The Boot-Time Bottleneck
When you turn on your Ubuntu Linux computer and log into the desktop, the operating system immediately launches a background service to query Canonical’s servers for software updates. If you are running Ubuntu on a slow, mechanical hard drive or a low-powered laptop, this heavy background network and disk activity can cause the entire system to freeze or stutter for several minutes right after booting. For users who prefer to manually run sudo apt update on their own schedule, this automatic checking is an unnecessary waste of boot resources.
How to Disable the Automatic Update Checker
You can configure Ubuntu’s Software & Updates manager to stop querying the servers automatically on a daily basis.
1. Press the Super (Windows) key to open the Activities search bar.
2. Type Software & Updates and press Enter to launch the application. (Do not confuse this with the “Ubuntu Software” store application).
3. In the Software & Updates window, click on the Updates tab at the top.
4. Look for the dropdown menu labelled Automatically check for updates:
5. Click the dropdown menu and change the selection from “Daily” to Never.
6. You will be prompted to enter your administrator password to confirm the change. Type it and click Authenticate.
7. Click Close.
Managing Manual Updates
By setting this to “Never,” the background service will no longer launch on startup, significantly improving your initial desktop responsiveness. However, Ubuntu will now have zero knowledge of security patches or bug fixes until you explicitly ask it to check. It is now entirely your responsibility to open the terminal and periodically run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade to ensure your system remains secure against vulnerabilities.