Bug #1766217 “software updater presents an empty panel for updat...” : Bugs : update-manager package : Ubuntu

Revision history for this message

Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp) wrote on 2018-04-23:

#1

Aptdaemon.txt Edit (8.8 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
CurrentDmesg.txt.txt Edit (60.5 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
Dependencies.txt Edit (15.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
DpkgHistoryLog.txt.txt Edit (28.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
DpkgTerminalLog.txt.txt Edit (211.4 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcCpuinfoMinimal.txt Edit (819 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcEnviron.txt Edit (299 bytes, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcMaps.txt Edit (115.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")
ProcStatus.txt Edit (1.3 KiB, text/plain; charset="utf-8")

Revision history for this message

Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp) wrote on 2018-04-23:

#2

reboot and run software updater gives the same result
need to click <remind me later> to get out

Revision history for this message

Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote on 2018-05-24:

#3

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

Changed in update-manager (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

Jacek Kluza (jacek-kluza+ubuntu1) wrote on 2018-05-24:

#4

2018-05-24_23-37-57.png Edit (82.3 KiB, image/png)

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Matias N. Goldberg (dark-sylinc) wrote on 2018-06-26:

#5

I was having this same bug and I managed to "fix" it by deleting everything under /var/lib/apt

i.e. sudo apt rm -rf /var/lib/apt/

Then run "sudo apt update" and reboot the system.

Revision history for this message

Matias N. Goldberg (dark-sylinc) wrote on 2018-06-26:

#6

I forgot. If after executing those commands now update-manager gets permanently stuck on "waiting for other software managers to quit" (which is kept stuck even after removing the locks in all apt places and closing all software managers), then run:

sudo apt install --reinstall update-manager

Revision history for this message

Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp) wrote on 2018-06-27:

#7

It is nice to know that I can fix the symptoms, but it is still a bug that needs to be fixed.

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Rhett (rhettlivingston) wrote on 2018-07-24:

#8

Encountered this. Thank you for the rm directions. It fixed the issue. I did not have to do the reinstall after reboot.

Revision history for this message

Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell) wrote on 2018-08-02:

#9

Download full text (4.6 KiB)

I have been seeing this.
TL;DR: workaround: delete /var/lib/apt/extended_states

INVESTIGATION

I tried reinstalling the update-manager

$ sudo apt install --reinstall update-manager

but that didn't help.

SO I moved the apt directory and created a blank one

$ sudo mv /var/lib/apt /var/lib/apt.orig
$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt

then I updated apt

$ sudo apt update
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [247 kB]
Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [11.5 kB]
...
Get:119 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [212 B]
Get:120 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse DEP-11 64x64 Icons [29 B]
Fetched 55.2 MB in 1min 13s (748 kB/s)
AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
$

Now despite the complaint above ("AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.") software-updater works; it lists the upgradeable packages.

The only subdirectory that got recreated under /var/lib/apt is /var/lib/apt/lists (and its subdirectory)

SO I blew away the directory and copied everything except the lists directory and updated again

$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt
$ sudo cp -R /var/lib/apt.orig /var/lib/apt
$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/lists/
$ sudo apt update
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [247 kB]
Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [107 kB]
...
Get:120 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse DEP-11 64x64 Icons [29 B]
Fetched 55.2 MB in 1min 13s (747 kB/s)
AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
$

I got the same error, HOWEVER Software Updater is blank again.

I tried deleting the /var/lib/apt/periodic directory and updating

$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/periodic/
$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/periodic
$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Hit:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Hit:5 http://screenshots.getdeb.net xenial-getdeb InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state in...

I have been seeing this. 
TL;DR: workaround: delete /var/lib/apt/extended_states

INVESTIGATION

I tried reinstalling the update-manager

$ sudo apt install --reinstall update-manager

but that didn't help.

SO I moved the apt directory and created a blank one

$ sudo mv /var/lib/apt /var/lib/apt.orig
$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt

then I updated apt

$ sudo apt update
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [247 kB]
Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [11.5 kB]           
...
Get:119 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [212 B]
Get:120 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse DEP-11 64x64 Icons [29 B]
Fetched 55.2 MB in 1min 13s (748 kB/s)                                         
AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
$

Now despite the complaint above ("AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.") software-updater works; it lists the upgradeable packages.

The only subdirectory that got recreated under /var/lib/apt is /var/lib/apt/lists (and its subdirectory)

SO I blew away the directory and copied everything except the lists directory and updated again

$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt
$ sudo cp -R /var/lib/apt.orig /var/lib/apt
$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/lists/
$ sudo apt update
Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [247 kB]
Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [107 kB]                                 
...
Get:120 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse DEP-11 64x64 Icons [29 B]               
Fetched 55.2 MB in 1min 13s (747 kB/s)                                                                         
AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
$

I got the same error, HOWEVER Software Updater is blank again.

I tried deleting the /var/lib/apt/periodic directory and updating

$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/periodic/
$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/periodic
$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                                            
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease                                    
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease                                         
Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease                                            
Hit:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease                                              
Hit:5 http://screenshots.getdeb.net xenial-getdeb InRelease                                                    
Reading package lists... Done                     
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
$ ls /var/lib/apt/periodic
update-success-stamp
$

Now I no longer see a metadata error from apt, but software-updater is still blank.

SO I delete the extended_states file

$ sudo rm /var/lib/apt/extended_states 
$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                                       
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease                                             
Hit:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease                                              
Hit:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease                           
Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease      
Hit:7 http://screenshots.getdeb.net xenial-getdeb InRelease              
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
$

NOW software-updater is showing the upgradeable files

SO just to be sure, I copied the original stuff back and deleted JUST the extended_states file

$ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/
$ sudo cp -R /var/lib/apt.orig/ /var/lib/apt/
$ sudo rm /var/lib/apt/extended_states 
$

AND software_updater is now showing the upgradeable packages. There's the workaround. Are there consequences of having no extended_states file?

Revision history for this message

Humphrey van Polanen Petel (hpvpp) wrote on 2018-08-11:

#10

I haven't seen it since, but I also have not seen a fix so IMO it is still a bug that needs to be fixed.

Revision history for this message

Eric Siegerman (eric97) wrote on 2018-09-07:

#11

Download full text (3.6 KiB)

I've been seeing this for some time -- probably since July, but I'm not sure. (Just back from a month or so offline, so my memory is fading.)

Thanks to @tommy-trussell for narrowing it down to /var/lib/apt/extended_states. I believe I've narrowed it further; on my system, deleting a few specific entries from that file is enough to make update-manager display the updates again. But *which* specific entries is ... interesting.

Summary
=======

These are the entries that need to be removed:
    linux-signed-image-4.13.0-43-generic
    linux-image-extra-4.13.0-43-generic
    linux-signed-image-4.13.0-45-generic
    linux-image-extra-4.13.0-45-generic
    linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-24-generic

But note that installing the pending kernel updates caused a non-obvious addition to this list.

Details
=======

My system is:
    $ cat /etc/lsb-release
    DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
    DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04
    DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial
    DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS"

    In case it matters:
      - It's an EFI system
      - Xenial was a clean install, not an upgrade over an earlier version

At the start of my investigation:
$ uname -a
Linux shekere 4.15.0-29-generic #31~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jul 18 08:54:04 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

    The installed packages that appear to be relevant were:
        linux-image-extra-4.13.0-43-generic
        linux-image-extra-4.13.0-45-generic
        linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-24-generic
        linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-29-generic
        linux-signed-image-4.13.0-43-generic
        linux-signed-image-4.13.0-45-generic
    (There were also corresponding versions of linux-image and linux-headers, but those don't seem to matter re. this bug).

Deleting *all* of the following four entries from extended_states made update-manager work properly:

Package: linux-signed-image-4.13.0-43-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.13.0-43-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-signed-image-4.13.0-45-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.13.0-45-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

I then installed the pending kernel-related updates:
Of the many updates waiting to be installed were these:

        linux-headers-4.15.0-33
        linux-headers-4.15.0-33-generic
        linux-image-4.15.0-33-generic
        linux-modules-4.15.0-33-generic
        linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-33-generic

    I:
        1. reverted to the status-quo-ante version of extended_status (which of course caused update-manager to misbehave again)
        2. manually installed those five packages
        3. tested
        4. rebooted into the new kernel
        5. tested again

As expected, the reboot made no difference; same results at steps (3) and (5).

Here's how things stand now:

$ uname -a
Linux shekere 4.15.0-33-generic #36~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Aug 15 17:21:05 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

extended_states did *not* acquire any new entries for the -4.15.0.33 packages. (Perhaps this is because I "apt install"ed them, instead of letting dist-upgrade do it?)

To...

I've been seeing this for some time -- probably since July, but I'm not sure.  (Just back from a month or so offline, so my memory is fading.)

Thanks to @tommy-trussell for narrowing it down to /var/lib/apt/extended_states.  I believe I've narrowed it further; on my system, deleting a few specific entries from that file is enough to make update-manager display the updates again.  But *which* specific entries is ... interesting.

Summary
=======

These are the entries that need to be removed:
    linux-signed-image-4.13.0-43-generic
    linux-image-extra-4.13.0-43-generic
    linux-signed-image-4.13.0-45-generic
    linux-image-extra-4.13.0-45-generic
    linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-24-generic

But note that installing the pending kernel updates caused a non-obvious addition to this list.

Details
=======

My system is:
    $ cat /etc/lsb-release
    DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
    DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04
    DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial
    DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 16.04.5 LTS"

In case it matters:
      - It's an EFI system
      - Xenial was a clean install, not an upgrade over an earlier version

At the start of my investigation:
    $ uname -a
    Linux shekere 4.15.0-29-generic #31~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jul 18 08:54:04 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

The installed packages that appear to be relevant were:
        linux-image-extra-4.13.0-43-generic
        linux-image-extra-4.13.0-45-generic
        linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-24-generic
        linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-29-generic
        linux-signed-image-4.13.0-43-generic
        linux-signed-image-4.13.0-45-generic
    (There were also corresponding versions of linux-image and linux-headers, but those don't seem to matter re. this bug).

Deleting *all* of the following four entries from extended_states made update-manager work properly:

Package: linux-signed-image-4.13.0-43-generic
	Architecture: amd64
	Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.13.0-43-generic
	Architecture: amd64
	Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-signed-image-4.13.0-45-generic
	Architecture: amd64
	Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.13.0-45-generic
	Architecture: amd64
	Auto-Installed: 1

I then installed the pending kernel-related updates:
    Of the many updates waiting to be installed were these:

linux-headers-4.15.0-33
        linux-headers-4.15.0-33-generic
        linux-image-4.15.0-33-generic
        linux-modules-4.15.0-33-generic
        linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-33-generic

I:
        1. reverted to the status-quo-ante version of extended_status (which of course caused update-manager to misbehave again)
        2. manually installed those five packages
        3. tested
        4. rebooted into the new kernel
        5. tested again
    
    As expected, the reboot made no difference; same results at steps (3) and (5).

Here's how things stand now:

$ uname -a
	Linux shekere 4.15.0-33-generic #36~16.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Wed Aug 15 17:21:05 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

extended_states did *not* acquire any new entries for the -4.15.0.33 packages.  (Perhaps this is because I "apt install"ed them, instead of letting dist-upgrade do it?)
    
	To make update-manager work, I now have to remove those same four extended_states entries, PLUS ONE MORE:

Package: linux-modules-extra-4.15.0-24-generic
	    Architecture: amd64
	    Auto-Installed: 1

I had intended to test again after installing the rest of the pending updates, but alas, update-manager just gives me a no-pending-updates dialog box.  I doubt that this second round of updates will have made any difference; but if that needs to be tested, it'll have to wait until another package update becomes available....

Revision history for this message

Eric Siegerman (eric97) wrote on 2018-09-12:

#12

Update to my previous comment:

When the updates for Linux 4.15.0-34-generic became available (but before installing them), I retried some of these tests, and could no longer reproduce the problem.

I re-added each of those problematic /var/lib/apt/extended_states entries in turn; in each case, update-manager continued to display the pending updates as it should do.

(I didn't think until too late to try re-adding all of the problematic entries at once -- but then, that hadn't been necessary previously; in my earlier round of testing, any one of them had sufficed to break update-manager.)

Between installing the backlog of updates (as mentioned previously) and then installing quite a few new packages (all user-land stuff -- build dependencies for digikam), I have no idea what perturbed things enough to make a previously solidly reproducible bug go back into hiding. (With the possible exception of kde-pkg-tools, none of those many installs and upgrades was to anything obviously relating to packaging itself.)

Revision history for this message

Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell) wrote on 2018-09-13:

#13

Download full text (7.8 KiB)

TL;DR -- today using apt-get autoremove deleted the offensive lines in /var/lib/apt/extended_states and restored the list in software-updater -- though I doubt that will work every time.

Today I saw the blank software-updater list again on this Xenial (Ubuntu 16.04) system.

@eric97's comment caused me to try something OTHER than blow away the file -- I have already installed the latest kernel updates, but apparently didn't get around to removing the outdated ones.

Running apt autoremove worked to restore my updates list. I am not sure whether I had lots of old kernels last time, though I doubt it. I no longer use a separate /boot partition on this machine but back when I USED to I got into the habit of running apt autoremove after kernel updates. (Because it a real PITA when your /boot partition fills up.)

Session transcript (edited lightly):

twt@hostname:~$ sudo apt update
[sudo] password for twt:
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
16 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.

twt@hostname:~$ apt list --upgradeable
Listing... Done
chromium-browser/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 69.0.3497.81-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 [upgradable from: 68.0.3440.106-0ubuntu0.16.04.1]
chromium-browser-l10n/xenial-updates,xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security,xenial-security,xenial-security 69.0.3497.81-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 all [upgradable from: 68.0.3440.106-0ubuntu0.16.04.1]
chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 69.0.3497.81-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 [upgradable from: 68.0.3440.106-0ubuntu0.16.04.1]
firefox/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.3]
firefox-locale-en/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.3]
initramfs-tools/xenial-updates,xenial-updates 0.122ubuntu8.12 all [upgradable from: 0.122ubuntu8.11]
initramfs-tools-bin/xenial-updates 0.122ubuntu8.12 amd64 [upgradable from: 0.122ubuntu8.11]
initramfs-tools-core/xenial-updates,xenial-updates 0.122ubuntu8.12 all [upgradable from: 0.122ubuntu8.11]
libgit2-24/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 0.24.1-2ubuntu0.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 0.24.1-2]
libpam-systemd/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
libsystemd0/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
libudev1/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
systemd/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
systemd-sysv/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from...

TL;DR -- today using apt-get autoremove deleted the offensive lines in /var/lib/apt/extended_states and restored the list in software-updater -- though I doubt that will work every time.

Today I saw the blank software-updater list again on this Xenial (Ubuntu 16.04) system.

@eric97's comment caused me to try something OTHER than blow away the file -- I have already installed the latest kernel updates, but apparently didn't get around to removing the outdated ones.

Running apt autoremove worked to restore my updates list. I am not sure whether I had lots of old kernels last time, though I doubt it. I no longer use a separate /boot partition on this machine but back when I USED to I got into the habit of running apt autoremove after kernel updates. (Because it a real PITA when your /boot partition fills up.)

Session transcript (edited lightly):

twt@hostname:~$ sudo apt update
[sudo] password for twt: 
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                     
Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease                     
Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease
Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease
Reading package lists... Done                     
Building dependency tree        
Reading state information... Done
16 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.

twt@hostname:~$ apt list --upgradeable
Listing... Done
chromium-browser/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 69.0.3497.81-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 [upgradable from: 68.0.3440.106-0ubuntu0.16.04.1]
chromium-browser-l10n/xenial-updates,xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security,xenial-security,xenial-security 69.0.3497.81-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 all [upgradable from: 68.0.3440.106-0ubuntu0.16.04.1]
chromium-codecs-ffmpeg-extra/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 69.0.3497.81-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 amd64 [upgradable from: 68.0.3440.106-0ubuntu0.16.04.1]
firefox/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.3]
firefox-locale-en/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 62.0+build2-0ubuntu0.16.04.3]
initramfs-tools/xenial-updates,xenial-updates 0.122ubuntu8.12 all [upgradable from: 0.122ubuntu8.11]
initramfs-tools-bin/xenial-updates 0.122ubuntu8.12 amd64 [upgradable from: 0.122ubuntu8.11]
initramfs-tools-core/xenial-updates,xenial-updates 0.122ubuntu8.12 all [upgradable from: 0.122ubuntu8.11]
libgit2-24/xenial-updates,xenial-security,xenial-security 0.24.1-2ubuntu0.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 0.24.1-2]
libpam-systemd/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
libsystemd0/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
libudev1/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
systemd/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
systemd-sysv/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]
udev/xenial-updates 229-4ubuntu21.4 amd64 [upgradable from: 229-4ubuntu21.2]

twt@hostname:~$ uname -a
Linux hostname 4.4.0-135-generic #161-Ubuntu SMP Mon Aug 27 10:45:01 UTC 2018 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

twt@hostname:~$ cat /var/lib/apt/extended_states
Package: linux-headers-4.4.0-133
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-133-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-headers-4.4.0-133-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-4.4.0-133-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-headers-4.4.0-134
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-134-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-headers-4.4.0-134-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-4.4.0-134-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-135-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

twt@hostname:~$ sudo apt autoremove
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  linux-headers-4.4.0-133 linux-headers-4.4.0-133-generic linux-image-4.4.0-133-generic linux-image-extra-4.4.0-133-generic
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 4 to remove and 16 not upgraded.
After this operation, 303 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] 
(Reading database ... 384921 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-headers-4.4.0-133-generic (4.4.0-133.159) ...
Removing linux-headers-4.4.0-133 (4.4.0-133.159) ...
Removing linux-image-extra-4.4.0-133-generic (4.4.0-133.159) ...
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/apt-auto-removal 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-133-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/pm-utils 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/unattended-upgrades 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/update-notifier 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-135-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-135-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-134-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-134-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-133-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-131-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-131-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-130-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-130-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-128-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-128-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done
Removing linux-image-4.4.0-133-generic (4.4.0-133.159) ...
Examining /etc/kernel/postrm.d .
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-133-generic
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub 4.4.0-133-generic /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-133-generic
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-135-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-135-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-134-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-134-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-131-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-131-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-130-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-130-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-128-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-128-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done

twt@hostname:~$ cat /var/lib/apt/extended_states
Package: linux-headers-4.4.0-134
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-134-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-headers-4.4.0-134-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-4.4.0-134-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

Package: linux-image-extra-4.4.0-135-generic
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

twt@hostname:~$

[I restarted software-updater and its window shows the updates now.]

Revision history for this message

Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell) wrote on 2018-09-13:

#14

BEFORE image showing the updates missing Edit (37.0 KiB, image/png)

Revision history for this message

Tommy Trussell (tommy-trussell) wrote on 2018-09-13:

#15

AFTER screenshot showing the updates pending Edit (56.5 KiB, image/png)

Revision history for this message

Scott Palmer (skewty) wrote on 2018-10-21:

#16

I am having a similar issue where Software Center is showing an empty frame in 18.10. Software Center issues like this originate back in 16.04 days. Much of the same issues exist today.
Desktop support by Canonical seems abysmal now. I guess their IoT and Server farm markets are 99% of their income so Desktop doesn't truly matter to them.

Revision history for this message

hbchoong (hbchoong) wrote on 2019-02-05:

#17

Still affecting Bionic & Cosmic also - Confirmed.
I can only hope Scott Palmer (skewty) can eventually be disproved, but to be frank it is getting harder to do so as each day goes by... Please prove me wrong.

Thanks.

Revision history for this message

Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote on 2019-02-05:

#18

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

Changed in gnome-software (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Confirmed

Will Cooke (willcooke) on 2019-02-05

Changed in gnome-software (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Invalid

hbchoong (hbchoong) on 2019-02-05

Changed in gnome-software (Ubuntu):
status:	Invalid → Confirmed

Revision history for this message

hbchoong (hbchoong) wrote on 2019-02-05:

#19

...Please prove me (and Scott et al) wrong, NOT right!

This issue has just been confirmed with the latest versions and updates, thought intermittent.
And if any issue is to be deemed invalid, as a courtesy please add justification or references to fix/workarounds.
Otherwise, why allow and waste users' time to report bugs at all?

Will Cooke (willcooke) on 2019-02-05

Changed in gnome-software (Ubuntu):
status:	Confirmed → Invalid

Revision history for this message

Will Cooke (willcooke) wrote on 2019-02-05:

#20

This is a problem with update-manager, not GNOME Software.

Revision history for this message

hbchoong (hbchoong) wrote on 2019-02-05:

#21

Agreed, and thanks for the note.
I have removed GNOME Software from the affected list.

no longer affects:

gnome-software (Ubuntu)

Revision history for this message

Balint Reczey (rbalint) wrote on 2019-02-05:

#22

@hbchoong If you still see the issue could you please show the output of of "apt list --upgradable" and maybe attach the output of "apt-mark showauto" ?
I can't reproduce it on my VMs but maybe I can with the same package set to upgrade.

Revision history for this message

hbchoong (hbchoong) wrote on 2019-02-12:

#23

@rbalint Thanks for looking into this.
I will try to provide the outputs requested when it re-occurs however I'm not sure how they would help - Unfortunately this issue occurs intermittently hence the difficulty in replicating the issue. Upgrades are actually available and upgradeable, just not visible (as per the screen-shots provided by @tommy-trussell).

Meanwhile, you might have some luck referring to @tommy-trussell's output of "apt list --upgradable" above, just in case you missed it...

Revision history for this message

Kunwardeep Singh (kunwardeep-singh) wrote on 2019-02-13:

#24

I just did `sudo apt-get --purge autoremove` and it worked.

Revision history for this message

Matthew Cutts (cutts) wrote on 2019-08-24:

#25

I'm getting this as well. Here's my output for apt list --upgradable

Listing... Done
gnome-shell/bionic-updates 3.28.4-0ubuntu18.04.1 amd64 [upgradable from: 3.28.3+git20190124-0ubuntu18.04.2]
gnome-shell-common/bionic-updates 3.28.4-0ubuntu18.04.1 all [upgradable from: 3.28.3+git20190124-0ubuntu18.04.2]

I tried sudo apt-get --purge autoremove but that didn't fix things.

Revision history for this message

Paul Dev (pdevaney) wrote on 2020-10-16:

#26

Have this same issue in 20.04 with xubuntu.
If launching via menu launcher - it runs with no parameters (update-manager) - and it reports that there are 400+MB of updates required, but I get no details of what they are.
If launching from shell with no-update parameter (update-manager --no-update) all is shown OK.

Using command line tools, there are presently NO security updates available, just non-security updates.

/var/lib/apt/extended_states_tmp has thousands of lines present (so I dont know which line is affecting behaviour here) - but if this file is moved aside - all works as expected.
Dont exactly know what purpose this file has (know what its for - but not what consequences of removing it are) so want to leave it in place.

Revision history for this message

Paul Dev (pdevaney) wrote on 2020-10-17:

#27

Through a process of trial and error - removing the following from /var/lib/apt/extended_states

Package: gnome-software-plugin-snap
Architecture: amd64
Auto-Installed: 1

restored the functionality (note /var/lib/apt/extended_states had 5732 lines and it was narrowed down to this one)
FYI:
ii python3-update-manager 1:20.04.10.1 all python 3.x module for update-manager
ii update-manager 1:20.04.10.1 all GNOME application that manages apt updates
ii update-manager-core 1:20.04.10.1 all manage release upgrades

Ubuntu
update-manager package

software updater presents an empty panel for updating

Bug Description

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Ubuntuupdate-manager package

software updater presents an empty panel for updating

Bug Description

Other bug subscribers

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Bug attachments

Remote bug watches

Ubuntu
update-manager package