[Bug 1901634] [NEW] The effects of anacron cannot be disabled

[Gordon Lack]

Public bug reported:

If anacron is installed its effects *cannot* be disabled.

You can run:
    systemctl disable anacron anacron.timer

but that will not help. That stops anacron running, but it does *not*
prevent the run-parts entries in /etc/crontab from running, as they only
check for the presence of /usr/sbin/anacron, *not* whether anacron is
actually enabled.

The test should really be something like:
    systemctl -q is-enabled anacron

(although that still prints an error message if anacron isn't installed
- despite the -q. Errors, even intended ones, seem to be unavoidable).

The result is that if you have a desktop system that is permanently on,
you need to remove anacron - but the next dist-update will put it back
in place.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
Package: anacron 2.3-29
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-25.26-generic 5.8.14
Uname: Linux 5.8.0-25-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu50
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Tue Oct 27 00:21:48 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-03 (176 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
SourcePackage: anacron
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to groovy on 2020-10-26 (1 days ago)

** Affects: anacron (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug groovy

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1901634

Title:
  The effects of anacron cannot be disabled

Status in anacron package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  If anacron is installed its effects *cannot* be disabled.

  You can run:
      systemctl disable anacron anacron.timer

  but that will not help. That stops anacron running, but it does *not*
  prevent the run-parts entries in /etc/crontab from running, as they
  only check for the presence of /usr/sbin/anacron, *not* whether
  anacron is actually enabled.

  The test should really be something like:
      systemctl -q is-enabled anacron

  (although that still prints an error message if anacron isn't
  installed - despite the -q. Errors, even intended ones, seem to be
  unavoidable).

  The result is that if you have a desktop system that is permanently
  on, you need to remove anacron - but the next dist-update will put it
  back in place.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.10
  Package: anacron 2.3-29
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.8.0-25.26-generic 5.8.14
  Uname: Linux 5.8.0-25-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu50
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: skip
  CurrentDesktop: KDE
  Date: Tue Oct 27 00:21:48 2020
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-05-03 (176 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Release amd64 (20200423)
  SourcePackage: anacron
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to groovy on 2020-10-26 (1 days ago)

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