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I am on a metered internet service and want to control when automatic updates are done. Most postings (e.g. How do I turn off automatic updates COMPLETELY and FOR REAL?) suggest either:

cdonham@Axon:~$ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades
APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "0";
APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0";
APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0";
APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "0";

or

enter image description here

I am still getting notices that new software is available. Note that it is not installing the software, it is just notifying me every morning that I have new software to install. So it is clearly still checking repositories for new packages. See:

enter image description here

Other relevant data:

  • I have tried installing the updates it wants to do, but the next morning, there are more updates it wants to install.
  • I have tried rebooting the computer to make sure all relevant services are referring to the updated files.
  • I have DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS"

UPDATE:

My question is:

  1. It is clearly still checking repositories (and I don't know what else). I am trying to limit bandwidth because I am on a metered internet service (rural). How do I make it stop? (I thought "Automatically check for Updates --> Never" would mean don't check the repository for updates).
  2. Since I am not installing updates regularly, there are always updates to install. How do I make it stop prompting me to install updates?

Do I really have to resort to "apt remove" as the post references?
(seems awfully extreme to have to remove the packages)

Christopher Donham
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    What is precisely your question? Do you want to prevent updates to be installed automatically? Or do you not want to be notified when newer software versions are available? Note: the notification does not mean that the software is downloaded. – Jan Oct 24 '22 at 14:29
  • In order to post the notification, it had to check the repositories to look for updates. Also, since I am not regularly installing updates, I am getting the notifications often and want them to go away. I meant for my question to be how do I "Disable automatic updates", including checking the repositories and prompting me to do the installations. I will edit the posting. – Christopher Donham Oct 24 '22 at 14:44
  • You can't disable the auto snap updates. – Organic Marble Oct 24 '22 at 14:52
  • I have already disabled snap. (it was a while ago, I would have to go dig out the reference -- you start by disabling the service with systemctl) – Christopher Donham Oct 24 '22 at 14:53
  • you have "display immediately" selected for updates, so of course it keeps prompting you. Maybe change that setting? – Esther Oct 24 '22 at 17:23
  • The only options in the security updates pull down are "Display immediately", "Download automatically", and "Download and install automatically". Which of those is the appropriate choice? If it isn't checking for updates, there should be nothing to display. – Christopher Donham Oct 24 '22 at 17:32
  • Maybe stupid question Is not packagekit working under the surface? – nobody Oct 25 '22 at 07:59

2 Answers2

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Two additional ways to disable unattended/automatic updates/upgrades:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades

Then when prompted to automatically download and install stable updates - select “No”

Or

sudo apt remove unattended-upgrades

The 2nd method worked for me on 22.04

Optionwiz
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Back in the olden days, when dial-up connection over phone lines was how we accessed internet, I would just disconnect when I wasn't using it. I think if I were on a metered connection that's what I would do now. Not only would that guarantee no automatic checking for updates, it would guarantee no unwanted Internet traffic at all. Is that something you can do?

MDeBusk
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  • I remember when sending email meant knowing the hops between you and the destination... sigh. I will classify this in the more extreme options as the other devices in the house are generally well behaved. I could also "apt remove" the auto update software (see reference in the original posting), but again, this seems extreme. Most services can be turned off without removing them. I'm trying to understand if the auto updater has such an option. – Christopher Donham Oct 24 '22 at 15:05