SOLVED - I don't get any update from the Manager

[KIMW]

It's been several weeks that I don't get any update from the Manager and when I run:

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sudo apt-get update

I always get:
Reading package lists... Done
Nothing else!!

This:

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inxi -r

Says: Error: No repo data detected. Does inxi support your package manager?

[Sir Charles]

Maybe the following could help:
Open Software Sources and restore the mirrors to default. Run again:

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sudo apt-get update

[KIMW]

I had completely forgotten about "Software Sources". So what I did is simply Update The Cache and it worked. Thanks for your help.
In the "Software Sources" should I tick on "Enable Source Code Repositories"?

I also noticed that instead of the default "Update Manager" I have another program which is called "Discover". How can I restore the default one?

[Sir Charles]

In the "Software Sources" should I tick on "Enable Source Code Repositories"?

No, not necessarily, unless you want to download the source code for a particular package.

I also noticed that instead of the default "Update Manager" I have another program which is called "Discover". How can I restore the default one?

"Discover" is the default update/software manager in KDE. I have never tried to install "mintupdate" (Update Manager)in KDE, so I don't know if it will work.

For another package manager in KDE corresponding to Synaptic, you could have a look at "muon".

[KIMW]

"Discover" is the default update/software manager in KDE. I have never tried to install "mintupdate" (Update Manager)in KDE, so I don't know if it will work.

For another package manager in KDE corresponding to Synaptic, you could have a look at "muon".

Strange!!! Because I actually installed Discover myself manually. I was using another Update Manager before which I thought it was the default one. When I realized Discover was coming along with the "default one" (so I had 2 at the same time) I did something and it was not coming anymore...

I actually installed Muon also. But I don't see the difference with Synaptic. Is there any in fact?

[Sir Charles]

Strange!!! Because I actually installed Discover myself manually. I was using another Update Manager before which I thought it was the default one. When I realized Discover was coming along with the "default one" (so I had 2 at the same time) I did something and it was not coming anymore...

I actually installed Muon also. But I don't see the difference with Synaptic. Is there any in fact?

My apologies for my rather inaccurate and confusing response above. I haven't had Mint KDE installed for quite a long time and my latest encounter with KDE has been through Kubuntu. Seemingly, I have confounded the two of them.

Well then, I guess what you are looking for is "mintupdate" (aka: Update Manager). You could try running it from a terminal and see if it starts from there:

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mintupdate

If you would need to install/reinstall it you could use the following command:

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sudo apt-get install --reinstall mintupdate

My suggestion on Muon was also based on my wrong assumption about what package manager(s) are installed in Mint KDE. Je suis vraiment desolé
In fact, I find Synaptic having an slight edge over Muon in terms of its features and functions. So if you already use Synaptic, you could very well do without Muon.

[KIMW]

Ok no problem.
It worked from the terminal. Thanks.

Discover program has got much more things than the default Update Manager. Is it safe to install other applications from Discover, since it's not the normal way?

[Sir Charles]

Yes it is. Under the hood, it uses the same APT (Advanced Package Tool) for package management (search/install/uninstall etc). Discover will also keep the system up to date by notifying about updates and installing them. You could use Software Manager (mintinstall) as well for installing packages.

[threadbane]

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sudo apt-get install --reinstall mintupdate

Finally. I've been following the mintupdate solutions for weeks. Nothing worked or was so involved that it would be almost as simple to simply reinstall linuxmint, until this. This fixed everything. All is well.
Thank you!

[Sir Charles]

Finally. I've been following the mintupdate solutions for weeks. Nothing worked or was so involved that it would be almost as simple to simply reinstall linuxmint, until this. This fixed everything. All is well.
Thank you!

You are welcome!
I am glad to hear that this simple step resolved the issue you were experiencing with mintupdate without taking more "drastic" measures.

Cheers

[KIMW]

Hi Marziano,
Can you please explain why there is a large difference in the list of things to update between Discover and the default Update Manager (see pictures below)? Are all items Discover suggesting me to update really safe??

UPDATE MANAGER

DISCOVER 1

DISCOVER 2

[MtnDewManiac]

Can you please explain why there is a large difference in the list of things to update between Discover and the default Update Manager (see pictures below)?

I am sort of a "negative expert," lol, so this may not be all of it. But Clem has decided that we should see "groups" instead of individual files. For example, those Mesa updates would presumably be just a single line-item in mintUpdate.

Also, I notice that your first image only displays "level 3" updates. As far as I know, something like the aforementioned Mesa update would probably be considered a level 4 or level 5 update. Check your settings to see if you have got those two checked (enabled) to display. If not, you'll never see such updates listed.

Are all items Discover suggesting me to update really safe??

That's a difficult question to give a cut and dried generic answer to, lol. I cannot recall ever having a problem that stemmed from installing the level 4 and 5 updates. But nothing is really guaranteed with linux in that regard, and that would go doubly so with those two classes of updates. They are not provided (created) by the Mint developers and have not been tested by them. On my version of mintUpdate, the Preferences dialog box has a tab called "Levels" that pretty clearly explains the differences between the various ones, whether or not they've been tested by the Mint developers, et cetera. I suggest you bring up that dialog box's Levels tab and read the information it contains.

Unless you have some specific reason to not use mintUpdate as your update manager, I suggest you use it (exclusively) for your updates. I'm not stating that there's going to be a problem from using something else (I really have no idea one way or the other), but this seems like a pretty important thing to me, lol, and if you ever have an issue it'll probably be simpler to get assistance with troubleshooting it if you're running what Clem intended. For that matter, if it's a general issue (in other words, not stemming from something you screwed up), then there might already be a thread about how to deal with it by the time you notice the issue and decide to tackle it. And I might be mistaken, but I think I saw some threads several years ago about doing updates via a different method... and ending up losing the "Mint customizations to Ubuntu." IOW, their OS ended up looking like a generic Ubuntu installation afterwards. But, as I mentioned, I might be misremembering on this - and it might have been my previous distro (Ultimate Edition linux) instead of Mint.

Regards,
MDM

[Sir Charles]

I don't have much to add to the explanation given by @ MtnDewManiac. I guess Discover updates "Ubuntu-wise" that is the update amounts to performingsudo apt-get upgradethus bypassing the preferred levels set in Mint's Update Manager. In order to be on the safe side, it would be prudent to performing the updates via Update Manager. You could go into Edit:Preferences to set your preferred settings. I would suggest to make a snapshot of your system files with Timeshift prior to "high-risk" updates to be able to roll back your system if worst comes to worst.

[MtnDewManiac]

I've always had mine configured to display all (levels of) updates, but to never install any automatically. I see the shield icon in my upper panel change to one with an exclamation point in it, so I open the application and look at the changelog information (when available) for the updates it has. Then, most of the time, I go ahead and install them. Occasionally, I might end up waiting on one for a couple of days to see if someone posts a thread about a disaster that happened due to them installing that update and, if that happens, whether or not a bunch of people add their "Me, too!" posts to it. But that's pretty rare for me these days. The chicken little in me has been chased away by not having problems (due to updates) before.

OtOH, I did see a thread about people who had some issues with the newest version of Mint, so I do realize that an update could potentially cause a problem. But I would guess the average number of such problems pales in comparison to the average number of problems stemming from a system that doesn't get updated.

Regards,
MDM

[KIMW]

Can you please explain why there is a large difference in the list of things to update between Discover and the default Update Manager (see pictures below)?

Also, I notice that your first image only displays "level 3" updates. As far as I know, something like the aforementioned Mesa update would probably be considered a level 4 or level 5 update. Check your settings to see if you have got those two checked (enabled) to display. If not, you'll never see such updates listed.

I can't remember if it was like that when I installed LM the first time but I remember someone telling me it's safer for newbies. It's why my updates goes to "level 3" maximum.

Are all items Discover suggesting me to update really safe??

I suggest you bring up that dialog box's Levels tab and read the information it contains.

Thanks, I'll have a look.

Unless you have some specific reason to not use mintUpdate as your update manager, I suggest you use it (exclusively) for your updates.

Discover app confuses me actually with the update system. So I think you're right, I'll do that.
Thank you for your detailed message.

[KIMW]

I would suggest to make a snapshot of your system files with Timeshift prior to "high-risk" updates to be able to roll back your system if worst comes to worst.

I heard Timeshift uses lots of resources... Is it possible to schedule a specific time to do the backup?

I guess Discover updates "Ubuntu-wise" that is the update amounts to performingsudo apt-get upgradethus bypassing the preferred levels set in Mint's Update Manager.

Really?? That's interesting. I did not know that command line was allowing the system to go over the update levels I had setup. About 2 hours ago I actually did an upgrade. I hope everything will be fine... I haven't rebooted my computer but I guess is too late to install Timeshift to backup my system now...?