mintUpdate icon says "up to date" - even if updates avail

[karlchen]

Same unresolved problem here.
Yet, the fact that it does not affect all Mint 17 systems does not mean that the root cause cannot be a bug.
A software bug does not necessarily affect 100% of all machines where the software has been installed.
A bug may also strike under certain conditions only.
So we still do not know what the root cause is. We still do not know whether we are seeing a bug, or whether it is some change which we applied ourselves perhaps.

Karl

[niowluka]

Mine actually... works. I think I was a bit impatient earlier, but I left it alone for a week or so and one day it just showed up some updates. Most recently this or yesterday morning.

I know it doesn't help you much, but mine is a default install, only thing I tweaked are preferences.

[norm.h]

As I've said before, the Mint 17 install is the same on all my machines, and from the same DVD.
I too, haven't tweaked anything (not knowingly anyway) except preferences, and the only difference between the machines is the programs I've installed beyond the defaults.
Is it at all possible that different hardware could be responsible???

Karlchen - your post makes me feel a bit better

[niowluka]

Quit the instance that autostarted and run it from terminal:

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mintupdate-launcher

Set refresh to 1 minute or refresh manually and see if you get any errors. Double check if you have sudoers file /etc/sudoers.d/mintupdate.

[norm.h]

I can't stop an instance that doesn't auto start - which seems to be the problem (or part of it).

I have the sudoers file - never altered it. This is it:

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# Allow any user to check for new system updates without
# requiring user authentication.
Cmnd_Alias UPDATE = /usr/lib/linuxmint/mintUpdate/checkAPT.py
ALL ALL = NOPASSWD:UPDATE

I've reset refresh to 5 minutes, but what is the note in the screenshot telling me?

[niowluka]

I can't stop an instance that doesn't auto start - which seems to be the problem (or part of it).

Course you can:
1) right click on tray icon and 'Quit'
2) if that doesn't work (I don't know why it wouldn't), kill the bugger:

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sudo killall mintUpdate
sudo killall mintupdate-launcher

3) or you can stop it from autostarting altogether

I've reset refresh to 5 minutes, but what is the note in the screenshot telling me?

Just that it will not autorefresh while that window is open, i.e. you need to close the window to tray.

[norm.h]

1) right click on tray icon and 'Quit'.

Duh,

Anyway,

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normh@normh-nspire ~ $ mintupdate-launcher

(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.

What's this telling me?

[niowluka]

Nothing... Was that after 5 minutes (i.e. when refreshing) ? We want to see if there is any error while it tries to autorefresh.

[norm.h]

Nothing... Was that after 5 minutes (i.e. when refreshing) ? We want to see if there is any error while it tries to autorefresh.

Probably not 5 minutes.
I'll wait a few and try again.

Still just getting the same:

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normh@normh-nspire ~ $ mintupdate-launcher
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5760): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
Killed

normh@normh-nspire ~ $ mintupdate-launcher
(mintUpdate.py:5946): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5946): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5946): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:5946): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
Terminated

normh@normh-nspire ~ $ mintupdate-launcher
mintUpdate.py:6003): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:6003): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:6003): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.
(mintUpdate.py:6003): libglade-WARNING **: unknown attribute `swapped' for <signal>.

Perhaps best to wait until I know from the other laptop, that updates are actually available?

[norm.h]

This looks promising (my bold):

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++ Launching mintUpdate 
++ Starting refresh
++ Auto-refresh timer is going to sleep for 5 minutes, 0 hours and 0 days
++ System is up to date
++ Refresh finished
++[b] MintUpdate is in tray mode, performing auto-refresh[/b]
++ Starting refresh
++ Auto-refresh timer is going to sleep for 5 minutes, 0 hours and 0 days
++ System is up to date
++ Refresh finished

[niowluka]

Yeah... So it does refresh as instructed, but decides none of the updates are relevant. Can you post screens of all your preferences tabs ?

[norm.h]

Screenshots of Preferences as requested

[norm.h]

Remaining screen shots of Preferences
Many thanks for your help and interest

[norm.h]

It found some - yippee...

[karlchen]

Hi, folks.

For comparison's reason, here is what mintupdate logs to the randomly named file in /tmp, when it has been launched right after logon:

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++ Launching mintUpdate in user mode
++ Testing initial connection
++ Connection found - checking for updates <============= it seems to really call /usr/lib/linuxmint/mintUpdate/checkAPT.py here
++ Starting refresh
++ Auto-refresh timer is going to sleep for 0 minutes, 2 hours and 0 days
++ Found 6 recommended software updates <============= ha! updates found!
++ Refresh finished
++ Launching mintUpdate in root mode... 

This is on Mint 13 Cinnamon 64-bit, mintupdate 4.5.6-1. - Comments by me in order to mark the relevant lines.

Of course, no "Found" message will be logged in case nothing has been found. So the relevant line is the one telling us that checkAPT.py is launched. This line seems to be missing in the mintUpdate logfile on Mint 17, at least for those of us for whom it does not do what it should do: check for updates right after logon and then in the configured interval.

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++ Launching mintUpdate
++ Starting refresh
++ Auto-refresh timer is going to sleep for 0 minutes, 2 hours and 0 days
++ System is up to date
++ Refresh finished

You see what you do not see? Yep: not hint that mintUpdate bothers to launch checkAPT.py right after startup. No checkAPT.py, no updates detected, go to sleep.

On Mint 13 as well as on Mint 17 the required file /etc/sudoers.d/mintupdate is present, holds the right entry and is owned by root and -r--r-----
Still wondering what is going on or rather what is working differently on Mint 13 and Mint 17 ...

Karl

[norm.h]

So after last evening's success (?)....

[quote="norm.h"
[....] Went (again) to my little-used desktop box, which also has LM17 from the same DVD as the two laptops.
Update icon in the system tray showed "system up to date", but as it hadn't been used for a while, I knew there were updates available.[......].[/quote]

but this time the icon showed updates being available although I've changed nothing on that box !

EDIT: and on this laptop this morning - another update (for gufw).
So something's changed - but it weren't me boss, honest

The refresh time on all 3 machines is now set at 30 minutes.

[norm.h]

Now, I don't understand ANY of this, but here is my usr/lib/linuxmint/mintUpdate/checkAPT.py file that karl refers to:
I wonder if it gives anyone any clues?

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#!/usr/bin/env python

import os
import sys
import apt

#def checkDependencies(changes, cache):
#    foundSomething = False
#    for pkg in changes:
#        for dep in pkg.candidateDependencies:
#            for o in dep.or_dependencies:
#                try:
#                    if cache[o.name].isUpgradable:
#                        pkgFound = False
#                        for pkg2 in changes:
#                            if o.name == pkg2.name:
#                                pkgFound = True
#                        if pkgFound == False:
#                            newPkg = cache[o.name]
#                            changes.append(newPkg)
#                            foundSomething = True
#                except Exception, detail:
#                    pass # don't know why we get these..
#    if (foundSomething):
#        changes = checkDependencies(changes, cache)
#    return changes

try:
    cache = apt.Cache()
    
    if os.getuid() == 0 :
        use_synaptic = False
        if (len(sys.argv) > 1):
            if sys.argv[1] == "--use-synaptic":
                use_synaptic = True

        if use_synaptic:
            window_id = int(sys.argv[2])
            from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
            cmd = ["sudo", "/usr/sbin/synaptic", "--hide-main-window", "--update-at-startup", "--non-interactive", "--parent-window-id", "%d" % window_id]
            #cmd.append("--progress-str")
            #cmd.append("\"" + _("Please wait, this can take some time") + "\"")
            comnd = Popen(' '.join(cmd), shell=True)
            returnCode = comnd.wait()
            #sts = os.waitpid(comnd.pid, 0)            
        else:
            cache.update()

    sys.path.append('/usr/lib/linuxmint/common')
    from configobj import ConfigObj
    config = ConfigObj("/etc/linuxmint/mintUpdate.conf")
    try:
        if (config['update']['dist_upgrade'] == "True"):
            dist_upgrade = True
        else:
            dist_upgrade = False
    except:
        dist_upgrade = True
        
    # Reopen the cache to reflect any updates
    cache.open(None)
    cache.upgrade(dist_upgrade)
    changes = cache.get_changes()
    
    # Add dependencies
    #changes = checkDependencies(changes, cache)

    for pkg in changes:
        if (pkg.is_installed and pkg.marked_upgrade):
            package = pkg.name
            newVersion = pkg.candidate.version
            oldVersion = pkg.installed.version
            size = pkg.candidate.size
            sourcePackage = pkg.candidate.source_name
            description = pkg.candidate.description
            if (newVersion != oldVersion):
                update_type = "package"
                for origin in pkg.candidate.origins:
                    if origin.origin == "Ubuntu" and '-security' in origin.archive:
                        update_type = "security"
                        break
                    if origin.origin == "linuxmint":
                        if origin.component == "romeo":
                            update_type = "unstable"
                            break
                        elif origin.component == "backport":
                            update_type = "backport"
                            break
                        else:
                            update_type = "linuxmint"

                resultString = u"UPDATE###%s###%s###%s###%s###%s###%s###%s" % (package, newVersion, oldVersion, size, sourcePackage, update_type, description)
                print resultString.encode('ascii', 'xmlcharrefreplace');
    
except Exception, detail:
    print "ERROR###ERROR###ERROR###ERROR###ERROR###ERROR###ERROR"
    print detail
    sys.exit(1)

[norm.h]

A vague thought....

The only thing I've altered is the refresh period.
I used to have it set to daily, and since changing it to minutes the issue seems to have been resolved.
As we switch our machines off each night, and the time we switch on each day isn't consistent, could this mean that Update Manager was "missing" refresh points?

Just noticed another update (mint-mirrors) is available, so it seems all is now well.

What switching on / off regime do others with this issue use?

[niowluka]

As we switch our machines off each night, and the time we switch on each day isn't consistent, could this mean that Update Manager was "missing" refresh points?

It seems to be the case... I normally let my PC run 24/7, but at the time of writing my first post regarding this, I was freshly after install when I used to reboot or restart X often. Although frankly, I would expect mintUpdate to check for updates right after starting, and then wait, not the other way round

I have mine set to 12h, and I only check for security updates, so sometimes it can be several days between updates...

[norm.h]

[...] Although frankly, I would expect mintUpdate to check for updates right after starting, and then wait, not the other way round..

That was my expectation too, but I've noticed that if any updates are available they're not notified until at least after the first "sleep" period.

Perhaps I'll gradually increase the refresh period, just to see what happens, but having been notified of updates several days in a row, I'm satisfied my issue is resolved.

I'll not mark the thread "solved" as others may still have the problem.