[Bug 521765] Re: update-manager silently ignores HTTP 403 on meta-release

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

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

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Confirmed

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/521765

Title:
  update-manager silently ignores HTTP 403 on meta-release

Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: update-manager

  I was attempting to use update-manager to upgrade a hardy desktop i386
  install to intrepid.  We enabled "show updates to normal releases" and
  did "check for updates" but no new release was advertised.

  On checking the log on the squid web cache on the local LAN to see
  what update-manager was trying to download, I saw this:

  1266165386.331     24 172.18.45.45 TCP_DENIED/403 1584 GET
  http://changelogs.ubuntu.com/meta-release - NONE/- text/html

  Ie, the a mistake in my proxy configuration was preventing update-
  manager from fetching the meta-release file (although the ordinary
  upgrade files were fine).

  The bug I am reporting here is that update-manager should have
  complained, with an error message of some kind, about the 403 HTTP
  error fetching the meta-release file.  The user needs to know the
  difference between "there is no new release available" and "the update
  system is broken".

  Steps to reproduce:
   * install squid on a convenient machine on the LAN
   * configure squid to deny requests to changelogs.ubuntu.com
   * install hardy, configuring it to use a squid proxy
   * run update-manager from the command line or menu
   * say "check for updates"
   * observe that the upgrade to Intrepid is not offered and no error message is displayed

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