Upgrade should perform all user interaction up front

[jimav]

This is a "usability bug" report, i.e. an enhancement request to make upgrading more user-friendly.

All user interaction should be done before processing. The user should be able to quickly step through any prompts or input collection, then go home and come back the next day to a completed upgrade. There should be no stops in the middle of the night to ask for further input or permissions.

Currently that is not happening.

After clicking UPGRADE to the initial offer, the upgrade tool is downloaded, and it again asks for permission. After assenting, some long time later (maybe after downloading more, I'm not sure) it asks you if you REALLY want to upgrade. Then, a very long time after giving that assent, there a mysterious dialog appears saying that Flash will be downloaded (not asking mind you, just informing). But the computer doesn't do anything until you click "Next".

Suggested solution: Make *all* tools used by the upgrade process support a "--yes" or similar option to avoid asking the user for further permissions. And use that.

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ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: ubuntu-release-upgrader-core 1:15.04.14.3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-32.37-generic 3.19.8-ckt7
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-32-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1.7
Architecture: amd64
CrashDB: ubuntu
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Sun Nov 8 15:22:52 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-08-06 (824 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: ubuntu-release-upgrader
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to wily on 2015-11-08 (0 days ago)
VarLogDistupgradeTermlog:

[jimav (james-avera)]

And one more... After another very long delay to install packages, it asks you for "PAM profiles to enable".

Q: Why would this ever need to change on an upgrade? Changing authentication policies is pretty abstruse for most users. Why is it appropriate to consider changing this during an upgrade?

If it really is absolutely necessary to ask the user about this, then factor out the data-collection part so it can be run before starting the upgrade (perhaps passing the resulting data as options to the relevant program).