update-manager freezes after initialization

[syscon-hh]

After starting the "UPDATE-MANAGER" from launcher and using the "search-button" for updates, the GUI freezes after downloading the update-informations. Starting the the "start-update-button" is not possible anyway. These happens on several machines with i386-architecture as well on amd64-architecture.

To close the GUI you have to "minimize" and use the option "close" of the launcher-icon.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: update-manager 1:0.154.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-1.3-generic 3.2.0-rc2
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-1-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.90-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Fri Nov 25 09:37:55 2011
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: update-manager
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2011-11-23 (1 days ago)

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

Doesn't actually freze here - update-manager just doesn't work, either not at all or more than once per session.
Generally the cursor just spins till update-manager is killed

Maybe related to this common Software-center bug, unfortunetly it's still private bug 849553

public dupe of Sc bug Bug 896783

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Christopher (soft-kristal)]

My little drum just spins for several minutes and then becomes responsive without installing the updates. Installing via Synaptic poses no issues.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

confirmed on Precise, the main window becomes unresponsive, then back to normal after a while.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

update-manager doesn't show this problem for me, but there's clearly something to it if so many people are having the issue. Barry, could you take a look at this?

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

On a new install from 12/04 it does produce a crash when taking the extended period to initialise. The crash is what is seen here
Bug 616721 , as in
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/defer/__init__.py", line 472, in _inline_callbacks
    result = gen.throw(result.type, result.value, result.traceback)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/UpdateManager/backend/InstallBackendAptdaemon.py", line 33, in update
    trans = yield self.client.update_cache(defer=True)
dbus.exceptions.DBusException: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply: Message did not receive a reply (timeout by message bus)

U-M then will work fine 1 time only, after that the process repeats, ie. extended wait, crash, works fine once

Noting that U-M works fine on a gnome-shell session

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

After reading the comments, I can confirm, that the GUI of update-manager, if using the "gnome-shell" first, it's working fine.

If starting with "ubuntu-desktop" the update-manager won't work and freezes after pushing the button "install updates".

Interupting, wait, logout and changing to the "gnome-shell" - the update-manager won't work!!

After a shutdown and starting the computer, it will work again with the "gnome-shell" only.

The machines testet on are installations before alpha1 as well as installations with alpha 1.

I hope it will help to find the bug.

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

The fix has been released with

- update-manager_1:0.155.1

- update-manager-core_1:0.155.1

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

update-manager_1:0.155.1
update-manager-core_1:0.155.1

[Christopher Kyle Horton (christhehorton)]

The problem is not fixed. I can check for updates just fine, but I still cannot install any of them from Update Manager (see bug 898807, which was marked as a duplicate of this). The window continues to fade out and become unresponsive for a few minutes after the Install Updates button is clicked, and when it comes back nothing has been updated.

christopher@XyzPrecise:~$ dpkg -s update-manager | grep Version
Version: 1:0.155.1
christopher@XyzPrecise:~$ dpkg -s update-manager-core | grep Version
Version: 1:0.155.1

[Christopher Kyle Horton (christhehorton)]

I'm not a developer, but I still get the feeling this bug and bug 897984 with the Ubuntu Software Center might share the same root cause since they display similar behavior: both start up and are able to see updated software just fine, but neither can actually make any changes, instead waiting for a few minutes and not doing anything.

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

As Christopher has mentioned this bug is not fixed & shouldn't have been marked as such. If I had the permissions to do so would mark back to confirmed.

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

Sorry - but the last days it works for me without restrictions - I can't remember that I did additionally works on it.

Set back to "confirmed"

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

 I've taken the syslog information during "update-manager" was running (see attachment).

What I noticed is the gap between the timestamps:

- Dec 11 12:07:27 localhost anacron[905]: Job `cron.daily' started

- Dec 11 12:24:28 localhost anacron[905]: Normal exit (1 job run)

Behind this the update finished normaly. I'm not able to interpred the other informations and why the "cron-job" stops all activities, may be it will help.

[Christopher Kyle Horton (christhehorton)]

I've been messing around with Update Manager now and then, and something I've noticed from the last few runs is that it will become temporarily unresponsive the first time I try installing updates, but then it will actually install them normally the second time I click it after it comes back. Too bad the same doesn't seem to hold true for the Software Center, though.

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

What I noticed last - starting the update-manager gui and available updates are shown (gathered otherwise, may be last run?).

Starting the update / upgrade directly with the button

-> update now

it proceed without any delay. So I forced this circumstance by inserting into the file

-> /etc/rc.local -> apt-get update

and could verify this by

-> starting the update-manager and using first the button

-> install now

[Bulat Nigmatullin (bulatka)]

I run update-manager from console and have the following errors in console during it hang:

Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_get_pointer: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed

Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_get_pointer: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed
ERROR:root:free space check failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/UpdateManager/UpdateManager.py", line 768, in on_button_install_clicked
    self.cache.checkFreeSpace()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/DistUpgrade/DistUpgradeCache.py", line 1147, in checkFreeSpace
    for (dir, size) in [(archivedir, self.requiredDownload),
  File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/UpdateManager/Core/MyCache.py", line 90, in requiredDownload
    pm.get_archives(fetcher, self._list, self._records)
SystemError: E:I wasn't able to locate a file for the debianutils package. This might mean you need to manually fix this package.

Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_get_pointer: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed

Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_get_pointer: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (window)' failed
Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap", at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Gnome.pm line 97.
Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap", at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/FrontEnd/Gnome.pm line 97.

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

Today trouble-shooting results in:

-> python-aptdaemon, python-aptdaemon-gtk, python-aptdaemon-gtkwidgets and/or python-aptdaemon-gtk3widgets

are the faulty packages.

A downgrade to packages provided by >precise-alpha1< (vers.:0.43+bzr712-0ubuntu1) or earlier >oneiric-release< (vers.: 0.43+bzr697-0ubuntu1) lets work the >update-manager< fine.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

I've run into a similar issue and running update-manager as root resolves it for me.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Well works around it is more accurate. The issue also seems to be intermittent as I was unable to install updates, then clicked settings, then could install an update. However, after trying to install more updates after that it hung again.

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

The main issue most have with U-M is it will eventually work if they wait it out, can take from 2-12 min, around 5 min. here.
Then it will work once & the 'wait it out' will begin again, whether trying to install another package or update the cache.

This started several weeks ago, before Alpha 1.

It would seem aptdaemon is involved, if you remove aptdaemon then U-M open promptly, updates the cache if asked & installs packages quickly & with no issue.
After installing a package(s) it will then crash but that's not too relevant, I'd assume U-M is setup to run with aptdaemon installed.
(this would be the crash with aptdaemon not installed - Bug 724687

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

Just to 'finish' previous comment. Turns out it only crashed once, then is ok. So re-installed aptdaemon & as a workaround until U-M/aptdaemon is fixed just switched U-M to using synaptic as the backend where it works just fine.

[Doug McMahon (mc3man)]

On a 'fresh' 12/31 install, updates today to aptdaemon/dbus have U-M working as expected, previous issues are gone.

[syscon-hh (syscon-kono)]

I reinstalled the "aptdaemon" set of packages (now version "+bzr756") too and can cofirm that the U-M is running well.

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement (jibel)]

I'm closing due to latest comment confirming it is fixed with
aptdaemon (0.43+bzr756-0ubuntu1) precise; urgency=low

  [ Chris Coulson ]
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    "transaction-simulated" signal