Just updated a load of packages through software updater, but some I wasn't able to select, as shown in the image below:
I'm not quite sure why. Anyone know how I can get them to install?
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That should be hold-back Packages. When You make a sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade in the Terminal, you should see that they are there but hold back. You could simply wait a couple Days. Then they should be updatable normally. Or - if You want so - You can install them with sudo apt install [Package-Name] in the Terminal. Then the Packages will be updated, too.
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Just wanting to elaborate a bit on that. The system will hold them back because something else possibly has a requirement on the older version installed, so the system wants to make sure nothing will break, so chooses to just delay. As @Ponce-De-Leon said, you can force them to install. But in my opinion, unless you ABSOLUTELY NEED them for something, I would just wait for them to upgrade naturally.
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Thanks for that, I'd not heard of hold back packages before, so that's new to me.
You were right, as I can see they are held back:
The following packages have been kept back:
language-pack-gnome-en language-pack-gnome-en-base libgd3 libgd3:i386
shim-signed
With the GD library, I think I have meddled with that that a bit for wine requiring the i386 compiled version.
I note there's a difference in the version numbers of the candidates between libgd3 & libgd3:i386, which I think is what has caused issues with wine previously. Should they be the same version number?
apt-cache policy libgd3
libgd3:
Installed: 2.3.0-2ubuntu2
Candidate: 2.3.3-12+ubuntu22.04.1+deb.sury.org+1
Version table:
2.3.3-12+ubuntu22.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 500
500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/ondrej/php/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 Packages
*** 2.3.0-2ubuntu2 500
500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
apt-cache policy libgd3:i386
libgd3:i386:
Installed: 2.3.0-2ubuntu2
Candidate: 2.3.3-6+ubuntu22.04.1+deb.sury.org+1
Version table:
2.3.3-6+ubuntu22.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 500
500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/ondrej/php/ubuntu jammy/main i386 Packages
*** 2.3.0-2ubuntu2 500
500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main i386 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
Also the older version of libgd3 has caused issues updating PHP, so I'd like to get it updated, assuming it works with wine & PHP.
Starting to understand a bit more about dependency management anyway, can get a bit confusing and complicated.
Did you already try to add the PPA from the version table mentioned?
On the command line:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php
Then, it's a matter of running the update again normally.
sudo apt update
Yeah, that PPA was already added, I have just added it again just in case. I think I originally did that so I could have PHP 8.3 which I needed for a couple of web projects that I hadn't yet migrated to docker, I think it's still 8.2 with ubuntu 22.02.
Those packages are showing as upgradable now. Should I upgrade, or will this happen automatically?
Still has the mismatch in versions for libgd3, libgd3:i386.
apt list --upgradable
Listing... Done
language-pack-gnome-en-base/jammy-updates,jammy-updates 1:22.04+20240902 all [upgradable from: 1:22.04+20240212]
language-pack-gnome-en/jammy-updates,jammy-updates 1:22.04+20240902 all [upgradable from: 1:22.04+20240212]
libgd3/jammy 2.3.3-12+ubuntu22.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 2.3.0-2ubuntu2]
libgd3/jammy 2.3.3-6+ubuntu22.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 i386 [upgradable from: 2.3.0-2ubuntu2]
shim-signed/jammy-updates 1.51.4+15.8-0ubuntu1 amd64 [upgradable from: 1.51.3+15.7-0ubuntu1]
On a related note, is there a way of saving the system state prior to making changes so that I can roll back if needed? And if so, is there a way of automating that? Windows used to create system restore points before big updates, and you could do your own too (not that I ever did that often).
Thanks for your help, really appreciate it. Just talking these issues through help a lot in gaining a deeper understanding of the inner workings of linux.
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You need to have Timeshift installed to make snapshots. The default setting is 5 snapshots a day and excludes your /home folder for good reason. Say you are working on a project stored in your /home partition, if you include this in your snapshot, restoring would give you an earlier project state than where you were up to. You can of course create a manual snapshot in addition to scheduled Timeshift snapshots. Also good idea to backup project material updates to external device. Note that when Zorin 17 was launched Timeshift was in Software but not current version. Install from here:
Just to add, if you intend storing snapshots externally, remember to format the external device the same as that used for Zorin, Ext4.
Thanks, I did have timeshift setup, just forgot about it. Have installed the update from github. I note the project is now maintained by mint.
I'll get into the habit of taking a backup before updates. Is there any way to automate that?
Already have my user files backed up to cloud daily so sorted there.
thanks!
I suspect a cron job or script, of which I am not proficient on either.
- Open Timeshift: Launch the Timeshift application from your system's menu.
- Set Schedule: Go to the "Schedule" tab and configure the desired frequency (daily, weekly, monthly).
- Choose Snapshot Location: Specify where you want to save the snapshots. External drives are often preferred for storage and security.
- Adjust Exclusions (Optional): If you want to exclude certain directories from the snapshots, you can do so in the "Exclusions" tab. However, be cautious about excluding critical system directories.
Hope that helps!
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Brave A.I.:
Run Timeshift Before Updates
Based on the search results, here are a few approaches to automate running Timeshift before updates are installed:
- timeshift-autosnap:
- For Ubuntu and Debian-based systems, use the
timeshift-autosnap-aptscript, which creates snapshots of your system with Timeshift before a package install, remove, or upgrade using the DPkg::Pre-Invoke hook in apt. - Install the script using
sudo apt install timeshift-autosnap-aptand configure it according to the GitHub repository’s instructions.
- Pacman Hook:
- For Arch Linux-based systems, use the
timeshift-autosnapscript, which runs before package upgrades using a Pacman hook. - Install the script and configure it according to the Arch Linux Forums’ instructions.
- Custom Script:
- Create a custom script that runs Timeshift before updating packages using your system’s package manager (e.g.,
aptfor Ubuntu-based systems orpacmanfor Arch Linux-based systems). - Use the
DPkg::Pre-InvokeorPacmanhooks to integrate the script with your system’s update process.
Additional Considerations:
- Make sure to install the necessary packages (e.g.,
chiark-utils-binfor Ubuntu-based systems) to enable the Timeshift locking mechanism, which prevents updates from occurring while a Timeshift snapshot is running. - Configure your system to run the Timeshift script automatically before updates, either by setting up a cron job or integrating it with your system’s update manager.
Remember to test and customize the script according to your specific system and setup to ensure seamless automation of Timeshift backups before updates.
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He already uses Timeshift. He wants automation before updates and upgrades.
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- timeshift-autosnap:
- For Ubuntu and Debian-based systems, use the
timeshift-autosnap-aptscript, which creates snapshots of your system with Timeshift before a package install, remove, or upgrade using the DPkg::Pre-Invoke hook in apt.- Install the script using
sudo apt install timeshift-autosnap-aptand configure it according to the GitHub repository’s instructions.
Thanks, installed that now, although had to build from the source, there's no apt package available.
Tested and all seems to be working well.
cheers!
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