How to Stop the Ubuntu ‘Apport’ Crash Reporter from Popping Up

Why Do You Keep Getting Ubuntu Crash Reports?

If you use Ubuntu Desktop frequently, you have likely encountered a pop-up window stating: “System program problem detected. Do you want to report the problem now?”

This dialogue is generated by a built-in error reporting system called Apport. Apport monitors your system for background processes that crash or fail to execute properly. While its goal is to send useful bug reports back to the Ubuntu developers, many of these “crashes” are minor background glitches that do not affect your actual usage. If you are tired of being interrupted by these pop-ups, you can permanently disable the Apport service.

How to Disable the Apport Crash Reporter in Ubuntu

To stop the pop-ups, you need to edit the main Apport configuration file using the terminal.

1. Open your Ubuntu Terminal (shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + T).
2. Open the Apport configuration file in a text editor (like nano) with root privileges by running:

sudo nano /etc/default/apport

3. Enter your password when prompted.
4. Look for the line at the bottom of the file that reads:

enabled=1

5. Change the 1 to a 0, so the line looks exactly like this:

enabled=0

6. Save the file by pressing Ctrl + O and then Enter.
7. Exit the nano editor by pressing Ctrl + X.

Stop the Currently Running Service

Editing the file prevents Apport from starting on your next reboot, but it is still currently running in the background. To stop it immediately without restarting your computer, run the following command:

sudo systemctl stop apport.service

From this point forward, Ubuntu will silently ignore minor background crashes, and you will no longer be interrupted by the “System program problem detected” dialogue box.