Update notifier does not quit the notification area after updates are done

[Hidde Brugmans]

Doing my updates today, I realised that update-notifier is still listing that x
updates are available. x being the latest amount of updates downloaded/installed.
The icon stays in the panel, and after giving in the password, update-manager
gives me the message my system is up to date.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for your bugreport.

Is this a problem with the current verison of update-notifier (0.38.2)?

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> Thanks for your bugreport.
>
> Is this a problem with the current verison of update-notifier (0.38.2)?

Ofcourse: I mentioned updating the system, didn't I? ;-)

It's 0.38.2, I've checked to be certain.
Fully updated and stable hoary.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

(In reply to comment #2)
> (In reply to comment #1)
> > Thanks for your bugreport.
> >
> > Is this a problem with the current verison of update-notifier (0.38.2)?
>
> Ofcourse: I mentioned updating the system, didn't I? ;-)

Can you give me a rought idea when you did your last update? Was it some days
ago or more some weeks ago? I ask because update-notifier runs as a daemon and
if you upgraded from a e.g. 3 weeks old version, this version will still run
after the update until you log out/in again. Still it sounds like a bug in
udpate-notifier :/

thanks,
 Michael

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

(In reply to comment #3)
> (In reply to comment #2)
> > (In reply to comment #1)
> > > Thanks for your bugreport.
> > >
> > > Is this a problem with the current verison of update-notifier (0.38.2)?
> >
> > Ofcourse: I mentioned updating the system, didn't I? ;-)
>
> Can you give me a rought idea when you did your last update? Was it some days
> ago or more some weeks ago? I ask because update-notifier runs as a daemon and
> if you upgraded from a e.g. 3 weeks old version, this version will still run
> after the update until you log out/in again. Still it sounds like a bug in
> udpate-notifier :/
>
> thanks,
> Michael'

I update my system daily or twice-daily, and take it down at least every night.
I first noticed the problem today or yesterday, and a reboot doesn't seem to fix it.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

Thanks for the additional information. Can you please tell me if the file:
/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp has about the right time (the time your
last upgrade was performed)?

And if update-notifier _always_ fails to update itself or only sometimes (e.g.
can you reproduce the behaviour)? I can't reproduce it here, for me it seems to
work (with a up-to-date hoary) so I'm very interessted in any hints how I might
be able to reproduce the problem.

What is the output of /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check?

thanks,
 Michael

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

(In reply to comment #5)
> Thanks for the additional information. Can you please tell me if the file:
> /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp has about the right time (the time your
> last upgrade was performed)?

This file is empty, totally blank when openened with nano
>
> And if update-notifier _always_ fails to update itself or only sometimes (e.g.
> can you reproduce the behaviour)? I can't reproduce it here, for me it seems to
> work (with a up-to-date hoary) so I'm very interessted in any hints how I might
> be able to reproduce the problem.

This happens always
>
> What is the output of /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check?
>

hidde@system:~ $ ls /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp
/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp
hidde@system:~ $ /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check
hidde@system:~ $ sudo /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check
hidde@system:~ $

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

(In reply to comment #6)
> (In reply to comment #5)
> > Thanks for the additional information. Can you please tell me if the file:
> > /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp has about the right time (the time your
> > last upgrade was performed)?
> This file is empty, totally blank when openened with nano

Sorry for not making myself clear. The information from:
"ls -l /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp"
is interessting. This is the time when apt was last installing/removing stuff.
It should be the time of your last upgrade. Does it look right?

> > And if update-notifier _always_ fails to update itself or only sometimes (e.g.
> > can you reproduce the behaviour)? I can't reproduce it here, for me it seems to
> > work (with a up-to-date hoary) so I'm very interessted in any hints how I might
> > be able to reproduce the problem.
>
> This happens always

Good! Thanks. That make (hopefully) finding the root of the problem easier.

> > What is the output of /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check?
> >
>
> hidde@system:~ $ ls /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp
> /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp
> hidde@system:~ $ /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check
> hidde@system:~ $ sudo /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check
> hidde@system:~ $

So it does not print anything? That's a good sign. It will print the upgradable
packages if there are any upgrades. Does it updates itself when you run a
"apt-get update" (may take up to one minute before it known about the apt-get
update)?

Can you do a "killall update-notifier" and then start it from a terminal:
$ update-notifier
and tell me if it prints anything unusual? And keep it runing for a while
(preferably over a "it fails to update itself" period)?

thanks for your help,
 Michael

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

> Sorry for not making myself clear. The information from:
> "ls -l /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp"

hidde@system:~ $ ls -l /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-01-25 16:05 /var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-sta mp

> > > And if update-notifier _always_ fails to update itself or only sometimes (e.g.
> > > can you reproduce the behaviour)? I can't reproduce it here, for me it
seems to
> > > work (with a up-to-date hoary) so I'm very interessted in any hints how I
might
> > > be able to reproduce the problem.
> >
> > This happens always
>
> Good! Thanks. That make (hopefully) finding the root of the problem easier.
>
> > > What is the output of /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check?
It updates
>
> So it does not print anything? That's a good sign. It will print the upgradable
> packages if there are any upgrades. Does it updates itself when you run a
> "apt-get update" (may take up to one minute before it known about the apt-get
> update)?
>
> Can you do a "killall update-notifier" and then start it from a terminal:
> $ update-notifier

I've got it running from a term. No errors getting it up, will keep you informed

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

somehow it is gone away from the panel now... here is the output of an update

hidde@system:~ $ killall update-notifier
hidde@system:~ $ update-notifier
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done

(synaptic:19894(synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor:
assertion `window != NULL' failed

(synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor: assertion `window !=
NULL' failed

(synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor: assertion `window !=
NULL' failed

(synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor: assertion `window !=
NULL' failed

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

Still experiencing very erratic experiences with update-notifier.
It does not seem to come up at all unless I do an apt-get update now.
Yes, there are updates. I am subscribed to the -changes list.

My pc has been on for multiple hours, haven't seen update-notifier.

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

(In reply to comment #10)
> Still experiencing very erratic experiences with update-notifier.
> It does not seem to come up at all unless I do an apt-get update now.
> Yes, there are updates. I am subscribed to the -changes list.
>
> My pc has been on for multiple hours, haven't seen update-notifier.

Sorry, there may be a misunderstanding. update-notifier relies on apt. All it
knows about
updates is from apt. It installs a apt configure variable that triggers a
nightly cron-job
that does a apt-get update. So what it should do is:
a) show if upgrades are available if apt knows about them (e.s. after a apt-get
update)
b) re-update itself when apt (or aptitude/synaptic) installed some (or all) updates
If it does not re-update it's status (within 60 sec) if either condition a) or
b) is meet then that's bug :/

I hope this gives you a better idea what udpate-notifier can and can not do.

thanks,
 Michael

[Michael Vogt (mvo)]

(In reply to comment #9)
> somehow it is gone away from the panel now... here is the output of an update
>
>
> hidde@system:~ $ killall update-notifier
> hidde@system:~ $ update-notifier
> Reading Package Lists... Done
> Building Dependency Tree... Done
>
> (synaptic:19894(synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor:
> assertion `window != NULL' failed
>
> (synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor: assertion `window !=
> NULL' failed
>
> (synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor: assertion `window !=
> NULL' failed
>
> (synaptic:19894): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_set_cursor: assertion `window !=
> NULL' failed

Thanks for your help!
Unfortunately this are messages from synaptic (a seperate cosmetic problem I
need to fix).

[Hidde Brugmans (hcbrugmans-deactivatedaccount)]

Bug very erratic right now, It might be fixed, it might be my system.
I'll reopen if it occurs again, but for now let's not worry about it.