/etc/cron.daily/apt uses gconftool

[Kubicle]

Binary package hint: apt

The latest hardy version of apt (0.7.9ubuntu12) uses gconf (gconftool) to check proxy settings.

This leads to errors on non-gnome machines (like kubuntu, and possibly xubuntu and server installations).

Common cron jobs should probably be desktop agnostic.
(Or should at least perform checks when calling desktop specific tools)

[Martijn vdS (martijn)]

I got a cron mail complaining about gconftool as well. From my SERVER.

[Lionel Porcheron (lionel.porcheron)]

Same here. I've attached a debdiff which fix the issue.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for your bugreport and the patch!

Sorry for this oversight. This will be fixed in the next upload.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package apt - 0.7.9ubuntu13

---------------
apt (0.7.9ubuntu13) hardy; urgency=low

  [ Lionel Porcheron ]
  * debian/apt.cron.daily:
    - only call gconftool if gcontool is installed (LP: #194281)

  [ Michael Vogt ]
  * doc/apt_preferences.5.xml:
    - fix typo (LP: #150900)
  * doc/example/sources.list:
    - updated for hardy (LP: #195879)
  * debian/apt.cron.daily:
    - sleep random amount of time (default within 0-30min) before
      starting the upate to hit the mirrors less hard

 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:35:09 +0100

[grauscho (grauscho)]

As a Kubuntu user (Intrepid), I try to reduce Gnome components to a minimum.

But somehow the gconf2 package found its way to my system (amarok-engine-yauap?).

So gconftool existed and I found the error messages

No value set for `/system/http_proxy/use_http_proxy'
No value set for `/system/http_proxy/host'
No value set for `/system/http_proxy/port'

in /var/mail/grauschopf after the execution of /etc/cron.daily/apt (which was at first non-executable after upgrade from Hardy #299360).

I think Kubicle was right with
   "Common cron jobs should probably be desktop agnostic."

Calls to gconftool should be removed from /etc/cron.daily/apt.