Public bug reported: While triaging LP: #1803587 I found that originally autoremovable packages were handled as newly autoremovable ones by unattended-upgrades due to not finding all of them at the beginning of u-u's run.
The root cause seems to be cache.clear() resetting pkg.is_auto_removable to False under some circumstances I haven't fully narrowed down. The reproduction is as follows: Set up a Bionic (or later) system with autoremovable packages, packages upgradable from -security and blacklist at least one upgradable package and apply the following patch to u-u: root@bb-1803587:~# diff -Naur /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade.orig /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade --- /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade.orig 2018-11-16 16:17:58.522583254 +0000 +++ /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade 2018-11-16 16:36:12.226675870 +0000 @@ -948,7 +948,9 @@ def rewind_cache(cache, pkgs_to_upgrade): # type: (apt.Cache, List[apt.Package]) -> None """ set the cache back to the state with packages_to_upgrade """ + print([pkg.name for pkg in cache if pkg.is_auto_removable]) cache.clear() + print([pkg.name for pkg in cache if pkg.is_auto_removable]) for pkg2 in pkgs_to_upgrade: pkg2.mark_install(from_user=not pkg2.is_auto_installed) if cache.broken_count > 0: Run u-u to observe cache.clear() resetting the list of autoremovable packages: ~# /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade --dry-run --verbose --debug Initial blacklisted packages: systemd Initial whitelisted packages: Starting unattended upgrades script Allowed origins are: o=Ubuntu,a=bionic, o=Ubuntu,a=bionic-security, o=UbuntuESM,a=bionic Using (^linux-image|^linux-headers|^linux-image-extra|^linux-modules|^linux-modules-extra|^linux-signed-image|^kfreebsd-image|^kfreebsd-headers|^gnumach-image|^.*-modules|^.*-kernel|^linux-backports-modules-.*|^linux-modules-.*|^linux-tools|^linux-cloud-tools) regexp to find kernel packages Using (^linux-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-headers.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-image-extra.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-modules.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-modules-extra.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-signed-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|^kfreebsd-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|^kfreebsd-headers.*4.15.0-38-generic|^gnumach-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|4.15.0-38-generic.*-modules|4.15.0-38-generic.*-kernel|^linux-backports-modules-.*.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-modules-.*.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-tools.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-cloud-tools.*4.15.0-38-generic) regexp to find running kernel packages Checking: apport ([<Origin component:'main' archive:'bionic-updates' origin:'Ubuntu' label:'Ubuntu' site:'archive.ubuntu.com' isTrusted:True>]) adjusting candidate version: apport=2.20.9-0ubuntu7.1 ... Checking: libnss-systemd ([<Origin component:'main' archive:'bionic-updates' origin:'Ubuntu' label:'Ubuntu' site:'archive.ubuntu.com' isTrusted:True>, <Origin component:'main' archive:'bionic-security' origin:'Ubuntu' label:'Ubuntu' site:'security.ubuntu.com' isTrusted:True>]) skipping blacklisted package systemd pkg systemd package has been blacklisted sanity check failed ['libfreetype6'] [] ... ** Affects: python-apt (Ubuntu) Importance: Undecided Status: New -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to python-apt in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1803749 Title: apt.Cache.clear() may set apt.Package.is_auto_removable to False Status in python-apt package in Ubuntu: New Bug description: While triaging LP: #1803587 I found that originally autoremovable packages were handled as newly autoremovable ones by unattended- upgrades due to not finding all of them at the beginning of u-u's run. The root cause seems to be cache.clear() resetting pkg.is_auto_removable to False under some circumstances I haven't fully narrowed down. The reproduction is as follows: Set up a Bionic (or later) system with autoremovable packages, packages upgradable from -security and blacklist at least one upgradable package and apply the following patch to u-u: root@bb-1803587:~# diff -Naur /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade.orig /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade --- /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade.orig 2018-11-16 16:17:58.522583254 +0000 +++ /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade 2018-11-16 16:36:12.226675870 +0000 @@ -948,7 +948,9 @@ def rewind_cache(cache, pkgs_to_upgrade): # type: (apt.Cache, List[apt.Package]) -> None """ set the cache back to the state with packages_to_upgrade """ + print([pkg.name for pkg in cache if pkg.is_auto_removable]) cache.clear() + print([pkg.name for pkg in cache if pkg.is_auto_removable]) for pkg2 in pkgs_to_upgrade: pkg2.mark_install(from_user=not pkg2.is_auto_installed) if cache.broken_count > 0: Run u-u to observe cache.clear() resetting the list of autoremovable packages: ~# /usr/bin/unattended-upgrade --dry-run --verbose --debug Initial blacklisted packages: systemd Initial whitelisted packages: Starting unattended upgrades script Allowed origins are: o=Ubuntu,a=bionic, o=Ubuntu,a=bionic-security, o=UbuntuESM,a=bionic Using (^linux-image|^linux-headers|^linux-image-extra|^linux-modules|^linux-modules-extra|^linux-signed-image|^kfreebsd-image|^kfreebsd-headers|^gnumach-image|^.*-modules|^.*-kernel|^linux-backports-modules-.*|^linux-modules-.*|^linux-tools|^linux-cloud-tools) regexp to find kernel packages Using (^linux-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-headers.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-image-extra.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-modules.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-modules-extra.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-signed-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|^kfreebsd-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|^kfreebsd-headers.*4.15.0-38-generic|^gnumach-image.*4.15.0-38-generic|4.15.0-38-generic.*-modules|4.15.0-38-generic.*-kernel|^linux-backports-modules-.*.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-modules-.*.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-tools.*4.15.0-38-generic|^linux-cloud-tools.*4.15.0-38-generic) regexp to find running kernel packages Checking: apport ([<Origin component:'main' archive:'bionic-updates' origin:'Ubuntu' label:'Ubuntu' site:'archive.ubuntu.com' isTrusted:True>]) adjusting candidate version: apport=2.20.9-0ubuntu7.1 ... Checking: libnss-systemd ([<Origin component:'main' archive:'bionic-updates' origin:'Ubuntu' label:'Ubuntu' site:'archive.ubuntu.com' isTrusted:True>, <Origin component:'main' archive:'bionic-security' origin:'Ubuntu' label:'Ubuntu' site:'security.ubuntu.com' isTrusted:True>]) skipping blacklisted package systemd pkg systemd package has been blacklisted sanity check failed ['libfreetype6'] [] ... To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python-apt/+bug/1803749/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : touch-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp