Describe the bug
Easily reproducible and occurs on every install. mint-refresh-cache runs on not one but two timer cycles. For example, in the Update Manager GUI, Edit -> Preferences -> "Then, refresh the list of updated every", I have it set at the default 2 hours, but instead I get it running on two separate 2 hour cycles:
$ journalctl -b | grep mint-refresh-cache
Apr 27 18:56:53 Excalibur sudo[19835]: qwinn : PWD=/home/qwinn ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/mint-refresh-cache
Apr 27 19:43:36 Excalibur sudo[41490]: qwinn : PWD=/home/qwinn ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/mint-refresh-cache
Apr 27 20:56:53 Excalibur sudo[72839]: qwinn : PWD=/home/qwinn ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/mint-refresh-cache
Apr 27 21:43:36 Excalibur sudo[92216]: qwinn : PWD=/home/qwinn ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/mint-refresh-cache
Apr 27 22:56:53 Excalibur sudo[123776]: qwinn : PWD=/home/qwinn ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/mint-refresh-cache
Apr 27 23:43:36 Excalibur sudo[143395]: qwinn : PWD=/home/qwinn ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/mint-refresh-cache
As you can see, one cycle at 56 minutes after the hour every 2 hours, and the other cycle at 36 minutes after the hour every two hours. If I modify that value in the GUI to 33 minutes, then both cycles become every 33 minutes (and when changing the setting, often with the second cycle becoming 1 minute after the first).
To Reproduce
Just run journalctl -b | grep mint-refresh-cache on your system right now. You should see it too.
Expected behavior
The setting in the GUI, if 2 hours, should be respected as a single 2 hour cycle, not two 2 hour cycles that can as much as double the frequency.
Distribution:
Linux Mint Cinnamon 22.3
Software version:
7.1.4
Logs:
Copy & paste the log output from Update Manager > View > Information here.
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ Launching Update Manager
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ Initial refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 10 minute(s)
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@18:46 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing initial refresh
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 46 minute(s)
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@18:56 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 13 minute(s)
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@19:43 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@19:46 ++ Changes to the package cache detected; triggering refresh
2026.04.27@19:46 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@19:46 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@19:46 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.27@19:46 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@19:46 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 46 minute(s)
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@20:56 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@21:01 ++ Changes to the package cache detected; triggering refresh
2026.04.27@21:01 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@21:01 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@21:01 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.27@21:01 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@21:01 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 13 minute(s)
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@21:43 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@21:46 ++ Changes to the package cache detected; triggering refresh
2026.04.27@21:46 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@21:46 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@21:46 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.27@21:46 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@21:46 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 46 minute(s)
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@22:56 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@23:01 ++ Changes to the package cache detected; triggering refresh
2026.04.27@23:01 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@23:01 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@23:01 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.27@23:01 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@23:01 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Update Manager is in tray mode; performing auto refresh
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 1 hour(s) and 13 minute(s)
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Refreshing cache
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Refreshing cache for Cinnamon updates
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Refreshing cache for Flatpak updates
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@23:43 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.27@23:46 ++ Changes to the package cache detected; triggering refresh
2026.04.27@23:46 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.27@23:46 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.27@23:46 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.27@23:46 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.27@23:46 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.28@00:56 ++ Update Manager window is open; delaying auto refresh by 60s
2026.04.28@00:57 ++ Auto refresh will happen in 0 day(s), 0 hour(s) and 45 minute(s)
2026.04.28@00:58 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.28@00:58 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.28@00:58 ++ Found 1 software updates
2026.04.28@00:58 ++ Tracker: Mintupdate update button was pressed recently: 1 days ago
2026.04.28@00:58 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.28@00:58 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Will install libnvidia-compute-570:i386
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Install requested by user
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Ready to launch aptkit
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Install finished successfully
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.28@00:59 ++ Resumed power management
2026.04.28@01:00 ++ Inhibited power management
2026.04.28@01:00 ++ Checking for updates
2026.04.28@01:00 ++ System is up to date
2026.04.28@01:00 ++ Refresh finished
2026.04.28@01:00 ++ Resumed power management
Describe the bug
Easily reproducible and occurs on every install. mint-refresh-cache runs on not one but two timer cycles. For example, in the Update Manager GUI, Edit -> Preferences -> "Then, refresh the list of updated every", I have it set at the default 2 hours, but instead I get it running on two separate 2 hour cycles:
As you can see, one cycle at 56 minutes after the hour every 2 hours, and the other cycle at 36 minutes after the hour every two hours. If I modify that value in the GUI to 33 minutes, then both cycles become every 33 minutes (and when changing the setting, often with the second cycle becoming 1 minute after the first).
To Reproduce
Just run journalctl -b | grep mint-refresh-cache on your system right now. You should see it too.
Expected behavior
The setting in the GUI, if 2 hours, should be respected as a single 2 hour cycle, not two 2 hour cycles that can as much as double the frequency.
Distribution:
Linux Mint Cinnamon 22.3
Software version:
7.1.4
Logs:
Copy & paste the log output from Update Manager > View > Information here.