Removing the Ubuntu Advantage package

July

2021

10:00

Linux, безопасность

29 July 2021 10:00

The Ubuntu Linux operating system is generally free of bloatware. With the exception of the "ubuntu advantage tools" package, which Canonical began to distribute for Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Remove the unnecessary package.

What is Ubuntu Advantage

For large corporations using Ubuntu Linux in enterprises and offices, the ability to provide round-the-clock technical support for the operating system is very necessary. Be it a virtual private server (VDS) or a workplace (desktop).

For example, Microsoft provides such support for customers when purchasing Windows OS. There are also advanced packages under the Microsoft Open Agreement (Open Value and Open License).

To enable small and medium-sized businesses to use Linux, Canonical created the Ubuntu Advantage program. Support is provided in the native language - in this case Russian. In Russia, the company “Factor group” is responsible for support (https://www.fgts.ru/).

Why did I uninstall Ubuntu Advantage Tools

Reasons:

1. Participation in the program is paid. Cm.here. I am not going to buy this "Ubuntu Advantage" program or participate in it.
Via package dependencies ubuntu-advantage-tools anything can be installed on my computer (security hole).
This Canonical service package is not open source software.

How to remove the Ubuntu Advantage Tools package?

Delete command

sudo apt remove ubuntu-advantage-tools ubuntu-advantage-desktop-daemon

When you remove these two packages, the packages will be removed through dependencies apport-gtk, apturl-common, distro-info, ubuntu-minimal, ubuntu-server, ubuntu-release-upgrader-core, ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk, update-manager, update-manager-core, update-notifier, update-notifier-common, python3-dateutil, python3-debconf, python3-distro-info python3-distupgrade, python3-update-manager.

Reinstalling any of these packages, such as the "ubuntu-minimal" metapackage, will cause the ubuntu-advantage-tools package to revert through dependencies.

Thus, you either have to put up with the presence of ubuntu-advantage-tools, or abandon the above packages.

Package information ubuntu-advantage-tools

apt-cache show ubuntu-advantage-tools
Package: ubuntu-advantage-tools
Architecture: amd64
Version: 27.2.2~20.04.1
Priority: important
Section: misc
Origin: Ubuntu
Maintainer: Ubuntu Developers 
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Installed-Size: 3107
...
Homepage: https://buy.ubuntu.com

Description-en: management tools for Ubuntu Advantage

Ubuntu Advantage is the professional package of tooling, technology
and expertise from Canonical, helping organizations around the world
manage their Ubuntu deployments.
...
Subscribers to Ubuntu Advantage will find helpful tools for accessing
services in this package.

Update from 11/08/2021 - attempt to spontaneously install the Ubuntu Advantage package

On November 8 I noticed that during the next update the package "Ubuntu-Advantage-Tools" tried to install again:

Pre-configuring packages...

Can't exec "/tmp/ubuntu-advantage-tools.config.LWEG0X": Permission denied at /usr/share/perl/5.30/IPC/Open3.pm line 281.

open2: exec of /tmp/ubuntu-advantage-tools.config.LWEG0X configure 27.2.2~20.04.1 failed: Permission denied at /usr/share/perl5/Debconf/ConfModule.pm line 59.

(Reading database... 623270 files and directories are currently installed.)

Preparing to unpack.../0-ubuntu-advantage-tools_27.3~20.04.1_amd64.deb...

Unpacking ubuntu-advantage-tools (27.3~20.04.1) replacing (27.2.2~20.04.1) …

...

Configuring package ubuntu-advantage-tools (27.3~20.04.1) …

Installing a new version of the configuration file /etc/logrotate.d/ubuntu-advantage-tools …

Installing a new version of the configuration file /etc/ubuntu-advantage/help_data.yaml …

Installing a new version of the configuration file /etc/ubuntu-advantage/uaclient.conf …

Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/timers.target.wants/ua-timer.timer → /lib/systemd/system/ua-timer.timer.

Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/ua-license-check.path → /lib/systemd/system/ua-license-check.path.

I deleted it:

sudo apt-get remove ubuntu-advantage-tools

Recovering Deleted Packages and Ubuntu Advantage Tools

The command to restore deleted packages will bring back ubuntu-advantage-tools via dependencies:

sudo apt install nautilus-share apturl ubuntu-desktop-minimal software-properties-gtk ubuntu-server ubuntu-minimal update-notifier update-notifier-common update-manager ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk update-manager-core

Thus, removing the ubuntu-advantage-tools package, which is included in Ubuntu, Runtu LITE and other OSes, poses a problem.

###Solution to completely remove ubuntu-advantage-tools
(Addendum dated 12/04/2023).

View dependencies:

aptitude -v --show-summary=first-package-and-type why ubuntu-advantage-tools

Packages requiring ubuntu-advantage-tools:
[Depends] friendly-recovery
[Depends] libreoffice-common
[Depends] ubuntu-restricted-extras

aptitude -v --show-summary=all-packages why ubuntu-advantage-tools

Packages requiring ubuntu-advantage-tools:
friendly-recovery R: update-manager-core W: ubuntu-advantage-tools
libreoffice-common R: ttf-mscorefonts-installer W:
update-notifier-common A: update-manager-core A: ubuntu-advantage-tools
ubuntu-restricted-extras R: ttf-mscorefonts-installer W:
update-notifier-common Z: update-manager-core Z: ubuntu-advantage-tools

update-manager-core Depends on ubuntu-advantage-tools

1. We install all packages, including ubuntu-advantage-tools, which will be installed through dependencies

sudo aptitude install -y update-manager update-manager-core friendly-recovery libreoffice-common ttf-mscorefonts-installer update-manager-core python3-debconf apport apport-gtk apport-symptoms gir1.2-snapd-1 libwhoopsie-preferences0 python3-systemd software-properties-gtk ubuntu-advantage-tools ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk update-notifier update-notifier-common whoopsie whoopsie-preferences fonts-liberation2

Removed update-notifier

sudo aptitude purge update-notifier update-notifier-common

Changed the flags - removed "auto"

sudo aptitude unmarkauto friendly-recovery libreoffice-common ttf-mscorefonts-installer ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk update-manager update-manager-core python3-debconf apport apport-gtk apport-symptoms gir1.2-snapd-1 libwhoopsie-preferences0 python3-systemd software-properties-gtk ubuntu-advantage-tools ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk whoopsie whoopsie-preferences

Main team

sudo aptitude purge -y ubuntu-advantage-tools

The following packages will be REMOVED:


ubuntu-advantage-tools{p} ubuntu-pro-client-l10n{u}
The following partially installed packages will be configured:

ttf-mscorefonts-installer update-notifier update-notifier-common
0 packages were updated, 0 new packages were installed, 2 packages were marked for removal, and 9 packages were not updated.

You need to get 0 B archives. After unpacking, 1248 kB will be freed.

The following packages have unmet dependencies:

update-manager-core : Depends on: ubuntu-advantage-tools but not scheduled to be installed

The following steps will resolve the dependencies:
Remove the following packages:
1) ttf-mscorefonts-installer [3.8ubuntu2 (jammy, now)]

2) ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk [1:22.04.17 (jammy-updates, now)]

3) update-manager [1:22.04.10 (jammy-updates, now)]

4) update-manager-core [1:22.04.10 (jammy-updates, now)]

5) update-notifier [3.192.54.6 (jammy-updates, now)]

6) update-notifier-common [3.192.54.6 (jammy-updates, now)]
Leave the following dependencies unresolved:

7) friendly-recovery recommends update-manager-core 8) ubuntu-restricted-extras recommends ttf-mscorefonts-installer

When you press a key Y packages ubuntu-pro-client-l10n, ubuntu-advantage-tools and friendly-recovery will be added:

Uninstalling ttf-mscorefonts-installer (3.8ubuntu2) ... Update-notifier (3.192.54.6) is removed... Update-notifier-common (3.192.54.6) is removed... Uninstalling ubuntu-pro-client-l10n (30~22.04) ... Update-manager is removed (1:22.04.10) ... Uninstalling ubuntu-release-upgrader-gtk (1:22.04.17) ... Update-manager-core is removed (1:22.04.10) ...

5) Only in Linux Cinnamon had to be disabled in the "Startup" application "xapp-sn-watcher", which does not function without update-manager.

The ubuntu-advantage-tools package was successfully removed.

Updating system packages will have to be done manually from the terminal: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade, because The program with the graphical interface "update-manager" was deleted.

Prohibiting the launch and stopping of the Ubuntu-Advantage service

If the operating system is recently installed, the ubuntu-advantage service is running by default.

Check:

sudo systemctl --type=service --state=running
systemctl list-units --all --type=service

Disabling and stopping ubuntu-advantage.service:

sudo systemctl disable ubuntu-advantage.service
sudo systemctl stop ubuntu-advantage.service

This article was last modified: 10/08/2024.

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