The python module will show an Ayatana Indicator and notification pop-up when updates are available and checks for updates every hour. By default, it will not be started with autostart.

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 {prefix}/share/applications. Link to /etc/xdg/autostart, if it should 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