[DON"T PANIC] Do you see "The following packages have been kept back" while updating with apt? You are OK. READ THIS!

[claydoh]

Are you constantly seeing something like this when updating on the command line?

The following packages have been kept back:
libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-bin libglib2.0-data ubuntu-advantage-tools
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 4 not upgraded.​

Do NOT despair, my friends!
All is not lost!!
Nothing is likely broken!!!
You ARE probably OK!!!!
Your system is 99.9% perfectly fine!!!!!

This is just the somewhat new feature that Debian added to apt for Phased updates, which Ubuntu started using in 21.10, and more prominently with 22.04.
Certain updates are sent out more slowly, to a smaller number of random users, which eventually expand to wider numbers after some days.

More background:
https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/phase...in-21-04/20345
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1431...buntu-use-them

A couple of ways to check the staus:
apt policy packagename will show the phased status. Use the name(s) shown in the messaging.

This page shows the packages being phased with some info: https://people.canonical.com/~ubuntu...d-updates.html

Of course, held packages could happen for other reasons. If apt policy does not show something being phased, this is when you need to investigate the issue.

If the packages are being phased, you can manually install them with apt if you are that impatient, like being the guinea pig, or just don't like the 'clutter' in your terminal.

[Eggnog]

So happy to see this. I was just going to ask about this very thing.

[rodolfomenardi]

Nice tip!

[TWPonKubuntu]

I've been seeing this notice for several months now. It is more of an irritant than actual useful information, but somebody upline thinks we (mere) users need to know this.
Thanks to claydoh for the explanation and for the possible workaround if I really, really feel I need one or more of the "phased" packages. So far I've not seen anything that might be critical to my workflow.

TWP

[GreyGeek]

One can use pkcon, while installs everything and ignores the phasing.
(pkcon refresh, sudo pkcon update)

[claydoh]

One can use pkcon, while installs everything and ignores the phasing.

Not always. As this is sort of random, the pkcon session often isn't phased, and usually just doesn't show the phased update info at all (like Discover doesn't), but sometimes it most definitely is. I have seen it at least twice since 22.04, though I seldom use Discover for system updates,. and pkcon almost never, Both Discover and Pkcon threw errors that make no sense, where apt work as expected. Two times is not a lot, though for me this would be a high amount, percentage-wise lol.

[oshunluvr]

But, but, but, I want my package upgrades NOW...

.. brought to you by the "microwave generation" LOL

[claydoh]

the "microwave generation"

Which one was that? I think my parents got one circa 1979, and I don't think I have spent any significant time without one. Mine does only get used about once every week or two, though. An expensive popcorn popper lol!
Now, there definitely is an air fryer sort of generation, maybe. Not sure if this overlaps with the avocado toast generation. There definitely was a fondue generation.