Ahah, this bug from 2011 is still valid in 2017 with Zesty! Extract from `ps axf` today:
27019 ? Sl 0:00 \_ gdm-session-worker [pam/gdm-password] 27029 tty2 Ssl+ 0:00 \_ /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session --run-script gnome-session --session=gnome 27031 tty2 Sl+ 1:05 \_ /usr/lib/xorg/Xorg vt2 -displayfd 3 -auth /run/user/1000/gdm/Xauthority -background none -noreset -keep 27035 tty2 S+ 0:00 | \_ /usr/lib/xserver-xorg-video-intel/xf86-video-intel-backlight-helper intel_backlight 27045 tty2 Sl+ 0:00 \_ /usr/lib/gnome-session/gnome-session-binary --session=gnome 27159 tty2 Sl+ 1:12 \_ /usr/bin/gnome-shell ... 27337 tty2 SLl+ 0:10 \_ /usr/bin/gnome-software --gapplication-service 27973 tty2 Sl+ 0:00 \_ update-notifier ... 28014 ? SNl 0:03 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/sbin/aptd 29484 pts/0 SNs+ 0:00 \_ /usr/bin/python3 /usr/sbin/aptd 29502 pts/0 SN+ 0:00 \_ /bin/sh -c /usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt || true 29503 pts/0 SN+ 0:00 \_ /usr/bin/perl -w /usr/sbin/dpkg-preconfigure --apt 29505 pts/0 ZN+ 0:00 \_ [dpkg-preconfigu] <defunct> 29491 tty2 S+ 0:00 /usr/bin/perl -w /usr/bin/debconf-communicate -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to apt in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/856533 Title: Poor feedback, and no ability to escape, when an installation hangs Status in apt package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Status in aptdaemon package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Status in software-center package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: There are many bug reports about situations where an installation goes part-way through, and then gets stuck. For example, bug 815102, bug 796672, bug 795931, bug 795000, bug 779343, bug 775687, bug 753530, bug 730397, bug 725185, bug 723617, and bug 722814. When an installation gets stuck like this, Ubuntu Software Center gives no sign that it is stuck, it just says "Applying changes" forever. And it's not obvious how to unstick it, short of restarting the computer. As long as Ubuntu allows maintainer scripts, and as long as maintainer scripts can do anything they like, it will be possible for an installation to get wedged. And as long as we allow installation of third-party packages, some of those problems will not be fixable by Ubuntu developers. Therefore, we can't rely just on fixing bugs in individual installation/removal scripts. We should also have a failsafe that stops the operation -- or at least gives you the choice to stop the operation -- once the system can tell that it's not getting anywhere. Possible definitions of "it's not getting anywhere": (a) the overall installation, after the download finished, has taken more than 30 minutes (b) the installation hasn't written to any files in the past 5 minutes (c) an strace of the installation script shows that it's in a loop (d) something else (e) some combination of these. If you do choose to stop an installation, apt should then do its level best to undo whatever the installation had done so far. To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/apt/+bug/856533/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
