[Bug 2073797] [NEW] man-db trigger for apt is excessively slow

[Thayne]

Public bug reported:

Whenever I install a package that includes a man page, apt-install gets
stuck for multiple minutes on the step "Processing triggers for man-db".

In many cases, this means that the "man-db" trigger takes significantly
longer the rest of the installation combined.

This slowness is enough of a nuisance that I eventually disabled the
man-db update by running

```
echo "set man-db/auto-update false" | sudo debconf-communicate 0 value set
```

However, many users probably won't go to the effort of figuring out how
to do this, and will just be frustrated by installations taking a long
time.

According to some of my co-workers this started happening a few weeks
ago (on 24.04).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: man-db 2.12.0-4build2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-38.38-generic 6.8.8
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-38-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon Jul 22 12:20:30 2024
InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-07-19 (3 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64 (20240424)
SourcePackage: man-db
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: man-db (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug noble wayland-session

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2073797

Title:
  man-db trigger for apt is excessively slow

Status in man-db package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Whenever I install a package that includes a man page, apt-install
  gets stuck for multiple minutes on the step "Processing triggers for
  man-db".

  In many cases, this means that the "man-db" trigger takes
  significantly longer the rest of the installation combined.

  This slowness is enough of a nuisance that I eventually disabled the
  man-db update by running

  ```
  echo "set man-db/auto-update false" | sudo debconf-communicate 0 value set
  ```

  However, many users probably won't go to the effort of figuring out
  how to do this, and will just be frustrated by installations taking a
  long time.

  According to some of my co-workers this started happening a few weeks
  ago (on 24.04).

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
  Package: man-db 2.12.0-4build2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-38.38-generic 6.8.8
  Uname: Linux 6.8.0-38-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Mon Jul 22 12:20:30 2024
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2024-07-19 (3 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64 (20240424)
  SourcePackage: man-db
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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