Ubuntu

Will Ubuntu LTS package updates ever ask debconf questions?

Asked by Brian Pitts

My workplace is currently considering standardizing Linux desktops on Ubuntu LTS. We would pin important packages and let cron-apt silently update the rest. To do the, we need to know that package updates should never ask debconf questions.

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Jeff Greene
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Jeff Greene (jeffgreene) said : 		#1

From experience, I have only seen debconf questions when packages are first installed, but once it is already on there, it shouldn't have to ask you anymore. Maybe if there was a package that was updated and its dependencies changed so that it needed another package with debconf, then the problem could occur. I'm sure you already know this, but there is a list of packages with debconfs in Synaptic if you click on the "Custom Filters" button and select "Package with Debconf."

In short: No, I am pretty confident that software will not ask debconf questions after the initial configuration, however it may be wise to ask for a second opinion.

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Best Jeff Greene (jeffgreene) said : 		#2

After reading the manpage and Wikipedia article on debconf, I am reassured that the only way the debconf questions are initiated is at the initial installation and when one is reconfiguring the package manually. The initial case still holds, however the chance of a software changing its dependencies that drastically (usually it is just to newer versions of the same packages) to where it would depend on a package needed to be configured is quite slim. The fact that debconf caches the responses to the questions it asks makes it possible to do updates without user intervention.

In a situation such as yours where you are updating multiple computers that are probably critical to your business, it may be advisable to manually test the updates before distributing them to every computer or to only update if the update is needed. For the regular user, automatic updates are usually not a problem. A while back, there was an xorg update that caused many computers to not be able to boot up X11 and it caused a lot of problems. Now, package updates for stable releases are supposed to be reviewed more carefully. For a business, you can never be too careful. If the software works, you probably don't need to update it.

That is just my opinion.

I am happy that you are considering using Ubuntu LTS for your workplace. I wish you the best of luck.

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Brian Pitts (bpitts) said : 		#3

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