Update Logs

[phil1349]

I am currently running 8.04 no problem. I keep the system regularly updated using adept updater. I presume that this keeps a log file somewhere which I would like to access to see exactly what has been updated. I have searched all the usual places but cannot find anything.

Any ideas please ?

[jankushka]

Re: Update Logs

apt keeps a log in /var/log/apt.
i don't know if adept keeps an history.
adept is crap.
i use synaptic.
synaptic keeps an history in /root/.synaptic/log. which you can access via file -> history.
hth

[Rog131]

Re: Update Logs

Adept and Synaptic are "just" frontends > FAQ: Package Managers


Checking installed/updated/removed packages from the dpkg log:

Recent status log:

grep "status installed" /var/log/dpkg.log

grep upgrade /var/log/dpkg.log

grep remove /var/log/dpkg.log

A bit older dpkg log:

grep "status installed" /var/log/dpkg.log.1

grep upgrade /var/log/dpkg.log.1

grep remove /var/log/dpkg.log.1

The oldest logs - rotated dpkg logs (packed): dpkg.log.2.gz, dpkg.log.3.gz...

[phil1349]

Re: Update Logs

Thanks Rog131, you are absolutely right, I don't know how I missed that one !

It basically tells me what I want to know but one thing intrigued me is that there were entries that said "half-installed <whatever>" or "half-configured <whatever>". How can this be ? Software is either installed (configured) or not installed (configured). How can it be half-installed ?

Interesting.

[jankushka]

Re: Update Logs

Adept and Synaptic are "just" frontends

yes.
and synaptic keeps an history (on top of the backend's) which is easily accessible by the user.
adept doesn't.

[Rog131]

Re: Update Logs

How can it be half-installed ?

man dpkg (or with the konqueror man:dpkg)

PACKAGE STATES

installed
The package is unpacked and configured OK.
half-installed
The installation of the package has been started, but not completed for some reason.
not-installed
The package is not installed on your system.
unpacked
The package is unpacked, but not configured.
half-configured
The package is unpacked and configuration has been started, but not yet completed for some reason.
config-files
Only the configuration files of the package exist on the system.

yes.
and synaptic keeps an history (on top of the backend's) which is easily accessible by the user. adept doesn't.

Synaptic is a nice tool - There are among other things: Lock-version and Force Version.

For a short time (with the Breezy ?) there was ksynaptic - synaptic with the Qt gui. It just disappeared and Adept was chosen to the default Kubuntu package manager.


Earlier:

> Topic: benefits and disadvantages of synaptic instead of adept in Kubuntu
> Topic: Package manager you use
> Topic: How to downgrade packages (forcing version)
> Pinning version

[toad]

Re: Update Logs

I've never been a synaptic fan because of its p@!# poor filtering of packages, but the lock version feature sounds nice! Not even sure Adept can do that. Thanks for that info!

[jankushka]

Re: Update Logs

from the quoted list of advantages of synaptic over adept...

...
2. Synaptic
PROS:
- History logs: you can see what you have installed through synaptic, without having to plow through the /var/logs
...