System Updates Manager

Manage system updates inside the noctalia panel. Currently supported PackageKit, Flatpak and Cargo.

Features

• Check updates with PackageKit, Flatpak and Cargo.
• Extensible with user created adapters
• Support for offline updates with PackageKit
• Single package update is supported
• Show brief package information: Name, description, installed version, updated version
• Show application icon if found
• Show number of pending packages in the bar widget

Plugin

Field	Value
ID	tordex/system-updater
Entries	Bar widget: status; panel: panel; service: service

Requirements

All adapters require python to run check update scripts. You have to install pycairo PyGObject modules with pip:

pip install pycairo PyGObject

Other requirements are depend of update adapter. Plugin disables update adapter if any of its own dependences are not installed.

PackageKit

PackageKit update adapter requires python and pkgcli to be installed into $PATH.

Flatpak

Flatpak update adapter requires python and flatpak to be installed into $PATH.

Cargo

Cargo update adapter requires cargo, python, cargo-install-update, awk and bash to be installed into $PATH.

Usage

Add the system-updater widget from Noctalia's widget picker, then click it to open the panel. You can also open the panel directly or bind it in your compositor:

noctalia msg panel-toggle tordex/system-updater:panel

Action	Effect
Left click (bar glyph)	Open/close the panel
Check Updates (panel)	Check for new updates
Update (panel)	Start applying updates
↻ refresh (panel header)	Same as Check Updates
⚙ settings (panel header)	Open this plugin's page in Settings → Plugins

Settings

Setting	Type	Default	Description
enable_packagekit	bool	true	Enable the PackageKit adapter for managing system updates.
enable_flatpak	bool	true	Enable the Flatpak adapter for managing system updates.
enable_cargo	bool	true	Enable the Cargo adapter for managing system updates.
auto_check_minutes	int	60	Check for updates automatically every N minutes. if <= 10 never checks on its own — nothing runs until you ask for it.
adapters_folder	folder		The folder where adapters definitions are stored. One adapter per subfolder. Each adapter folder must contain an adapter.json with the adapter definition.
notify_on_updates	bool	true	Send a desktop notification when a check finds packages to upgrade or after applying updates.
notify_on_updates	bool	true	Send a desktop notification when a check finds packages to upgrade or after applying updates.
glyph	glyph	package	The glyph shown for the system updater widget on the bar.
show_count	bool	true	Show the number of pending updates next to the bar glyph.

IPC

IPC command to start updates checking:

noctalia msg plugin tordex/system-updater:service all check

IPC command to start update applying updates:

noctalia msg plugin tordex/system-updater:service all update

Notes

You can define the folder with your own adapters the setting adapters_folder. Plugin will read custom adapters and include them into ckecking/updating process.

How to write update adapter

1. Adapter must be located inside single folder
2. Adapter folder must have adapter.json file with adapter definitions
3. You have to write a script to check updates that provides output in the formap plugin understand

adapter.json file

Adpater definitions in format:

{
    "name": "PackageKit",
    "enabled": true,
    "dependencies": ["python", "pkgcli"],
    "check_command": "python {adapter_dir}/check.py",
    "update_package_command": "pkgcli -y -q update {package_name}",
    "update_all_command": "pkgcli -y -q offline-update prepare",
    "actions": {
        "reboot": {
            "command": "noctalia msg session reboot",
            "check_after": false
        },
        "cancel": {
            "command": "pkgcli -y -q offline-update cancel",
            "check_after": true
        }
    }
}

Field	Type	Description
name	string	The update adapter name. Please don't use spaces.
enables	bool	Disable or enable adapter.
check_command	string	The shell command to check updates. Output should be in the specified format.
update_package_command	string	The shell command to update the single package. Use {package_name} placeholder as the package parameter
update_all_command	string	The shell command to update all pending packages.
actions	string	The supported by adapter actions dictinary.

For commands use {adapter_dir} placeholder as the full path to the adapter folder.

Actions are the spesial buttons shown after update checking. adapter.json has the disctionary of available actions. Every action has two fileds:

Field	Type	Description
command	string	The shell script to run.
check_after	bool	When true plugin will run check update for this adapter after running the action command.

check_command output format

{
  "info": "",
  "actions": [
     {
          "name": "actions name/label",
          "command": "action_id",
     }
  ],
  "updates": [
    {
      "id": "package_id",
      "name": "package_name",
      "icon": "path to the icon",
      "description": "package description",
      "from_version": "current version",
      "to_version": "new version"
    }
    ...
}

Field	Type	Description
info	string	The message for actions.
actions	list	List of actions to show.
actions.name	string	The name/label of action. Will be shown on the action button
actions.command	string	Actions ID. Refers to the adapter.json
updates	list	List of available updates.
updates.id	string	The package ID. Plugin pass it as {package_name} placeholder
updates.name	string	The package name to be shown on the panel
updates.icon	string	(optional) Full path to the icon file
updates.description	string	(optional) The description of the package
updates.from_version	string	(optional) The current version of the package
updates.to_version	string	(optional) The new version of the package