[Bug 766827] Re: motd not updating

[Thue Janus Kristensen]

*** This bug is a duplicate of bug 659738 ***
    https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/659738

It is not the same problem as bug #659738.

The problem here is that /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-
available does

    if [ "$(find "/$StateDir/$ListDir" "/$EtcDir/$SourceList" -type f -newer "$stamp" -print -quit)" ]; then
        NEED_UPDATE_CHECK=yes
    fi

So it checks in /var/lib/apt/lists if there are any files more newly
updated than /var/lib/update-notifier/updates-available , and if there
are it generates a new /var/lib/update-notifier/updates-available .

However, the timestamps on the files in /var/lib/apt/lists are kept in
sync with the timestamps on the mirrors, and do not indicate when an
"apt-get update" was last run. So the following can happen:

1) A new package appears on the mirrors, and the timestamp on the mirrors is updates
2) A new /var/lib/update-notifier/updates-available is generated on my computer
3) I run "apt-get update" on my computer

In that case, /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-available
will see /var/lib/update-notifier/updates-available as having a newer
timestamp than the package lists, and will therefore not update /var/lib
/update-notifier/updates-available.

The simplest fix is to have update-motd-updates-available just store the
package list directory listing with full time stamps. I have attached a
patch.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/766827

Title:
  motd not updating

Status in update-motd package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Following recent updates, the /var/run/motd file is being updated
  properly, but the data contained  within is not. This refers
  specifically to the data udpated by the following scripts:

  /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-cpu-checker
  /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-reboot-required
  /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-available

  I have verified this behaviour on several of our machines, all of
  which are running Ubuntu Server 10.04.

  I've manually run  /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --human-readable
  (called from  /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-available)
  and it outputs accurate data:

  it at milpat:~$ /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --human-readable
  0 packages can be updated.
  0 updates are security updates.

  Running the /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-available
  script itself returns the appropriate data:

  it at milpat:~$ sudo /usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-available
  0 packages can be updated.
  0 updates are security updates.
  it at milpat:~$

  But even after running the script manually, the motd file does not
  contain the new data:

  dmcgarry at emigre:~/devel/goofalicious/src/Goofalicious$ ssh milpat
  Linux milpat 2.6.32-4-pve #1 SMP Thu Oct 21 09:35:29 CEST 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux

  Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS

  Welcome to Ubuntu!
   * Documentation:  https://help.ubuntu.com/

  8 packages can be updated.
  2 updates are security updates.

  You have mail.
  Last login: Wed Apr 20 16:13:14 2011 from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
  it at milpat:~$

  REFERENCE SYSTEM INFO:
  it at milpat:~$ lsb_release -rd
  Description:	Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS
  Release:	10.04

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