OpenSuse Updater App Question

**walla299** · 08-Jun-2010, 21:10

I'm running OS 11.2 x86_32-bit, KDE 4.4, and it appears an update to the Updater app broke it. Everything else works fine, including Software Management in Yast, & I have the current repos selected.

The Updater app starts at boot and runs, but never does anything. It acts like it's waiting for something - like when your net connection is down, for example. There are no errors in the system logs, but if I don't exit out of it before starting Software Management it will cause an error (which is normal).

The behavior indicates the Updater is trying to work, but does not seem to actually do anything. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

**deano_ferrari** · 08-Jun-2010, 21:58

I never use the updater tool but maybe you could try updating via yast online updater first. Alternatively, from a terminal (you'll need to be root first with 'su - ' command)

Code:

zypper up

or even

Code:

zypper ve

Then see if your updater applet works again.

**caf4926** · 08-Jun-2010, 22:09

Originally Posted by deano_ferrari

I never use the updater tool but maybe you could try updating via yast online updater first.

Ditto.
It's the first thing I remove from start up - post install

**hcvv** · 09-Jun-2010, 03:17

I know many people do remove it. It is there personal idea. There are others like me who leave it siting there. That is, I remove it from my wifes dersktop because she is not responsible for system maintenance. But I am and I like to be warned when a security update is available.

Others seem to check for themselves for such updates at intervals they adhere to in a strict disciplin. I like to do my work relaxed and to be warned by the applet.

**twelveeighty** · 10-Jun-2010, 08:04

Originally Posted by hcvv

I like to do my work relaxed and to be warned by the applet.

Yes - I agree - I use the updater applet strictly for notification of available updates, but then use YAST to perform the actual update when I feel it's safe and appropriate to do so.

**markone** · 10-Jun-2010, 15:24

Originally Posted by walla299

Anyone have any ideas?

I nearly had one...

Originally Posted by walla299

The Updater app starts at boot and runs, but never does anything. It acts like it's waiting for something - like when your net connection is down, for example. There are no errors in the system logs, but if I don't exit out of it before starting Software Management it will cause an error (which is normal).

The normal behaviour would be that, at start up, the updater would try to update, would eventually decide that there are no updates available and then close. During the time that the checking was going on, any attempt to access package management would be locked out with a message about the process which was already using the database.

Is this what happens to you? for a period of maybe five minutes, if you try to access package management using, eg, YAST, you get this message, but if you wait longer, you do not get it?

(My first thought was that there was, eg, a lock file left over from, an unsuccessful update, but if you are getting the behaviour described above, that will disprove this idea.)

My only remaining thought is that something in networking is wrong, but it is only affecting the system updater (and I don't know what that would be, but its the closest I come to having an idea) and that eventually the updater times out and gives up.

**walla299** · 12-Jun-2010, 19:09

As I said, the updater would just sit there (& cause an error if you tried to use the Yast Software Management. It would do that until I exited the program. This started after an Updater app update, and it hasn't worked since. Gave up and removed it from the KDE start up so it doesn't cause problems.

I'm one of those folks who would prefer a "heads up" when security updates are available, but I'll just do that manually from now on. Thanks.

**caf4926** · 12-Jun-2010, 21:21

the updater would just sit there (& cause an error if you tried to use the Yast Software Management

This is typical behaviour when the applet it busy and it seems to hang on to busy status, even when it's not.

You made the right move IMO

zypper lu
will tell you all you need to know once you have booted up.