Feature Request: Install all updates without confirmation.

Bug #184226 reported by Omar Shami
52
This bug affects 7 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
software-properties (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Wishlist
Unassigned

Bug Description

In the Software Sources under Updates and Automatic updates, it would be nice to have a feature to install all updates without confirmation, not just security updates.

This would be nice in a school or corporate environment or on grandma's computer where you don't wan't the users to have admin access, but you don't want to go around yourself and preform the updates.

Revision history for this message
Corey Burger (corey.burger) wrote :

The major challenge with this, having spoken with Michael Vogt about this in the past is that not all updates from all repos (non-Ubuntu ones, basically) are guaranteed not to require user intervention. Thus we need would need a robust way of triggering these kind of updates when an admin user next logs in.

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Omar Shami (bigfox) wrote :

Ah, I didn't think about that. I can see how that would be a problem with things like Sun Java that require the user to accept a license agreement or something.

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Matthew Woerly (nattgew) wrote :

Well you could add a flag to packages like that, and have it install all silently-installable updates. Would it be illegal to have it pass a "Y" to Java, etc. for those intervention things? Maybe give admins the right to do that?

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Sebastian Urban (surban) wrote :

Sun Java only asks the user to accept a license agreement during install not during update.

I do not understand why packages should be allowed to ask questions during minor updates. Normal (non technical) users probably do not even understand the questions, that some packages ask.

Can't we just abort the update when that happens and display a notification in the system tray, that an admin needs to run the update process manually?

Revision history for this message
FredWP (frederiquewp) wrote :

Still eagerly awaiting this feature.

I manage several computers. Right now to make it easier for me I only configure security updates to be installed automatically (forcing me to recheck the computer every 6 months to click the upgrade button and enter root password). Seeing I manage several computers at several locations this isn't convenient at all (as I like to automate things to keep maintenance at a minimum).

I would really still like to see a feature like this for all the updates. Not having this feature in it right now makes it not very friendly for regular computer users (those regular home users, not tech savvy people who installed the OS by themselves).

Additionally, an option to enter an email and to send out notifications in case something goes wrong would be great as well.

Daniel T Chen (crimsun)
Changed in software-properties:
importance: Undecided → Wishlist
Revision history for this message
Michael Vogt (mvo) wrote :

Thanks for your wishlist request.

There is currently no UI this but the underlaying application "unattended-upgrades" should support this already. Please edit /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades and enable the line with -updates there.

Changed in software-properties (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Oliver (oliver341) wrote :

I know we are over 3 years on from this suggestion, but I too think that "Install all updates without confirmation" should be added to the software-properties GUI.

As far as I can see, all it has to do is edit:

/etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades

and remove the comment in the line:

// "${distro_id} ${distro_codename}-updates";

to enable this facility, as Michael indicated. Indeed, I have made this change manually on my system, and the radio checkbox option "Install security updates without confirmation" is now acting though "Install all updates without confirmation" has been selected, because the GUI seems to be working off the assumption that /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades will never be edited from the default values (which in itself isn't an ideal situation).

Revision history for this message
Sandra Karuving (lumks) wrote :

yeah we really need this Option. Kubuntu has it the last years in kpackagekit and there wasnt any user interaktion needed in this time. just for software that was new installed. So there is no problem. it should not be that hard to do.
the reallity is, that normal users just close the upgrade dialog (on windows too). because "its stupid and nobody understand what it is" thats why my sister is on chrome 7 or 8? minitube wont work because its to old but she do not unterstand why she needs an upgrade. so please, really really please. add an Option for this

Revision history for this message
Espanico (espanico-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Any news? I guess it would be usefull for precise pangolin

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