The python module will show an Ayatana Indicator and notification pop-up when updates are available. By default, it will be started with autostart and checks for updates every hour.
The fallback icon and text to display in notification pop-up and the update check interval is configurable in the python module.
This is intended for desktop environments like XFCE or MATE that don't have a native PackageKit update watcher.
The ayatana-indicator-updatenotifier.desktop file is installed to /etc/xdg/autostart. Remove it, if it should not be started automatically.
Use the distribution-specific cron jobs from package cron-apt or apticron or something like these hand-crafted ones:
@reboot root /etc/cron.hourly/ayatana_indicator_updatenotifier
#!/bin/sh
MAILTO=""
test -x /usr/bin/apt-get || exit 0
TIME_MIN="60"
TIME_MAX="180"
TIME_INT="$(/usr/bin/shuf -i $TIME_MIN-$TIME_MAX -n 1)"
/bin/sleep $TIME_INT
/usr/bin/apt-get update
exit $?
See the LICENSE file for how to be modified and distributed.
Requires: PyGObject, gi.Gio, gi.GLib, gi.Gtk and AyatanaAppIndicator3
Based on: Dev1Galaxy - Software update notifications in XFCE