Bug 435807

Summary:	[Feature request] Add a setting to prevent discover from checking for updates automatically.
Product:	[Applications] Discover	Reporter:	SoilpH96 <filippo27998>
Component:	PackageKit	Assignee:	Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen <leinir>
Status:	RESOLVED DUPLICATE
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	aleixpol, nate
Priority:	NOR
Version:	5.21.4
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Arch Linux
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description SoilpH96 2021-04-16 10:49:53 UTC

Currently, there is no option (that I know of) to prevent Discover from checking for updates in the background. While this behavior might be the most convenient default for most users, one might want to stop automatic updates for any reason. In particular, on Arch Linux this behavior using the PackageKit backend leads to a "partial update" which is unsupported by pacman and can potentially cause breakage if the user is not careful, which makes it really hard for Arch users to recommend using Discover.

According to the Arch Wiki, GNOME Software has a similar setting through dconf, "gsettings set org.gnome.software download-updates false", but I have not tested this as I don't use GNOME. My request is to add this feature to Discover and expose it through GUI. 

Thank you for your attention.

Comment 1 Aleix Pol 2021-04-16 16:40:21 UTC

I'm not really familiar with the problem in ArchLinux. Is it documented anywhere?

I'm not sure it makes sense to stop all cache refreshes. For example we probably need one when starting Discover or the package states are potentially all out of sync.

Furthermore, I'm not sure the option should be in the GUI either. How would a user know they need to disable updates download?

Comment 2 SoilpH96 2021-04-18 10:20:25 UTC

(In reply to Aleix Pol from comment #1)
> I'm not really familiar with the problem in ArchLinux. Is it documented
> anywhere?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/System_maintenance#Partial_upgrades_are_unsupported

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GNOME/Tips_and_tricks#Prevent_GNOME_Software_from_downloading_updates

> I'm not sure it makes sense to stop all cache refreshes. For example we
> probably need one when starting Discover or the package states are
> potentially all out of sync.

I don't think this is necessarily a problem, the cache would still be refreshed when the user decides to initiate the update, obviously. 

> Furthermore, I'm not sure the option should be in the GUI either. How would
> a user know they need to disable updates download?

As long as the option exists I am fine, really.

Comment 3 Nate Graham 2021-04-21 18:39:06 UTC


*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 416193 ***