[ubuntu-uk] Password Requirement On Automatic Updates

[James Tait]

On 2020-06-12 13:12, Nigel Verity wrote:
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> Most days I get a notification dialog informing me of pending updates.
> Sometimes I install immediately, other times I'll click the "Remind Me
> Later" button. I've noticed an inconsistency regarding whether I am
> required to enter a password before the update proceeds. There appears 
> to
> be no pattern determined by whether I install immediately or delay it
> until later.
> 
> Does anybody know if the security policy for updates has changed? In 
> all
> previous Ubuntu incarnations I've used I've always, without exception,
> had to provide a password prior to an update proceeding.
> 
> Discretionary updates using the command line or Synaptic always require 
> a
> password, so the issue seems to be concerned solely with the updater
> service. It looks like a bug to me but I don't want to waste anybody's
> time if it is in some way intentional.

I believe the policy is that a password will only be required if an 
upgrade
results in the installation of new packages, e.g. an upgrade of the
linux-image-generic package would result in the installation of a 
different
linux-image-x.y.z-generic package, whereas upgrading something like vim
would just install a newer version of the same package.


HTH,


JT