If you're using Ubuntu 22.04 (or an official flavor), you might want to put off updating for a few days.

[KGIII]

I'm not sure what's going on but I'm getting a bunch of notifications about a bug that's breaking systems when people upgrade.

This is the bug report:

Bug #2030262 “System broken after upgrade” : Bugs : mate-session-manager package : Ubuntu

Ubuntu 22.04 fresh install or not After "sudo apt full-upgrade" of 5th august 2023, many essentials packages are flagged unnecessary and uninstalled. Including : mate-session-manager xorg ubuntu-mate-core After reboot, system broken, no way to start and need to repair. From cat...

bugs.launchpad.net

I'd normally never suggest waiting, but I'm going to this time. I'm not sure what's going on, but I get these reports in my email when folks file bugs. (It's a part of my Ubuntu/Lubuntu membership - meaning that's why I subscribe, anyone can subscribe.)

So, be careful. It looks like the upgrade process wants to remove a bunch of necessary files and this will break things.

 

[KGIII]

Also, this may impact derivatives, such as Mint or ElementaryOS or Pop!_OS...

So, for now do your upgrades in the terminal. (This is my suggestion.)

Make sure it's not going to remove a bunch of things. If it is, don't agree and back out of the process. So, do not use sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y at this time. Drop the -y bit and verify what's going to happen is what should happen.

 

[PuppyHome]

That's pretty messy. Watch out Ubuntu-ers. Another reason not to use

-y

 

[BigBadBeef]

In regards to PoP!_os, the update appears to have not been posted in the pop shop. It would seem the system76 curators are extremely diligent!

 

[KGIII]

That's pretty messy. Watch out Ubuntu-ers. Another reason not to use

-y

I usually do. This isn't the first time a distro has had a bad update. I think they all have at one point or another. This one looks like it might be easy enough to fix. Go to rescue mode and do the update again from there and it should resolve itself.

It would seem the system76 curators are extremely diligent!

Or they lag behind and haven't gotten to the point of releasing them.

But, I'm not sure how downwind this will go - it may go nowhere and be all Ubuntu.

Just be a little cautious and you should be all set. I'd suggest doing your updates in the terminal.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade and then only agree if you like what you see.

 

[xlbooyahlx]

Timeshift before if you have it in your distro as well

 

[Condobloke]

Linux Mint 21.2 is only holding back these:
language-pack-gnome-en language-pack-gnome-en-base libegl-mesa0 libgbm1
libgl1-mesa-dri libgl1-mesa-glx libglapi-mesa libglx-mesa0 libxatracker2
mesa-va-drivers mesa-vdpau-drivers mesa-vulkan-drivers python3-distupgrade
ubuntu-release-upgrader-core

....which all appears reasonably normal. They have been in the 'holding back' area for a few days now

 

[xlbooyahlx]

language-pack-gnome-en language-pack-gnome-en-base libegl-mesa0 libgbm1

I got a language pack update today. Thought it was this one?!?

 

[KGIII]

That's great.

If it happens to you, it will be obvious (assuming you're in the terminal). It will show that the upgrade is going to remove a bunch of files - like an unbelievable number of files for a small/regular upgrade.

So long as you don't see that, you're golden.

 

[ML_113]

I keep system/data independent so I re-clone from a saved image for cases like these.

 

[KGIII]

I keep system/data independent so I re-clone from a saved image for cases like these.

That's effectively what I do.

I do not backup my OS. I just keep /home backed up and not even then - as I move important data to where it will be backed up. I preserve /home to save myself time.

If things break, I make another copy of /home and install the OS. I then have the same configurations when I install the applications I need. I can install the OS faster than I can restore it from backup and I can fix pretty much anything that breaks. It just depends on my willingness to troubleshoot.

That and the OS breaks so seldom that it's not even a remote concern for me. It's easy enough to install again and just restore my /home folder.

I have examples of the .bash_history that are older than some folks have been using Linux. I just keep using them, along with .bash_aliases.

I used to bother with separate partitions for /home, but I haven't even bothered with that lately. Data transfers fast enough for me.

 

[KGIII]

Also, I can't validate this, but see this comment:

Comment #10 : Bug #2030262 : Bugs : mate-session-manager package : Ubuntu

I suspect this is due to something being terribly wrong with apt's phased updates. I'd suggest disabling it: echo 'APT::Get::Always-Include-Phased-Updates "1";' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/999phased-updates >/dev/null

bugs.launchpad.net

Again, I'd just put off updating for a few days for this to get sorted. I wouldn't go mucking about with system changes. I'd just wait and be patient. The risk of waiting is low.

You can also update individual applications if you want.

Coincidentally, I just wrote an article about that!

How To: Update A Single Package In Ubuntu • Linux Tips

Today's article should be short because it's late in the evening and I have decided to write about how to update a single package in Ubuntu.

linux-tips.us

You can do 'sudo apt ugrade application_1 application 2 application 3' etc if you need to.

But, again, I'd just wait.

 

[guiverc]

That's great.

If it happens to you, it will be obvious (assuming you're in the terminal). It will show that the upgrade is going to remove a bunch of files - like an unbelievable number of files for a small/regular upgrade.

So long as you don't see that, you're golden.

I do agree with this.. You should notice it.

I was at terminal, and did my sudo apt full-upgrade and could see [I felt] rather clearly what damage it was going to do. I always peruse the package effects before I accept, in this case I accepted to confirm the damage anyway (I had another system up & running I could use), as its often helpful to experience what end-users normally do.

The effect maybe delayed until a clean is performed, so I sudo apt autoremove & then rebooted. The effect wasn't what would be considered 'fun' for new users; no messages except the last of the kernel boot messages & stuck screen.

Switching to text terminal I re-installed the desktop metapackages, and after reboot the system was back to normal... so I'll suggest don't panic if impacted.. but if/when my headache dies down, I'll try and look for a cause.

FYI: I've noted GUI users also notice the effects, so it's not only terminal users who should detect it. eg. https://discourse.lubuntu.me/t/wifi...-update-wants-to-remove-tons-of-packages/4441

 

[ML_113]

Mine is a bit different.

• EasyOS as controlling distro
• A separate partition for each extra distro
• Lastly a data partition that is shared by all

All the distros can be maintained independently, as long as they don't attempt to update the boot partition (MX and Puppy give you that option, I don't know about others), running the Limine bootloader in EasyOS takes care of everything.

 

[KGIII]

FYI: I've noted GUI users also notice the effects, so it's not only terminal users who should detect it. eg. https://discourse.lubuntu.me/t/wifi...-update-wants-to-remove-tons-of-packages/4441

It's a weekend so I hadn't noticed that. What I did notice was the number of notifications Thunderbird threw at me. If GUI users can also see it, that's great.

I was at terminal, and did my sudo apt full-upgrade and could see [I felt] rather clearly what damage it was going to do. I always peruse the package effects before I accept, in this case I accepted to confirm the damage anyway (I had another system up & running I could use), as its often helpful to experience what end-users normally do.

Yup. Your bug report just filtered through my system a little while ago.

I did check a 22.04 system but it didn't display any of those issues. That system is on the "Pro" setup, meaning it's what used to be Ubuntu Advantage and it's now the Pro stuff they're calling it.

I wonder if that might make a difference? I ran update and upgrade and it didn't show any abnormalities. There certainly weren't dozens of things to be deleted. As I did not experience the bug, I did not report it.

I'll look into other systems tomorrow.

After about the 4th message, I realized this was reasonably serious and made the post here to warn other people away from upgrading right now.

I'm loathe to suggest it, but the only solution I can think of for right now is for people to avoid it entirely and just put off upgrading until this has blown over.

If you have a better suggestion, I'm all ears. They can do them one by one and likely be safe assuming they do the right ones. Even then, I'd just wait it out.

 

[KGIII]

Also...

Heh... This is serious breakage and Linux.org got the 'scoop'!

This isn't reported elsewhere (that I can find) but it's probably gonna be. This isn't the kind of thing that is going to escape the pundit's notice. I probably should have turned it into an article, LOL.

On a more serious note...

Regardless of your distro choice, if there's a way to do so then you should probably subscribe to bug notifications. Of course, you should also read release notes - but none of us do that. Seriously, if you can subscribe to notifications for bugs, it's worth doing so. Just use a filter to move them to the right folder in your email and you'll be all set. Mine get filtered to the 'bugs' folder via Thunderbird.

 

[Deleted member 147986]

All I got from this was Mint good, Ubuntu not great.

 

[KGIII]

All I got from this was Mint good, Ubuntu not great.

You know that Mint is the one that got hacked, had a compromised ISO on their site, and gave up all the private data (including hashed passwords) for their forum?

Point being, this isn't unique to any distro. They've all had upgrades that break stuff.

 

[Deleted member 147986]

Yes I'm aware. Mint has had their problems, as have many other distros out there. Nothing new. Mint needed to fix their procedures and they did. If I had legitimate concerns about Mint I wouldn't be using it today.

 

[Condobloke]

In the link posted by @guiverc, (brilliant find by the way @guiverc) it shows a list of the apps/items it wanted to REMOVE !....Seriously, would you go ahead and click Apply ?.......even if you were three sheets to the wind (drunk) would you ??!!

I really do hope not.

As @KGIII said....all this will blow over. Relax. Don't panic. turn off update notifications for a couple of days and elect to watch this thread. Find something else to do with those idle fingers.