Score:0

MOTD: '444 updates can be applied immediately'. `apt list --upgradable` lists just 4!

I have a Ubuntu 18.04.6 LTS machine that says to me, after logging in:

444 updates can be applied immediately.

To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable

But when I use apt list --upgradable, as suggested, it lists just 4 available updates.

  • Why is the machine lying to me?

I don't remember doing anything that could possibly justify this passive-agressive behaviour towards me.

  1. The suggestion to logout and login again is not fixing the MOTD;
  2. The suggestion to run run-parts /etc/update-motd.d/ does not fixes MOTD, as it just displays it again, and cat /run/motd.dynamic.new can't work because No such file or directory.
user535733 avatar
cn flag
Previous discussion suggests that you seem to have a different problem with MOTD itself. Check your syslog for clues. I don't run 18.04 anymore, so will bow out.
BsAxUbx5KoQDEpCAqSffwGy554PSah avatar
@user535733 Maybe it could be caused by [this 'unmet dependencies' error](https://askubuntu.com/questions/1456349/unmet-dependencies-containerd-breaks-docker-io)?
BsAxUbx5KoQDEpCAqSffwGy554PSah avatar
sj flag
@user535733 After fixing the 'unmet dependencies' error, the MOTD started to correctly show "0" instead of "444". As you helped a lot on solving the 'unmet dependencies' error, would you like to formally provide the answer to the original question here?
user535733 avatar
cn flag
Fee free to detail the solution. You can answer your own question.
Score:0

The problem was that one update was stuck, giving this error:

E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution).

After the unmet dependency was solved, apt upgrade resumed working, and MOTD automatically started to get updated with the correct number of available updates.

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