[Bug 2047778] Re: Software Updater unable to cancel Ubuntu Pro upgrade

[Mark Jones]

@c_starchaser, you are misinterpreting the nature of FOSS. The concept
of selling free open source software has been a part of the movement
since the start. What you cannot do in FOSS is prevent a person from
modifying that software or sharing it with others. It is the software
that is free, not the labour of developers and technicians and they are
entirely within their rights to charge for their labour. If they give
their labour for free,  that is their prerogative and their generosity.
We are free to fix the bugs/vulnerabilities in Universe packages
ourselves. We are free to get fixed versions of the software from
somewhere else. We are free to share the fixed packages provided by
Canonical via Ubuntu Pro with anyone we please (we could even sell it).
What we aren't free to do, in the concept of FOSS, is demand that
Canonical supply us the software - free or at cost. I'm not suggesting
you are demanding that, I'm just stating that what Canonical is doing is
entirely within the concept and philosophy of FOSS.

We can, of course, criticize the features and behaviour of the software
and propose ways to improve it - the latter of which is what the
Launchpad bugs platform is for.

At the moment, it seems to me that this discussion is becoming more
about airing complaints and frustrations (albethey legitimate) rather
than solving the problem.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2047778

Title:
  Software Updater unable to cancel Ubuntu Pro upgrade

Status in update-manager package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
   Every time I invoke Software Updater I get a list of Ubuntu Pro security updates, and a message at the bottom that for those updates I need to enable Ubuntu Pro, with only one other button to choose, "Remind Me Later".  I searched for Ubuntu Pro to find out what it is, and came to the conclusion that I do not want it;  but there seems to nowhere be any means to permanently reject its installation.  Every time I reboot the computer I get the same files offered again, and the only options again are to enable Pro or be reminded later, neither of which options reflects my will and desire.  Is this an option, as it seems to be dressed up to be?, or is it a MANDATORY upgrade?  My experience as a user is one of confusion.
    (I can still upgrade my packages through Muon Package Manager, though;  but Software Updater appears to have been rendered permanently useless by this persistent nag.)
    Perhaps this is very poor and misguided marketing trick;  rather than a software bug.
    What IS a bug, however, is the inability for a user to block a package or upgrade through the Software Updater interface.  This permanent nag with Ubuntu Pro points to a deficiency in Software Updater.  There ought to be a way to say NO to an upgrade in a way that sticks.

  Info:
  My computer is an old Lenovo T440 laptop.
  ~$ lsb_release -a
  No LSB modules are available.
  Distributor ID: Ubuntu
  Description:    Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS
  Release:        22.04
  Codename:       jammy
  Using Lubuntu desktop.

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