Software & Updates (software-properties-gtk), has always had some undesireable characteristics for me. For example, no mattter how I tweak the settings, the app always “nags” me about checking-for-updates, no matter how many times I tell it “no,” and manually check for and install updates from the cli. It even does this “before” I’m able to establish a network connection. It really annoys the heck out of me. In fact, the only way I’ve ever managed to get any peace has been to 1. wait for a network connection, 2. Accept its offer, by selecting “Yes, I want to check for updates” then, 3. Telling it to install these updates, even if there are “0” of them. Not only does it seem incongruous, to even offer to install zero updates; but I’m motivated to ask “who wrote this?” Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for everyone’s effort; but’s there “apparently” something wrong with “some” of the core logic and the messages, “or” my specific installation.
I’d like to know if anyone else has experienced this and if a fix or workarounds exists.
Thanks, Val
What version of Parrot are you running? (include version, edition, and architecture)
Operating System: Parrot GNU/Linux 4.4
Kernel: Linux 4.18.0-parrot20-amd64
Architecture: x86-64
What method did you use to install Parrot? (Debian Standard / Debian GTK / parrot-experimental)
Also having this problem. “Software and Updates” no longer launches, and when it did, I also could not get it to stop checking updates.
When attempting to sudo open “software-properties-gtk” from term, I get:
ERROR:root:Cannot import UbuntuDrivers: No module named ‘UbuntuDrivers’
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/usr/bin/software-properties-gtk”, line 101, in
app = SoftwarePropertiesGtk(datadir=options.data_dir, options=options, file=file)
File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/gtk/SoftwarePropertiesGtk.py”, line 109, in init
SoftwareProperties.init(self, options=options, datadir=datadir)
File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py”, line 109, in init
self.reload_sourceslist()
File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py”, line 599, in reload_sourceslist
self.distro.get_sources(self.sourceslist)
File “/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/aptsources/distro.py”, line 93, in get_sources
(self.id, self.codename))
aptsources.distro.NoDistroTemplateException: Error: could not find a distribution template for Parrot/n/a
I think (and I’m literally just saying what I thought when since I’ve learned a little about parrot; I use (and I think most use it too but idk) synaptic if I dont use apt, to do all of the obvious. I have also had the same experience as you with the ubuntu software gtx but I have honestly thinking it’s possible this could be the parrot package manager package that I think says it’s under development and it’s one of @palinuro goals or project or just even something that was waiting for support or who knows but maybe Lorenzo can clarify this for us. I gave up after the second attempt way back somewhere in 3.x version and never needed to think about it since because I dont miss them/use them. I’ll go investigate if parrot-upgrade is working correctly
So i believe you are talking about update-reminder script.
Use this command to start it update-reminder start.
It isnt too complicated you can read it/ understand its logic easy enough cat /usr/bin/update-reminder.
It was written by palinuro. But its an early version, so i am sure there are things he would change.
I checked cron and init.d, but i cant seem to find where the script is being started from. The best option would be to just prevent it from starting. Alternatively you could just modify the script.
Edit: ‘hbgjjmya’ mentions its started by the mate-session-properties (startup applications)
You know, I can see the Ubuntu influences in Parrot. Some of the style of the DE appears to have come from “Maveric Meercat,” which was gorgeous. Also, when I first noticed the browser buttons on the “left,” I realized that you had hired one or more former Ubuntu devs. “Bloody Brits drive on the left they do.” Actually, having the maximize, minimize, and close buttons on the left are a bit of an inconvenience for me. I use a couple of browsers that won’t accept system window decoration; so I end up with a mixed bag, which is worse than one way or the other.
Another issue with Ubuntu was and maybe still is “versioning control.” That’s ultimately why I dropped it and won’t go back. They were also experiencing massive mission creep, and were going broke. This also led to management decisions to turn on “ALL” of the tracking and surveillance features, out-of-the-box. The Unity DE, also took choices away from the user, rather than offering more. Gnome 3 is better; but’s its still buggy as hell, since un-maintained extensions break every DE upgrade. This problem could actually be solved by having the DE update script first check for deprecated extenstions and then disable them, before performing the upgrade. The user could also be informed about the incompatibility of “some” of the old extensions, with an admonition to replace them with something else more up-to-date. Instead, “X” fails to launch, leaving you stranded at the cli. The only way to repair this is to lauch an “unmodified” guest account on the same system, drill down to the home folder of the damaged account and manually delete Gnome Extensions until X is able to load. If you don’t have a guest or another user account, you can also boot into another linux distro, with a working DE and do it from there.
Maybe that million dollars they got from Gates will help them get organized; but they’ll probably just build their hierarchy, with the money instead, just like every corporation does.
one temporary solution is : go to the “system panel”, “preferences”, “startup applications” and disable “system updater”
as for your last line, yes it’s only when we are tiny that we try to improve ourselves, when we get bigger, most of us will be content with that and stop…
i can solve one of those for you though! in the appearance settings menu (sorry i know you like CLI but i dont know the command off the top of my head) yoiu can change the window behaviour and appearance to un mac it lol