[Bug 1783023] [NEW] Software Updater is sometimes blank when there are ONLY phased updates and auto-removable kernels

[halogen2]

Public bug reported:

Environment:

$ lsb_release -rd
Description:    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
Release:        18.04

$ apt-cache policy update-manager
update-manager:
  Installed: 1:18.04.11.3
  Candidate: 1:18.04.11.3
  Version table:
 *** 1:18.04.11.3 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:18.04.11 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main i386 Packages


Description:

When Software Updater finds ONLY phased updates and auto-removable
kernels, sometimes it comes up blank.  i.e. it says "Updated software is
available for this computer", but the list of available updates contains
nothing.  It does say the size of how much data will be downloaded.  But
no details of what this download is or what changes will be made if I
click Install Now.

This occurred most recently on 21 July, when I had one auto-removable
kernel and the following updates were available in principle -

$ apt list --upgradable
Listing... Done
libnss-systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
libpam-systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
libsystemd0/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
libudev1/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
systemd-sysv/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
udev/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]


Expected results:

Depending on whether I "should" receive the avilable phased updates or
not, I would have expected that...

A) ... if I should have received some of the available phased updates,
Software Updater should present them to me, and offer to remove the
auto-removable kernels.

B) ... if I should not receive any of the available phased updates yet, Software Updater should either
  i) only offer to remove the auto-removable kernels, OR
  ii) just say "The software on this computer is up to date."


ubuntuforums thread (which includes a screenshot):
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2394240

** Affects: update-manager (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1783023

Title:
  Software Updater is sometimes blank when there are ONLY phased updates
  and auto-removable kernels

Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Environment:

  $ lsb_release -rd
  Description:    Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
  Release:        18.04

  $ apt-cache policy update-manager
  update-manager:
    Installed: 1:18.04.11.3
    Candidate: 1:18.04.11.3
    Version table:
   *** 1:18.04.11.3 500
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main i386 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
       1:18.04.11 500
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main i386 Packages

  
  Description:

  When Software Updater finds ONLY phased updates and auto-removable
  kernels, sometimes it comes up blank.  i.e. it says "Updated software
  is available for this computer", but the list of available updates
  contains nothing.  It does say the size of how much data will be
  downloaded.  But no details of what this download is or what changes
  will be made if I click Install Now.

  This occurred most recently on 21 July, when I had one auto-removable
  kernel and the following updates were available in principle -

  $ apt list --upgradable
  Listing... Done
  libnss-systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
  libpam-systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
  libsystemd0/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
  libudev1/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
  systemd/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
  systemd-sysv/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]
  udev/bionic-updates 237-3ubuntu10.2 amd64 [upgradable from: 237-3ubuntu10]

  
  Expected results:

  Depending on whether I "should" receive the avilable phased updates or
  not, I would have expected that...

  A) ... if I should have received some of the available phased updates,
  Software Updater should present them to me, and offer to remove the
  auto-removable kernels.

  B) ... if I should not receive any of the available phased updates yet, Software Updater should either
    i) only offer to remove the auto-removable kernels, OR
    ii) just say "The software on this computer is up to date."

  
  ubuntuforums thread (which includes a screenshot):
  https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2394240

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