[Bug 2065739] [NEW] Unnattended upgrades take a long time due to excessive running of "apt-check"

[Alistair Buxton]

Public bug reported:

The unattended upgrade services runs "apt-check" to update the MOTD
where a summary of available updates is displayed. It does this after
every package that is installed. Unfortunately, apt-check is extremely
expensive - it takes about 15 seconds to run.

If you have a computer that is infrequently used, you may have as many
as 300 available updates. Unattended upgrade will therefore run apt-
check 300 times. This takes 1 hour 15 minutes, during which time no
packages are actually installed.

Suppose you turn on your computer once a week to do something like pay
some bills. It takes 5 minutes. Then you have to wait 2 hours before you
can turn it off. Every time.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 22.04
Package: unattended-upgrades 2.8ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.15.0-71.78-generic 5.15.92
Uname: Linux 5.15.0-71-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.4
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: Unity:Unity7:ubuntu
Date: Wed May 15 00:17:47 2024
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-22 (3796 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
RebootRequiredPkgs: Error: path contained symlinks.
SourcePackage: unattended-upgrades
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to jammy on 2023-04-16 (394 days ago)
modified.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic:
 APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
 APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "1";
 APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0";
mtime.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic: 2017-11-17T12:55:49.319695

** Affects: unattended-upgrades (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug jammy

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2065739

Title:
  Unnattended upgrades take a long time due to excessive running of
  "apt-check"

Status in unattended-upgrades package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  The unattended upgrade services runs "apt-check" to update the MOTD
  where a summary of available updates is displayed. It does this after
  every package that is installed. Unfortunately, apt-check is extremely
  expensive - it takes about 15 seconds to run.

  If you have a computer that is infrequently used, you may have as many
  as 300 available updates. Unattended upgrade will therefore run apt-
  check 300 times. This takes 1 hour 15 minutes, during which time no
  packages are actually installed.

  Suppose you turn on your computer once a week to do something like pay
  some bills. It takes 5 minutes. Then you have to wait 2 hours before
  you can turn it off. Every time.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 22.04
  Package: unattended-upgrades 2.8ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.15.0-71.78-generic 5.15.92
  Uname: Linux 5.15.0-71-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.4
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
  CurrentDesktop: Unity:Unity7:ubuntu
  Date: Wed May 15 00:17:47 2024
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-22 (3796 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  RebootRequiredPkgs: Error: path contained symlinks.
  SourcePackage: unattended-upgrades
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to jammy on 2023-04-16 (394 days ago)
  modified.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic:
   APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1";
   APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "1";
   APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0";
  mtime.conffile..etc.apt.apt.conf.d.10periodic: 2017-11-17T12:55:49.319695

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