Update cache doesn't provide real progress information

[George Poulson]

Since we cannot make any good assumptions about the download size of the repository meta data aptdaemon shows a pulsing progress information instead of a real progress.

Original bug report:

Binary package hint: update-manager

This is not a major issue but does affect the user perception of update progress.
Whan checking for updates the 'progress bar' behaves inconsistently, often going to 100% and then jumping back to (say) 50%. Using system monitor to check network activity also shows that although the status bar / progress box says (say) "downloading file 40 of 42", all network download activity has stopped and the software is presumably parsing the downloaded files.
To improve user perception/experience I think that the operation of the progress bar should be improved to show a steady increase from 0% to 100%, without 'jumping back' to a lower value having already reached 100%. The status messages could also be improved to read (say) "Downloading file 10 of 42.." - "downloading file 42 of 42.." - "Processing files.."
My system: Ubuntu Karmic on ASUS EEE900 - all latest updates applied as of today. Update Manager 1:0.124.8 - though this behaviour has existed since I started using Karmic.

[Ruben Verweij (ruben-verweij)]

I totally agree.
It would be ideal if the total "to-be-downloaded" size is known in advance so that the progress bar will behave normally. Is there a way to fix this?

[Sebastian Heinlein (glatzor)]

Which application do you use? The KDE updating application kpackagekit or the GNOME one? Do you have got the package aptdaemon installed on your system?

[George Poulson (george-poulson)]

Sebastian Heinlein wrote:
> Which application do you use? The KDE updating application kpackagekit
> or the GNOME one? Do you have got the package aptdaemon installed on
> your system?

I use the GNOME update manager - currently version 1:0.125.4 and I do
have aptdaemon installed - currently version 0.10+bzr240-0ubuntu1.

I note that the behaviour of the progress bar has changed recently; the
total amount to be downloaded is shown (though it seems to update in
stages as the checking progresses) and the download speed is also shown.
The progress 'bar' now oscillates back and forth rather than attempting
to show a percentage completed This is generally and is now much better
than previously but I think there is still room for improvement and a
gradual 0% to 100% progression would be much better.

Hope that helps!
George

[Sebastian Heinlein (glatzor)]

We cannot provide a total progress, since we don't have got the number of files which have to be downloaded at the beginning.

But there are now sub progresses for each file available.

[kovserg (kovserg33)]

download progress is very strange. (see attached image)

```
$ update-manager --version
update-manager: version 1:20.04.10.10

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS
Release: 20.04
Codename: focal
```