[SOLVED] Go back to old update ways?

[bradleypariah]

I'm kinda sorta really weirded out by "System Updates" in Discover.

I've "grown up" being accustomed to one of the things that makes Linux so special is that it didn't need to reboot after every single update, but now that's no longer true.

Every single time I get update notifications, instead of it being 15 or so individual packages that need updating, Discover rolls it all into one "System Update," and I'll be darned if the thing doesn't ask to reboot after every single one, every single day.

Is there a way to go back to the old updates, where Discover just updates packages individually?

I realize I can simply avoid rebooting, and wait till later, but I'm also noticing that if/when I push off updates, my next reboot may be accompanied by a long update with progress bar. This feels so... Un-Linux-like.

Why are updates rolled into one, and why is rebooting necessary every time all of a sudden?

[GreyGeek]

Just my personal preference, but after I installed Kubuntu, and later Neon, I removed discover and snap. I have security updates installed automatically in the background and regardless of what comes down the pike I reboot only if a kernel update is done, and only then if I want to enjoy the benefits of the new kernel immediately, or I wait until I reboot tomorrow morning. I eschew both snap and flatpak. I have about a dozen or so AppImages installed. No reboot necessary when installing, running or removing them.

[Snowhog]

Just use the command line. Don't use Discover -- for ANYTHING. I don't.

In a konsole just type: sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

IF a reboot is required, you will be informed that it is required, else you won't be. I just don't use any GUI application to do package management.

[claydoh]

OK, my post got mangled. Pebkac, I am sure.

But:

Check System Settings and disable the Offline Updates option. This should not be enabled by default (it wasn't on my recent 22.204 install), but maybe it got enabled somehow?
It is the default setting in KDE Neon, but iirc not the normal setting in Kubuntu.

This relatively new feature of Systemd (not native to Discover) can be a good thing, but until packages can be broken down to those not needing to reboot (normal software), those needing a logout ( Desktop updates/upgrades), and ones requiring a reboot (kernels, major core libraries etc), this all-or-nothing aspect of things is annoying. Blame RedHat, err... I mean Freedesktop.

I will be the anti-naysayer here, and say that Discover is perfectly fine for updating *all* the software, themes/widgets, and even the occasional hardware firmware update. Sure, it doesn't give enough error messages, but those errors are NOT from Discover itself. It is from apt being effed up. In those cases, using the command line will help find the bugaboos.

I am going to wager the naysayers have not actually used it much, recently -- it is actually quite good, particularly in version 5.25. Not perfect, mind you, but more than adequate for installing updates.

[rab0171610]

I just don't use any GUI application to do package management.

I also prefer not using discover. Yes, I have used it of late. I find it easier to update manually.

[claydoh]

While I do usually update apt manually, if the update icon pops up during the day, I use Discover. Often its one of my flatpaks, or theme bits. I enter my password if necessary, and go back to whatever I was doing before. Easy Peasy.
So is opening a terminal and typing my update command alias

I still say Discover is quite good for updating and browsing as an app store and an update installer. It is not meant to be a Package Manager.
I think we should support people using it, among other options.

[Snowhog]

I think we should support people using it, among other options.

I don't disagree, in principle. But one of the common complaints we hear, is about how Discover doesn't meet the expectations of users; usually new-ish users. As you said, Discover isn't a package manager, but many (again, new-ish users) think it is, and try to use it as such. That Discover comes packaged, while a true GUI "package manager" doesn't, results in a fare amount of confusion. As Muon Package Manager isn't (?) being maintained, I understand why it isn't packaged. But, and even though it's 'long in the tooth', Synaptic Package Manager is (?) maintained, and works just fine with all versions of Kubuntu still being supported. Why isn't it packaged?

[rab0171610]

Speaking only for myself, I personally am not discouraging anyone from doing anything. I am stating what I prefer. I also am trying to encourage people to use the command line if they find Discover not working for them, i.e. frequent reboot reminders, update reminders, etc.
It is enlightening for some people as they somehow made it here without knowing Discover is not the end all for updates. There is a way to update at the command line that works well and gives lots of output that graphical programs do not usually. Also, it works well across almost all Debian based distros, Ubuntu only being one of them.
Especially if they ever find themselves in a situation where they cannot login graphically but need to update, downgrade or remove packages that caused the problem. Discover is not going to be much help if they do not know how to do it manually.
For example, Dolphin is great but knowing how to also use 'ls', 'ls -al', 'mv file file.bak' is very empowering to most users and helps them understand what really happens in the system when they click a button.

[claydoh]

I don't disagree, in principle. But one of the common complaints we hear, is about how Discover doesn't meet the expectations of users; usually new-ish users. As you said, Discover isn't a package manager, but many (again, new-ish users) think it is, and try to use it as such. That Discover comes packaged, while a true GUI "package manager" doesn't, results in a fare amount of confusion. As Muon Package Manager isn't (?) being maintained, I understand why it isn't packaged. But, and even though it's 'long in the tooth', Synaptic Package Manager is (?) maintained, and works just fine with all versions of Kubuntu still being supported. Why isn't it packaged?

Muon *IS* installed by default on 22.04, crufty as it is. Still seems to work as well as it has been in recent years.

bradleypariah (sorry/not sorry for the thread hijack) was/is not experiencing a bug or failure in Plasma Discover, but seems to be using an optional setting for offline updates, and wants go back to using the normal updates method. We are kinda telling him that he is doing it all wrong, perhaps.

[Beerislife]

Turn off offline updates and set to manual in the Settings app.

[GreyGeek]

A GUI interface to apt (muon, synaptic) is useful in two situations, one is when you don't know the exact name of a package and (like me) can't remember the syntax for using apt to search for a package type. The second is when you want to browse the repository for classes of apps. Maybe three uses: I also use muon to lock a version of an app so that it isn't updated.

[bradleypariah]

Check System Settings and disable the Offline Updates option.

This seems to have done it, thank you

I ran an update through Discover, and instead of asking me to reboot after a "system update," it ran updates on 15 individual packages and now just says, "Up to date."

[Exhales]

[Don B. Cilly]

I made me a little script that manages the most common apt commands.
Feel free to add yours ;·)
I recently changed the last one to sudo apt full-upgrade --fix-missing.
I have a dodgy connection.