If you use Ubuntu Desktop for development or server management, you have likely encountered the infamous “System program problem detected” pop-up dialogue box. This error message is generated by Apport, Ubuntu’s built-in crash reporting system.
Apport constantly monitors the system for background processes that crash or fail to execute properly. When an error occurs—even a minor, invisible glitch that doesn’t actually impact your workflow—Apport halts the desktop and forces you to manually click “Report problem” or “Cancel.” Over time, these constant interruptions become incredibly annoying, especially since most users never actually read the debug logs. You can permanently disable the Apport daemon to stop these pop-ups.
How to Disable Ubuntu Crash Reports (Apport)
To permanently disable the pop-ups, you must edit the core configuration file for the Apport service using the terminal.
- Open your Ubuntu Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T).
- Type the following command to open the Apport configuration file in the nano text editor with root privileges:
sudo nano /etc/default/apport - Press Enter and type your administrator password when prompted.
- The file will open in the terminal. It is very short. Look for the very last line, which will read:
enabled=1 - Use your arrow keys to move the cursor and change the “1” to a “0”. The line should now exactly read:
enabled=0 - Save the file by pressing Ctrl + O (the letter O, not zero), then press Enter to confirm the file name.
- Exit the nano editor by pressing Ctrl + X.
Stop the Running Service
You have changed the configuration so Apport will not launch on your next reboot, but the service is still currently running in the background right now. You need to stop it manually.
- Type the following command into your terminal and press Enter:
sudo systemctl stop apport.service
Your Ubuntu system will no longer monitor for silent background crashes, and you will never see the “System program problem detected” pop-up dialogue box again.