[Solved] Synaptic W: Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file '/root/.synaptic/tmp//tmp_cl' couldn't be...

[BitterTruth]

Hi there. I'm running MX19.2_xfce at the moment. A couple of days ago, Synaptic started giving me the following warning after I perform updates/removals:

W: Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file '/root/.synaptic/tmp//tmp_cl' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)

A quick google search and subsequent linux mint forum tells me:

In this specific case, you may ignore the complaint. The reason is: Synaptic executed some action as user root, instead of user _apt. As a consequence, _apt does not have the needed privileges of deleting file /root/.synaptic/tmp//tmp_cl, which is owned by root.
In case you should be worried that the directory /root/.synaptic/tmp/ might be filled with junk in the course of time, you may check with root privileges, what is in there. Here it is empty. So it seems as if root does not only create /root/.synaptic/tmp//tmp_cl, but that root also deletes /root/.synaptic/tmp//tmp_cl, when it is no longer needed.
The installation will have finished correctly, although the error message gets displayed.

(https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=280054)

I WAS messing about with a PORTEUS linux live usb on that day and I remember I had to keep using 'root thunar' to move files around which seemed strange to me.

The above post advises to ignore it. However, I don't really fancy seeing that for the next 'x' number of years, every time I do an update.

Ubuntu forums give me this:

Usually apt uses the user _apt to download packages. In your case _apt doesn't have write permission to either /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/ or an existing file /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/samba-libs_2%3a4.5.8+dfsg-0ubuntu0.17.04.1_i386.deb so it downloaded the file as root.

Make sure /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/ and everything below it are writeable for _apt, e.g. by running

Code: Select all

sudo chown -Rv _apt:root /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/
sudo chmod -Rv 700 /var/cache/apt/archives/partial/

https://askubuntu.com/questions/908800 ... ed-as-root

So, should I ignore it or am I safe to change the permissions? This is my main system and I am normally very very cautious when it comes to messing around with it.

[Eadwine Rose]

Please also post your quick system info (run it, hit paste in a reply), that way we have all the basic data.

[dolphin_oracle]

I'll try the permission change tonight and let you know.

[BitterTruth]

Thanks D_O. Did you get a chance to play around with the permissions?

If not, it doesn't matter because it looks like the problem has resolved itself (don't know why, don't know how).
I've just done the latest updates through synaptic and the message didn't come up :

Commit Log for Wed Nov 25 18:08:26 2020

Upgraded the following packages:
gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
mx-dockmaker (20.10) to 20.11
mx-tweak (20.09.02) to 20.11.01

[tony37]

I've seen that message too once, I think it tends to disappear on its own.

[dolphin_oracle]

Thanks D_O. Did you get a chance to play around with the permissions?

If not, it doesn't matter because it looks like the problem has resolved itself (don't know why, don't know how).
I've just done the latest updates through synaptic and the message didn't come up :

Commit Log for Wed Nov 25 18:08:26 2020

Upgraded the following packages:
gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
gir1.2-webkit2-4.0 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37 (2.28.4-1~deb10u1) to 2.30.3-1~deb10u1
mx-dockmaker (20.10) to 20.11
mx-tweak (20.09.02) to 20.11.01

I did, but my permissions were already set to the suggested ones.

[BitterTruth]

Ok. I've checked the ownership and permissions for the partial directory and they are currently set to:

terminal shows:

drwx------ 2 _apt root 4096 Nov 25 18:08 partial

so it's already chmod 700.

@tony_37

I think next time it happens, I'll check the permissions to see what's happened

[BitterTruth]

Ok guys it's back.

This time it happened when i clicked 'Reload' in synaptic (see screenshot 2)

What's stranger is when I clicked reload again, it didn't appear

Looks like it has been a bug with apt or synaptic packages going as far back as 2015:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... mments=all

It is reported as being fixed on 23rd Nov 2020? (see screenshot 1). The error occured on 22nd Nov for me but by the 24th it was gone. However, I think this 'fix' was because I must have just clicked 'mark all upgrades' 'followed by 'apply' in synaptic without doing 'reload' first like I normally do.
Could it be a problem with my sources?

Here's the quickinfo (for my system (which I should have provided initially as E_R suggested):

Code: Select all

Snapshot created on: 20200915_1434
System:
  Host: <filter> Kernel: 4.19.0-12-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc 
  v: 8.3.0 
  parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.19.0-12-amd64 
  root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet hush 
  Desktop: Xfce 4.14.2 tk: Gtk 3.24.5 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 
  dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: MX-19.3_x64 patito feo May 31  2020 
  base: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 2539A94 v: ThinkPad T410 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: LENOVO model: 2539A94 serial: <filter> BIOS: LENOVO 
  v: 6IET58WW (1.18 ) date: 04/19/2010 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 8.1 Wh condition: 8.2/47.5 Wh (17%) volts: 12.2/10.8 
  model: SANYO 42T4751 type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Unknown 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i5 M 520 bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Nehalem family: 6 model-id: 25 (37) stepping: 2 microcode: 11 
  L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 19152 
  Speed: 1385 MHz min/max: 1199/2400 MHz boost: enabled Core speeds (MHz): 
  1: 1294 2: 1269 3: 1303 4: 1318 
  Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: Split huge pages 
  Type: l1tf 
  mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable 
  Type: mds status: Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode; 
  SMT vulnerable 
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
  Type: spec_store_bypass 
  mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp 
  Type: spectre_v1 
  mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Full generic retpoline, IBPB: conditional, 
  IBRS_FW, STIBP: conditional, RSB filling 
  Type: srbds status: Not affected 
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Core Processor Integrated Graphics vendor: Lenovo 
  driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0046 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 driver: intel resolution: 1280x800~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ironlake Mobile v: 2.1 Mesa 18.3.6 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo 
  driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:3b56 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-12-amd64 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82577LM Gigabit Network vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e 
  v: 3.2.6-k port: 1820 bus ID: 00:19.0 chip ID: 8086:10ea 
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel 
  port: 1880 bus ID: 03:00.0 chip ID: 8086:4239 
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 149.05 GiB used: 70.94 GiB (47.6%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST9160412AS size: 149.05 GiB 
  block size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s 
  rotation: 7200 rpm serial: <filter> rev: LVM1 scheme: MBR 
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw size: 20.00 GiB size: 19.56 GiB (97.81%) 
  used: 7.86 GiB (40.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 
  ID-2: /home raw size: 125.05 GiB size: 122.96 GiB (98.33%) 
  used: 63.08 GiB (51.3%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2 
  ID-3: swap-1 size: 4.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap 
  swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache pressure: 100 (default) dev: /dev/sda3 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 46.0 C mobo: 0.0 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 3586 
Repos:
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
  1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian buster-updates main contrib non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
  1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian buster main contrib non-free
  2: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security buster/updates main contrib non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
  1: deb http://mxlinux.mirrors.uk2.net/packages/mx/repo/ buster main non-free
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list 
Info:
  Processes: 206 Uptime: 2h 01m Memory: 3.66 GiB used: 1.42 GiB (38.9%) 
  Init: SysVinit v: 2.93 runlevel: 5 default: 5 Compilers: gcc: 8.3.0 alt: 8 
  Shell: quick-system-in running in: quick-system-in inxi: 3.0.36 

Interestingly, one of our own, user rijnsma11111 had a problem back in dec 19:

https://www.forum.mxlinux.org/memberlis ... le&u=19516

[tony37]

It is reported as being fixed on 23rd Nov 2020? (see screenshot 1).

I don't see any screenshots...

[BitterTruth]

sorry tony, don't know why they didn't get added. They are on now. i'm marking it as unsolved again.