How do I stop software-notifier

The title of your question is "How do I stop software-notifier", but I am not aware of a package or program with such name. I assume you talk about update-notifier.

"update-notifier" is provided as package with that name, but also the package "gnome-packagekit" has the property "provides update-notifier".

You can try installing the package gnome-packagekit and uninstalling the update-notifier package. This should not cause that ubuntu-desktop needs to be removed.

Remark: I do not know whether this solves you original target of "no download unless I ask for it".
Second remark: What settings do you have in software-properties-gtk about update notifications?

On 6/15/21 9:35 AM, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #697549 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/697549
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
> The title of your question is "How do I stop software-notifier", but I
> am not aware of a package or program with such name. I assume you talk
> about update-notifier.
>
> "update-manager" is provided as package with that name, but also the
> package "gnome-packagekit" has the property "provides update-notifier".
>
> You can try installing the package gnome-packagekit and uninstalling the
> update-notifier package. This should not cause that ubuntu-desktop needs
> to be removed.
>
> Remark: I do not know whether this solves you original target of "no download unless I ask for it".
> Second remark: What settings do you have in software-properties-gtk about update notifications?
>

In software-properties-gtk -> Updates,
Snap package updates are checked routinely and installed automaticlly.
   ( I uninstalled snapd long ago )
For other packages, subscribe to: Custom
Automatically check for updates: Never
When there are security updates: Display immediately
When there are other updates: Display weekly
Notify me of a new Ubuntu Version: For LTS versions

 > cat /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/99update-notifier
##DPkg::Post-Invoke {"if [ -d /var/lib/update-notifier ]; then touch
/var/lib/update-notifier/dpkg-run-stamp; fi; /usr/lib/update-notifier/
update-motd-updates-available 2>/dev/null || true";};
##APT::Update::Post-Invoke-Success
{"/usr/lib/update-notifier/update-motd-updates-available 2>/dev/null ||
true";};

 > cat ./apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "0";
APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0";
APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0";
APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "0";
APT::Periodic::Enable "0";

The updates aren't downloaded until you kick off an update. The repositories are simply read to see if newer packages are available, than the ones you have installed. Do you seriously think that Ubuntu downloads every single version of every package you have installed just in case you want to run updates? No, it doesn't do that. The repositories are read periodically. The amount of data downloaded to do this is less than 1Mb

On 6/15/21 2:45 PM, actionparsnip wrote:
> Your question #697549 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/697549
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> The updates aren't downloaded until you kick off an update. The
> repositories are simply read to see if newer packages are available,
> than the ones you have installed. Do you seriously think that Ubuntu
> downloads every single version of every package you have installed just
> in case you want to run updates? No, it doesn't do that. The
> repositories are read periodically. The amount of data downloaded to do
> this is less than 1Mb
>

Yes, I know updates MAY not be downloaded, just version/date
information. I do not want any network activity that I do not
specifically start. I want to control all network activity.

Tom Dean

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

On 6/15/21 9:35 AM, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #697549 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/697549
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
> The title of your question is "How do I stop software-notifier", but I
> am not aware of a package or program with such name. I assume you talk
> about update-notifier.
>
> "update-manager" is provided as package with that name, but also the
> package "gnome-packagekit" has the property "provides update-notifier".
>
> You can try installing the package gnome-packagekit and uninstalling the
> update-notifier package. This should not cause that ubuntu-desktop needs
> to be removed.
>
> Remark: I do not know whether this solves you original target of "no download unless I ask for it".
> Second remark: What settings do you have in software-properties-gtk about update notifications?
>

I replaced /usr/bin/update-notifier with a script that just returns 0

#!/bin/sh
exit 0

Do what you think that it makes sense.
Just remember that you have to re-do that after an update of the package.

Are you sure that you disabled the right file?
According to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UpdateNotifier there is only the check for release updates every two weeks, but several other local activities which you maybe want to keep.

I guess that you want to disable is rather /etc/cron.daily/update-manager-common or the files called in it.

On 7/8/21 11:06 AM, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #697549 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/697549
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
> Do what you think that it makes sense.
> Just remember that you have to re-do that after an update of the package.
>
> Are you sure that you disabled the right file?
> According to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UpdateNotifier there is only the check for release updates every two weeks, but several other local activities which you maybe want to keep.
>
> I guess that you want to disable is rather /etc/cron.daily/update-
> manager-common or the files called in it.
>

I read the README in share/doc

I really do not want any net activity that I did not intentionally ask
for. I do manual updates weekly.

Thanks for the pointer. I exit 0'ed
/etc/cron.daily/update-notifier-common too.

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.