updates are interfered with by apt-listchanges

[Colin Watson]

If apt-listchanges is enabled, then update-manager just sits there with no
indication that it's waiting for input; you only realise what's going on when
you open the terminal.

Perhaps update-manager could bypass apt-listchanges somehow?

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for your bugreport.

I have a patch for apt-listchanges that adds a gtk interfaces (bug #13225).

Another option would be to detects "reads on stdin" in the pty of the vte
terminal widget and expand it automatically. Unfortunately I have no idea how I
could detect that. Ideas are welcome here :)

Bypassing apt-listchanges on the apt level is not feasible as it installs itself
to "DPkg::Pre-InstallPkgs" and that is run deep inside the dpkgpm.cc code. A
enviroment variable "APTLISTCHANGES_NO_ACT" would be a another option (that a
changed apt-listchanges honors).

Cheers,
 Michael

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> Thanks for your bugreport.
> Another option would be to detects "reads on stdin" in the pty of the vte
> terminal widget and expand it automatically. Unfortunately I have no idea how I
> could detect that. Ideas are welcome here :)

I don't think it's possible. As I recall, Scott said he was going to do a bit
of research to confirm.

> Bypassing apt-listchanges on the apt level is not feasible as it installs itself
> to "DPkg::Pre-InstallPkgs" and that is run deep inside the dpkgpm.cc code. A
> enviroment variable "APTLISTCHANGES_NO_ACT" would be a another option (that a
> changed apt-listchanges honors).

This is already possible today, by setting APT_LISTCHANGES_FRONTEND=none. In
fact, if that meets your needs, I would prefer that you use that approach for
Hoary, rather than adding a frontend to apt-listchanges, since it is simpler and
more robust (no need to worry about whether pygtk is installed, for example).

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

(In reply to comment #2)
> (In reply to comment #1)
> > Bypassing apt-listchanges on the apt level is not feasible as it installs itself
> > to "DPkg::Pre-InstallPkgs" and that is run deep inside the dpkgpm.cc code. A
> > enviroment variable "APTLISTCHANGES_NO_ACT" would be a another option (that a
> > changed apt-listchanges honors).
>
> This is already possible today, by setting APT_LISTCHANGES_FRONTEND=none. In
> fact, if that meets your needs, I would prefer that you use that approach for
> Hoary, rather than adding a frontend to apt-listchanges, since it is simpler and
> more robust (no need to worry about whether pygtk is installed, for example).

The patch for apt-listchanges detects pygtk and falls back to "pager" if it is
not available.
But I agree with you. I changed update-manager to set the frontend to "none". It
will be
part of the next upload.

Thanks,
 Michael

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

update-manager_0.37.1+svn20050228 sets "APT_LISTCHANGES_FRONTEND=none" now.

cheers,
 Michael