Blank Install Updates Window

[DenW]

It appears that the update procedures used by LL have some problems right now based on other posts (but I have not experienced any of those so far!).  I am reporting that on at least three recent occasions when updates were detected the gui-window which allows you to see the updates before install did not populate but remained blank.  If I then pushed the install button on the blank window the update progress window opened and correctly installed the updates, which I could check in the log file window then available.  Tonight it happened to me again so this time I cancelled the install and then initiated the install software procedure from the menu again.  This time the updates appeared as they should and installed correctly.

This possible minor "bug" does not trouble me personally as I do get available updates.  However I am intending to install LL on a friends old laptop for his use and I do not like to raise doubts in his mind about the reliability of Linux (he is a Windows convert).
Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so is there a solution?

[bitsnpcs]

Hello DenW

it was similar in https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/insta.../#msg31500

Solution member found was to turn on firewall.

Hold down Ctrl and Alt press T

Type this text

Code:

sudo ufw enable

type you password when prompted

[DenW]

Thanks for your response. Unfortunately I have always had my firewall turned on with no rules specified so do not think that is the problem in my case.  Any other ideas out there?

[bitsnpcs]

There are some other ideas for solving it on the above thread.
Idea that was wrote by LL developer team member Ralphy.
Other than this I see no other ideas about it.
Maybe someone else will have some other/new things to try, like is usual.

[trinidad]

It is  an incomplete or time lagged permissions issue, or an underrun. Several things can cause it. Multiple sudo users is often the cause when people use incomplete code to set a second sudoer that botches permission levels, or only partially installs sudo. This also involves firewall settings for each sudoer. Mismatched BIOS and OS user time settings can cause it as well depending on the mirror used though this is very rare for backports anymore. Routers can occasionaly cause it as well when set to generate new maccs on a scheduled update table if you use an ethernet connection, combined with a slow disk, slow 64bit CPU and limited RAM. (though not wifi). Proxies can foul up firewall settings as well.  If your LL conky widget is running wait until the CPU falls back to single digit usage levels before updating. I can't think of anything else at the moment. If the screen came back the permissions are resolved.

**Also as far as LL updates, almost all of the problems are caused by users still on a learning curve adding PPAs that they don't know how to manage properly.

TC

[Valtam]

Please run Install Updates with nothing else open make sure that everything is closed first and that Resource Usage reports minimal cpu and ram usage, then report back.

[DenW]

Thank you all for your replies.  Last night I did a reinstall of lite-software in Synaptic as mentioned in the referenced message.  I also checked the /tmp directory and found several empty pdf files and empty config-err-xxxx files.  I deleted all these files.  I then rebooted and found a new config-err-xxxx file in /tmp. I usually perform the install update with nothing else open and my cpu and ram usually settle quickly to under 5% and 350MB after waking from suspend.  I just did install update this morning and no updates available yet; in /tmp there was a new empty pdf file so maybe these are generated after each update check?  I will check /tmp if updates become available BEFORE I do actual install to see if .txt file exists there.
In reply to [member=5916]trinidad[/member] I am the only user on this machine, I use wifi, and I believe there is only one PPA that I added for youtube-dl-gui (I think LL already added gimp, smplayer, systemback, ubuntu-wine).  I understand that you and Jerry are suggesting that this is an incomplete or time-lagged permissions issue and that makes sense from my observations so far.  I know I can do manual updates via terminal or synaptic but that kind of defeats the "easy for beginners" aspect of LL.  If you continue with update issues from your unique method of providing gui updates might you not consider changing to Mint style updates as also used in Peppermint - I have never had an update issue in those distros.
I will report back on this thread when I the next set of updates arrive.

Just as a (off-topic) comment for you and Jerry I guess you are aware that Mint will be using Timeshift as backup manager with the passing of systemback and are actively working with Tony George to improve that application.  Are you set on Deja-dup as file backup manager or would you consider Backintime or lucky-backup instead (as I understand it these do not encrypt/compress saved files like Deja-dup)?

Thank you for all your work and prompt responses to our questions.  I appreciate the nice community here at Linux Lite.

[Valtam]

Deja-dup has arguably the easiest to follow GUi available. But that is for another thread.

[bonnevie]

I'll keep an eye on this thread as I was the one having this problem in a previous thread. Unfortunately, it was only solved for a day or two.
The only personal observation I can add here beside the fact it looks like a canadian problem:-) is that I started having blank updates when HTML output was added to LL Updates. And yet there are very few of us having this problem so...maybe I'm on the wrong track with this.  I will follow Trinidad & Jerry's suggestions for the next couple of days and report back.
https://imgur.com/a/mYIDX
Edit: blank screen only occurs in my old machine.  OK with my 2 newer setups

[Valtam]

[member=7077]DenW[/member] do you have any additional language packs installed? What is your default language & keyboard layout?