notifier icon (unprivileged users) not appearing

Thanks for your bugreport.

Could you please try to run update-notifier with the "--force" option ? There might be a bug in the 8.04 and 8.10 version that its not honored. If that is the case, please let me know.

Only "works" in a limited sense, meaning it's not useful:

[reg user]@[server name]:~$ update-notifier --force
  PID TTY TIME CMD
 5756 ? 00:00:04 pulseaudio

Cursor sits just below the last line with no indication of further processing. Yes the icon appears, however, if I stop the process [Ctl-C] the notifier icon disappears.

I tried these options, without success too:

[reg user]@[server name]:~$ /usr/bin/python /usr/lib/update-notifier/apt-check --force
Usage: apt-check [options]

apt-check: error: no such option: --force

[reg user]@[server name]:~$ /usr/bin/python /usr/lib/update-notifier --force
/usr/bin/python: '/usr/lib/update-notifier' is a directory, cannot continue

and this too failed:

[reg user]@[server name]:~$ /usr/bin/python update-notifier --force
/usr/bin/python: can't open file 'update-notifier': [Errno 2] No such file or directory

A.K.A. clutching at straws. If you have any other suggestions I will be glad to try them.

Thanks for the interest, it helps knowing it should work.

H.

> Thanks for your bugreport.
>
> Could you please try to run update-notifier with the "--force" option ?
> There might be a bug in the 8.04 and 8.10 version that its not honored.
> If that is the case, please let me know.

Tried it. While the notifier icon appeared the terminal seems to hang.
If it is safe to leave a terminal in this condition I could use this
option. I reported the results beneath the bug report. This email is
just to let you know I responded. [I still do not think this is a real
bug, had I known of the Questions area that's where I would have posted my
question.]

Thanks for the interest.
>
> ** Changed in: update-notifier (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => Wishlist
> Status: New => Triaged
>
> ** Changed in: update-notifier (Ubuntu)
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Michael Vogt (mvo)
>
> --
> notifier icon (unprivileged users) not appearing
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/288099
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “update-notifier” source package in Ubuntu: Triaged
>
> Bug description:
> This is really not a bug: it's a design issue and I understand the logic
> for the current choice.
>
> However, under the desktop 6.06 it was possible to have an unprivileged
> user see the icon, which I know can irritate some users: Bug #47253
>
> But the option was available to hide the icon from such users (which makes
> great sense on a corporate desktop). I think the option should be
> available under 8.04 to allow a select set to be aware when updates are
> required.
>
> I happen to like the Ubuntu security model where any user is not by
> default assigned permanent administrative rights. I wrote about it in:
> http://bst-softwaredevs.com/apps/articles/ubuntu-8-04-sudo-user.html and
> described a method I thought would allow the update-notifier to be running
> on a unprivileged user's desktop. However, I discovered the sudo users
> account had to be active, which potentially negates the security
> advantages of having a sudo user identity. I have experimented and so far
> I have not found a way to give visibility to the notifier without giving
> that user administrative rights.
>
> If such an option does not exist, I suggest that it be consider as an
> addition (i.e. a non-default allowing selected non-sudo right users to see
> the notifier icon). Unlike the user reporting the bug #4725, I want to
> keep the sudo account closed unless I am doing administrative work on my
> machine. As the Ubuntu unprivileged user I spend time doing webmaster
> functions on my site. Hence, if during that exposure access to this
> account is obtained I would prefer not to give an easy escalation to my
> root level account. I do take precautions, e.g. my sudo account has a
> much more complex password. But my preference is to stay within a low
> rights account and change users to perform administrative tasks only when
> needed.
>
> I apologize for being so verbose, however, I am attempted to make clear
> that I am only seeking what was available previously as a non-default
> option. I think others even in some business environments would
> appreciate the sam...

This bug was fixed in the package update-notifier - 0.75

---------------
update-notifier (0.75) jaunty; urgency=low

  * debian/15update-stamp:
    - make it cooperate with other update-success hooks
  * data/cddistupgrader:
    - fix quoting issues
  * src/update-notifier.c:
    - honor "--force" again and show the update-notifications
      then even for users not in the admin group (LP: #288099)
    - merge the gio branch
    - change statup delay to be calculated in seconds
    - change default to 5
  * data/update-notifier.desktop.in:
    - set delay to 60 sec
  * do not use GnomeClient anymore on all places where this is
    possible - we can not remove it entirely (yet) because
    reboot.c depends on it to do a cross desktop session exit
    request
  * src/update-notifier.c:
    - move package manager to foreground if possible (LP: #274562),
      thanks to Muhammad Ameen
  * use the glib checksum functions instead of home grown
    implementation (thanks to Bruce Cowan)

 -- Michael Vogt <email address hidden> Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:24:01 +0100