The “Apt-Get Update” Background Drain
Ubuntu Linux is designed to keep your system secure and up to date by regularly checking the official repositories for new versions of software. To do this, a background service (often managed by unattended-upgrades or the GNOME Software Center) automatically downloads the latest software catalog (the package lists) several times a day. While this ensures you are notified of critical security patches, it can cause problems on slow internet connections, metered data plans, or older hardware where the background indexing process noticeably slows down the computer. If you prefer to manually check for updates (e.g., by running sudo apt update yourself), this automatic catalog refresh can be highly annoying.
How to Disable Automatic Update Checks via GUI
The easiest way to stop Ubuntu from automatically downloading the software catalog is through the built-in “Software & Updates” graphical utility.
1. Open your application grid (press the Super/Windows key) and type Software & Updates.
2. Launch the Software & Updates application.
3. Click on the Updates tab at the top of the window.
4. Look for the dropdown menu labelled Automatically check for updates:
5. By default, this is usually set to “Daily.” Click the dropdown and change it to Never.
6. You will likely be prompted to enter your administrator password to confirm the change.
7. Click Close.
Ubuntu will now completely stop polling the servers for new package lists. You will no longer receive automatic notifications about new software, meaning you must remember to manually check for updates to keep your system secure.
How to Disable Unattended-Upgrades via Terminal
If you are managing an Ubuntu Server or prefer using the command line, you can disable the automatic catalog updates by reconfiguring the unattended-upgrades package directly.
1. Open your Terminal.
2. Run the following command to reconfigure the package:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades
3. A pink/blue text-based graphical interface will appear in your terminal, asking if you want to automatically download and install stable updates.
4. Use your arrow keys to select No and press Enter.
This disables the automated background service. To ensure your system stays secure, you should now establish a routine of manually running sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade when you are ready to process updates.