[Bug 2002168] Re: apt-check needs to consider the pro client's esm cache for updates when esm is disabled

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

** Merge proposal linked:
   https://code.launchpad.net/~renanrodrigo/update-notifier/+git/update-notifier/+merge/435293

** Merge proposal linked:
   https://code.launchpad.net/~renanrodrigo/update-notifier/+git/update-notifier/+merge/435294

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2002168

Title:
  apt-check needs to consider the pro client's esm cache for updates
  when esm is disabled

Status in update-notifier package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in update-notifier source package in Xenial:
  New
Status in update-notifier source package in Bionic:
  New
Status in update-notifier source package in Focal:
  New
Status in update-notifier source package in Jammy:
  New
Status in update-notifier source package in Lunar:
  New

Bug description:
  [ Impact ]

  Currently, the Pro Client sets up ESM sources in the system's APT
  configuration to advertise ESM updates even when the service is
  disabled. This is undesired, as described in

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-advantage-
  tools/+bug/1990378

  The next version of ubuntu-advantage-client will not bring this
  configuration anymore, and will remove it from systems where it
  exists.

  Update Notifier relies on those unauthenticated ESM sources. It needs
  instead to rely on the Pro Client ESM apt cache to provide this
  information.

  If this is not changes, users will not see any ESM update or
  advertisement if they don't have the services enabled.

  The change in the reporting strategy will land in ubuntu-advantage-
  tools and will be SRUed back to Xenial, Bionic, Focal and Jammy.

  [ Test Plan ]

  In a Ubuntu LTS system (Xenial for esm-infra, bionic/focal for esm-apps):
    - Verify that the ubuntu-advantage-tools version installed is greater than 27.12
    - Verify that no ESM updates are reported when running /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --human-readable
    - Install a version of update-notifier with the change (from -proposed, or from the MR branch if not uploaded yet)
    - Verify that ESM updates are when running /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --human-readable

  [ Where problems could occur ]

  In the event of the change being implemented in a wrong/incomplete
  way, the side-effect is that users would not see the ESM updates, same
  as not implementing the change. However, it is simple enough to verify
  if this happens, and it is highly improbable that it does.

  [ Other Info ]

  Instead of reading the esm apt cache from the Pro Client, update-
  notifier could query the 'packages' API provided in the Client itself.
  However, for that to happen, it would make sense for the package to
  depend (or at least recommend) ubuntu-advantage-tools.

  Even using the esm apt cache would be a fair reason for update-
  notifier to recommend ubuntu-advantage-tools - but it is the same kind
  of coupling (relying on implementation) as reading the "never" pin
  from esm repositories, so there is no hard requirement to add the soft
  dependency.

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