AppStream metadata allow user uninstallation of PackageKit

[AsciiWolf]

[ Impact ]

An AppStream metainfo file was added in PackageKit since v1.2.8. Unfortunately, this file causes PackageKit to show in App Center, GNOME Software, KDE Discover and other package management GUIs and allow users to click an "Uninstall" button.

The appstream metadata should be updated to specify that it cannot be uninstalled. This was implemented upstream in version 1.3.0: https://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/commit/d8f84f7e0a017e0b4df1e08a2a6be832c9fb3611

[ Test plan ]

1. Install gnome-software
2. Run `gnome-software --details org.freedesktop.PackageKit`
3. Verify that "Software" opens a page about PackageKit
4. Verify that there is no button to uninstall it

[ Where problems could occur ]

The patch only changes the metainfo.xml file adding <compulsory_for_desktop> tags. The tag is supported starting from appstream version 0.6 (dating 2014), so the file will be parsed without problems.

[AsciiWolf (asciiwolf)]

Upstream fix: https://github.com/PackageKit/PackageKit/commit/d8f84f7e0a017e0b4df1e08a2a6be832c9fb3611

[AsciiWolf (asciiwolf)]

Still not fixed in Noble.

[Alessandro Astone (aleasto)]

Attaching debdiff for noble

[Simon Quigley (tsimonq2)]

The SRU template looks a little light, and I corrected the version number, but uploaded and in the queue now.

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

Hello AsciiWolf, or anyone else affected,

Accepted packagekit into noble-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/packagekit/1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation on how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, what testing has been performed on the package and change the tag from verification-needed-noble to verification-done-noble. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed-noble. In either case, without details of your testing we will not be able to proceed.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance for helping!

N.B. The updated package will be released to -updates after the bug(s) fixed by this package have been verified and the package has been in -proposed for a minimum of 7 days.

[AsciiWolf (asciiwolf)]

$ dpkg -la | grep packagekit
ii gir1.2-packagekitglib-1.0 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 amd64 GObject introspection data for the PackageKit GLib library
ii gstreamer1.0-packagekit 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 amd64 GStreamer plugin to install codecs using PackageKit
ii libpackagekit-glib2-18:amd64 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 amd64 Library for accessing PackageKit using GLib
ii packagekit 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 amd64 Provides a package management service
ii packagekit-tools 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 amd64 Provides PackageKit command-line tools

$ grep compulsory_for_desktop /usr/share/metainfo/org.freedesktop.packagekit.metainfo.xml
  <compulsory_for_desktop>Cinnamon</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>GNOME</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>KDE</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>LXQt</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>MATE</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>Pantheon</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>Unity</compulsory_for_desktop>
  <compulsory_for_desktop>XFCE</compulsory_for_desktop>

I can confirm that the compulsory_for_desktop tag is present in PackageKit version 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2 from the noble-proposed repository. I can also confirm that "PackageKit" is no longer uninstallable in AppStream-based software centers such as GNOME Software or KDE Discover (it is still uninstallable in App Center, but that is a different issue).

Thanks!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package packagekit - 1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2

---------------
packagekit (1.2.8-2ubuntu1.2) noble; urgency=medium

  * Backport patch to make PackageKit uninstallable from graphical software centers
    (LP: #2066183)

 -- Alessandro Astone <email address hidden> Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:35:09 +0100

[Andreas Hasenack (ahasenack)]

The verification of the Stable Release Update for packagekit has completed successfully and the package is now being released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.

[AsciiWolf (asciiwolf)]

The update description seems to be incorrect:

"Backport patch to make PackageKit uninstallable from graphical software centers"

It should be:

"Backport patch to make PackageKit not uninstallable from graphical software centers"

[Alessandro Astone (aleasto)]

Oops, hehe