I'm pretty sure this is the source of the problem, software-properties looks at Apt configuration options, which are the following in a fresh install of Xenial.
bdmurray@clean-xenial-amd64:~$ grep -r "APT::Periodic" /etc/apt/* /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic:APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1"; /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic:APT::Periodic::Download-Upgradeable-Packages "0"; /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic:APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0"; /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades:APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1"; /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades:APT::Periodic::Unattended-Upgrade "1"; So we have autodownload set to 0, and unattended set to 1. Looking at the code in SoftwareProperties.py we see: 147 if apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["autoupdate"]) > 0: 148 # Autodownload 149 if apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["unattended"]) == 1\ 150 and apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["autodownload"]) == 1 : 151 return softwareproperties.UPDATE_INST_SEC 152 elif apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["autodownload"]) == 1 and \ 153 apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["unattended"]) == 0: 154 return softwareproperties.UPDATE_DOWNLOAD 155 elif apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["unattended"]) == 0 and \ 156 apt_pkg.config.find_i(softwareproperties.CONF_MAP["autodownload"]) == 0: 157 return softwareproperties.UPDATE_NOTIFY 158 else: 159 return None So somebody's created a situation we hadn't planned on. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to software-properties in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1554099 Title: Changing what action for security updates unusable Status in software-properties package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: Open software-properties. Important security updates is not enabled on install. Secondly - it is not possible to change the action to take with security updates even if it is enabled (note: I enabled security updates, reloaded cache and restarted software-properties before trying to change the action) eg - the Display Immediately/Download automatically/Download and install automatically ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04 Package: software-properties-gtk 0.96.18 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-10.25-generic 4.4.3 Uname: Linux 4.4.0-10-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20-0ubuntu3 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: XFCE Date: Mon Mar 7 15:35:24 2016 InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-03-07 (0 days ago) InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Alpha amd64 (20160307) PackageArchitecture: all SourcePackage: software-properties UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/software-properties/+bug/1554099/+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
