Disabling of daily update check is not respected

sloppy55 · November 27, 2024, 8:11pm

System → Update → Check for Updates Daily and Download if Available

This setting is already unchecked in web interface, but according to a network monitoring tool TrueNAS still is checking multiple times a day for updates (even hourly?).

I’d like to disable automatic update checks/downloads and rather do this step manually and explicitely.

Have I interpreted above setting incorrectly, or why does it not work in the way described?

TrueNAS Scale ElectricEel-24.10.0.2

SmallBarky · November 27, 2024, 8:13pm

Are you using Apps in TrueNAS?

sloppy55 · November 27, 2024, 8:14pm

No, just vanilla TrueNAS.

bacon · November 27, 2024, 8:18pm

What exactly are you seeing in the monitoring tool? Do you know which ip/protocol is used?

Things on top of my head that might do periodic network calls:

Usage collection (System > General Settings > Usage Collection)
Time Synchronization

sloppy55 · November 27, 2024, 8:27pm

Thanks for your ideas,

I am currently using a DNS network ad-blocker and can see DNS requests going out to update.ixsystems.com multiple times a day (not purely a network monitoring tool, but it fits the purpose, can later on also try a firewall device).

Usage Collection is disabled already - if I am not mistaken, telemetry requests usage.truenas.com.

Time synchronization would be something different (xyz.ntp.org).

bacon · November 27, 2024, 8:45pm

DNS monitoring is indeed very useful.

I did find a hourly update check in the code. Coudn’t identify a way to turn it off:

github.com

truenas/middleware/blob/master/src/middlewared/middlewared/alert/source/update.py

from datetime import timedelta

from middlewared.alert.base import Alert, AlertClass, AlertCategory, AlertLevel, AlertSource
from middlewared.alert.schedule import IntervalSchedule


class HasUpdateAlertClass(AlertClass):
    category = AlertCategory.SYSTEM
    level = AlertLevel.INFO
    title = "Update Available"
    text = "A system update is available. Go to System → Update to download and apply the update."


class HasUpdateAlertSource(AlertSource):
    schedule = IntervalSchedule(timedelta(hours=1))
    run_on_backup_node = False

    async def check(self):
        try:
            if (await self.middleware.call("update.check_available"))["status"] == "AVAILABLE":

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sloppy55 · November 28, 2024, 6:38am

Appreciated! Then this feature doesn’t work as intended.

Tool-tip of
System → Update → Check for Updates Daily and Download if Available
states:

Help: Check for Updates Daily and Download if Available
Check the update server daily for any updates on the chosen train. Automatically download an update if one is available. Click APPLY PENDING UPDATE to install the downloaded update.

In my view, there should be two checkboxes:

Check for updates daily (yes/no)
Download, if available (yes/no)

And if first is disabled, it should not check hourly. Another idea is to provide a radio button instead of first checkbox, with choices hourly/daily/none.