I have been seeing this. TL;DR: workaround: delete /var/lib/apt/extended_states
INVESTIGATION I tried reinstalling the update-manager $ sudo apt install --reinstall update-manager but that didn't help. SO I moved the apt directory and created a blank one $ sudo mv /var/lib/apt /var/lib/apt.orig $ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt then I updated apt $ sudo apt update Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [247 kB] Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [11.5 kB] ... Get:119 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse amd64 DEP-11 Metadata [212 B] Get:120 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse DEP-11 64x64 Icons [29 B] Fetched 55.2 MB in 1min 13s (748 kB/s) AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors. Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done 20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them. $ Now despite the complaint above ("AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors.") software-updater works; it lists the upgradeable packages. The only subdirectory that got recreated under /var/lib/apt is /var/lib/apt/lists (and its subdirectory) SO I blew away the directory and copied everything except the lists directory and updated again $ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt $ sudo cp -R /var/lib/apt.orig /var/lib/apt $ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/lists/ $ sudo apt update Get:1 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease [247 kB] Get:3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [107 kB] ... Get:120 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security/multiverse DEP-11 64x64 Icons [29 B] Fetched 55.2 MB in 1min 13s (747 kB/s) AppStream cache update completed, but some metadata was ignored due to errors. Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done 20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them. $ I got the same error, HOWEVER Software Updater is blank again. I tried deleting the /var/lib/apt/periodic directory and updating $ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/periodic/ $ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/periodic $ sudo apt update Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease Hit:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease Hit:4 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease Hit:7 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease Hit:5 http://screenshots.getdeb.net xenial-getdeb InRelease Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done 20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them. $ ls /var/lib/apt/periodic update-success-stamp $ Now I no longer see a metadata error from apt, but software-updater is still blank. SO I delete the extended_states file $ sudo rm /var/lib/apt/extended_states $ sudo apt update Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease Hit:2 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease Hit:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-updates InRelease Hit:4 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease Hit:5 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-backports InRelease Hit:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease Hit:7 http://screenshots.getdeb.net xenial-getdeb InRelease Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done 20 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them. $ NOW software-updater is showing the upgradeable files SO just to be sure, I copied the original stuff back and deleted JUST the extended_states file $ sudo rm -R /var/lib/apt/ $ sudo cp -R /var/lib/apt.orig/ /var/lib/apt/ $ sudo rm /var/lib/apt/extended_states $ AND software_updater is now showing the upgradeable packages. There's the workaround. Are there consequences of having no extended_states file? -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1766217 Title: software updater presents an empty panel for updating To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+bug/1766217/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
