulting is POSSIBLY an incomplete update and/or broken system).

(Copied from a post on forum.kde.org)

From the PackageKit web site:

The actual nuts-and-bolts distro tool (dnf, apt, etc) is used by PackageKit using compiled and scripted helpers. PackageKit isn't meant to replace these tools, instead providing a common set of abstractions that can be used by standard GUI and text mode package managers.

Meaning you may be able to do all of your installing/updating/removing/etc of packages using pkcon instead of apt/apt-get/dnf/etc if you want (but don't try to remove the underlying package managers as (besides breaking your distro) that will also break pkcon).