update-manager no longer setuid, fails for non-root

[WaltSullivan]

Binary package hint: update-manager

$ lsb_release -d
Description: Ubuntu 9.04

$ apt-cache policy update-manager
update-manager:
  Installed: 1:0.111.9
  Candidate: 1:0.111.9
  Version table:
 *** 1:0.111.9 0
        500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:0.111.9 0
        500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty-updates-i386/main Packages
     1:0.111.7 0
        500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty/main Packages
     1:0.111.7 0
        500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty-i386/main Packages

"sudo /usr/bin/update-manager" works, but when a non-root user runs update-manager, it gives the following error message:
Could not initialize the package information

An unresolvable problem occurred while initializing the package information.

Please report this bug against the 'update-manager' package and include the following error message:

'E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.noreply.org_pub_tor_dists_jaunty-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_universe_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-i386_partner_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid-backports-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid-backports-i386_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid-backports-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates-i386_universe_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates-i386_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-i386_universe_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-i386_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied)'

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.04
Package: update-manager 1:0.111.9
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: update-manager
Uname: Linux 2.6.28-14-generic x86_64

[to be removed (liw)]

Michael (the update-manager author) tells me it has been several years since it was necessary to run update-manager as root (it was never setuid). It is all done with policykit nowadays.

[to be removed (liw)]

WaltSullivan, might it be that permissions for files in /var/lib/apt/lists might be wrong? Could you attach the output of the following command to this bug report? (The file /tmp/apt.txt)

ls -laR /var/lib/apt > /tmp/apt.txt

Thanks.

[WaltSullivan (walts)]

On Tue, 2009-10-13 at 15:56 +0000, Lars Wirzenius wrote:
> WaltSullivan, might it be that permissions for files in
> /var/lib/apt/lists might be wrong? Could you attach the output of the
> following command to this bug report? (The file /tmp/apt.txt)
>
> ls -laR /var/lib/apt > /tmp/apt.txt
>
> Thanks.
>
> ** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> update-manager no longer setuid, fails for non-root
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/412806
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: update-manager
>
> $ lsb_release -d
> Description: Ubuntu 9.04
>
> $ apt-cache policy update-manager
> update-manager:
> Installed: 1:0.111.9
> Candidate: 1:0.111.9
> Version table:
> *** 1:0.111.9 0
> 500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty-updates/main Packages
> 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
> 1:0.111.9 0
> 500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty-updates-i386/main Packages
> 1:0.111.7 0
> 500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty/main Packages
> 1:0.111.7 0
> 500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca jaunty-i386/main Packages
>
> "sudo /usr/bin/update-manager" works, but when a non-root user runs update-manager, it gives the following error message:
> Could not initialize the package information
>
> An unresolvable problem occurred while initializing the package information.
>
> Please report this bug against the 'update-manager' package and include the following error message:
>
> 'E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/mirror.noreply.org_pub_tor_dists_jaunty-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_universe_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-security-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/archive.canonical.com_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-i386_partner_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid-backports-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid-backports-i386_restricted_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/us.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_intrepid-backports-i386_main_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Permission denied), E:Could not open file /var/lib/apt/lists/ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca_ubuntu_dists_jaunty-updates-i386_multiverse_binary-amd64_Packages - open (13 Per...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for update-manager (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]