Updates and Package Management

platypo · 01-18-2017, 04:57 AM

Hello!

I've been using Linux for a while now but i still didn't fully understand how linux systems stay up to date and how package management in general works. I avoided messing around with it because all i've learned so far is that it's complicated and you can really mess up your system if you don't konw what you're doing.

Using Debian 8 i have configured unattended upgrades to check for updates daily. I also use apt allthough i mostly prefer working with gui to cli especially when i'm not certain wich, as said, is the case here. It has been working fine until now, the system searched for updates on a daily basis and updated wit the "Apper" software management tool if necessary.

Recently i got an error message saying that some data couldn't be fetched. I tried running

Code:

apt-get update

wich failed because some servers couldn't be reached, unfortunately I can't remember the exact output anymore.

when i ran

Code:

apt-get autoclean

it worked again without issues. This is the output right now:

Code:

root@desktop:/# apt-get update
Ign http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie InRelease
Get:1 http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie-updates InRelease [145 kB]                                    
Hit http://security.debian.org jessie/updates InRelease                                                                         
Hit http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie Release.gpg                                                                                 
Hit http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie Release                                                                                    
Hit http://security.debian.org jessie/updates/main Sources                                                                     
Hit http://dl.winehq.org jessie InRelease                                                                
Hit http://security.debian.org jessie/updates/main i386 Packages                                          
Hit http://http.debian.net jessie-backports InRelease                                                     
Get:2 http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie-updates/main Sources [15.4 kB]                     
Hit http://security.debian.org jessie/updates/main Translation-en                                 
Get:3 http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie-updates/main i386 Packages/DiffIndex [6,916 B]              
Get:4 http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie-updates/main Translation-en/DiffIndex [2,704 B]       
Hit http://dl.winehq.org jessie/main i386 Packages                                                            
Hit http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie/main Sources                                            
Hit http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie/main i386 Packages                
Hit http://ftp.at.debian.org jessie/main Translation-en                                      
Get:5 http://http.debian.net jessie-backports/main i386 Packages/DiffIndex [27.8 kB]         
Get:6 http://http.debian.net jessie-backports/main Translation-en/DiffIndex [27.8 kB]         
Ign http://dl.winehq.org jessie/main Translation-en_US                                                        
Ign http://dl.winehq.org jessie/main Translation-en
Fetched 226 kB in 8s (25.3 kB/s)                                                                                                                                                           
Reading package lists... Done

it seems fine but i'm worried because i'm not exactly sure what that error-message was about and the system hasn't updated in a few days. What should i do?

Thanks.

jens · 01-18-2017, 07:01 AM

Hi.

It usually means one of your mirrors is down(/or being updated), causing your update process to stop for further investigation(unless specified differently).

My bet would be http://dl.winehq.org (being the only non-Debian repo you're fetching from).
If so, you can safely remove it from your auto-updates if it keeps causing issues.

PS: "apt-get autoclean" has no influence here (it only removes unnecessary packages).

platypo · 01-18-2017, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jens

Hi.

It usually means one of your mirrors is down(/or being updated), causing your update process to stop for further investigation(unless specified differently).

My bet would be http://dl.winehq.org (being the only non-Debian repo you're fetching from).
If so, you can safely remove it from your auto-updates if it keeps causing issues.

PS: "apt-get autoclean" has no influence here (it only removes unnecessary packages).

Thx. I think it was a domain with "debian" something, jessie-backports if i remember it correctly. Still no update today. I'm worried.
Yes i once had issues with updates because there was no space left and i needed ages to find this out.

If someone could tell me a way to make sure apt and the kde software update gui works properly i'd be very glad.

Habitual · 01-18-2017, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by platypo

Code:

root@desktop:/#

You GUI as root?

Quote:

Originally Posted by platypo

If someone could tell me a way to make sure apt and the kde software update gui works properly i'd be very glad.

Type Update into your KDE menu as a non-root user.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Howto
or
https://wiki.debian.org/Apt

John VV · 01-18-2017, 02:00 PM

it looks like you are missing doing the most important command

"update" ONLY updates the DATABASE!!! not the system !!!

as a NORMAL user ( i use "su - " on debian )

Code:

su -

-- type in the root password --

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade 

--- then if needed ---

apt-get autoclean

platypo · 01-19-2017, 12:06 PM

Thank you for the answers. Updates work fine again, it must have been a server issue.

Habitual · 01-19-2017, 12:40 PM

Glad it worked out!