[Bug 1789003] [NEW] Ubuntu update overwrote (almost) entire home directory

[Marcel Wiedenmann]

Public bug reported:

I'm not sure if this bug should be filed against the update-manager (if
yes, the version is 1:18.04.11.4) or against any underlying update
mechanism, but here it is:

Yesterday, an update for GNOME Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS was installed on my
machine. The update, however, did not finish with the usual dialogue
about restarting the system but displayed the dialogue you get when
starting Ubuntu for the first time (selection of keyboard layout,
enable/disable location services, etc.), the system then froze.

I restarted the machine and now almost all files in my home directory
(and any other user's) are gone. The files that are still there are a
single git repository inside ~/git (there have been 40+) and parts of
miniconda inside ~/miniconda3/lib. I don't really see a pattern there.

I used TestDisk to browse my volumes and found that the files (or at
least most directories on home level, many of them are now empty) are
still present on /dev/dm-0 (or /dev/mapper/ubuntu--gnome--vg-root) but
not on /dev/sda. Is there any way to restore the mapping?

I also created a post on Ask Ubuntu:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1068597/ubuntu-update-overwrote-almost-
entire-home-directory

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: update-manager 1:18.04.11.4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-32.35-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Sat Aug 25 14:22:39 2018
GsettingsChanges:
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'show-details' b'true'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'window-height' b'633'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'first-run' b'false'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'window-width' b'1148'
 b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'launch-time' b'int64 1535199364'
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-09-20 (338 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160720)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: update-manager
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-05 (111 days ago)

** Affects: update-manager (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug bionic lvm updates

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to update-manager in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1789003

Title:
  Ubuntu update overwrote (almost) entire home directory

Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I'm not sure if this bug should be filed against the update-manager
  (if yes, the version is 1:18.04.11.4) or against any underlying update
  mechanism, but here it is:

  Yesterday, an update for GNOME Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS was installed on my
  machine. The update, however, did not finish with the usual dialogue
  about restarting the system but displayed the dialogue you get when
  starting Ubuntu for the first time (selection of keyboard layout,
  enable/disable location services, etc.), the system then froze.

  I restarted the machine and now almost all files in my home directory
  (and any other user's) are gone. The files that are still there are a
  single git repository inside ~/git (there have been 40+) and parts of
  miniconda inside ~/miniconda3/lib. I don't really see a pattern there.

  I used TestDisk to browse my volumes and found that the files (or at
  least most directories on home level, many of them are now empty) are
  still present on /dev/dm-0 (or /dev/mapper/ubuntu--gnome--vg-root) but
  not on /dev/sda. Is there any way to restore the mapping?

  I also created a post on Ask Ubuntu:
  https://askubuntu.com/questions/1068597/ubuntu-update-overwrote-
  almost-entire-home-directory

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
  Package: update-manager 1:18.04.11.4
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-32.35-generic 4.15.18
  Uname: Linux 4.15.0-32-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: GNOME
  Date: Sat Aug 25 14:22:39 2018
  GsettingsChanges:
   b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'show-details' b'true'
   b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'window-height' b'633'
   b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'first-run' b'false'
   b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'window-width' b'1148'
   b'com.ubuntu.update-manager' b'launch-time' b'int64 1535199364'
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-09-20 (338 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160720)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: update-manager
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-05-05 (111 days ago)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+bug/1789003/+subscriptions