Message recipient disconnected ...

Totone · 2026-09-30 11:07

Hello everyone,
For some time now, the following message has been appearing during updates:
"Message recipient disconnected from message bus without replying."
It appeared six times during the September 29, 2026 update.

Do you have any idea what might be causing this?
Regards

q4osteam · 2026-09-30 11:23

That message is a D-Bus error. some program sent a request to a background service over the system message bus, and the service went away before answering. During an update this usually happens when a package being upgraded restarts or reloads its service (systemd, PackageKit, udisks2, NetworkManager, polkit ...) while another component is talking to it. In most cases it is harmless, provided the update itself finished without errors.

To find out which package triggers it, please post the output of these commands:

1) Your Q4OS version and desktop:

cat /etc/q4os_version ; echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP ; uname -m

2) Where exactly the message appeared during the September 29 update (the lines before it name the package):

zgrep -h -B8 "without replying" /var/log/apt/term.log*

3) Whether the system is in a consistent state now (both should print nothing):

sudo dpkg --audit
sudo apt-get check

Please also tell us which tool you use for updates (Q4OS Update Manager, Discover / Software Centre, Synaptic or apt in a terminal).

If the zgrep command prints nothing, the message did not come from a package script. Then please run the next update in a terminal instead, and post the part of the output around the message:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

Totone · 2026-10-01 15:51

This morning, the updates completed without errors;
it is random.

What was requested :
cat /etc/q4os_version ; echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP ; uname -m
6.9-deb13u4
KDE
x86_64
--------------------------------
uname -a
Linux xx-xxxx 7.2.8-2-liquorix-amd64 #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT liquorix 7.2-14.1~trixie (2026-10-01) x86_64 GNU/Linux
----------------------
zgrep -h -B8 "without replying" /var/log/apt/term.log*
without result
---------------------
sudo dpkg --audit
sudo apt-get check

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
--------------------------------------------
Updates are performed by Discover.
--------------------------------------------
I'll handle these orders in the next update.
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

q4osteam · 2026-10-01 16:02

- The package logs are clean and dpkg/apt report no problems, so no package install script produced the message and your system is in a consistent state.
- Since you update with Discover, the message comes from Discover's connection to the PackageKit service (packagekitd). Discover hands the update over to PackageKit, and PackageKit went away in the middle of a request, either because it stopped or because it crashed.

Running the next update in a terminal is a good comparison test. If the message never shows up with apt, that confirms PackageKit as the source. Then use Discover again, and as soon as the message appears, before rebooting, please post the output of:

sudo journalctl -b -u packagekit --no-pager | tail -n 60
sudo journalctl -b --no-pager | grep -i -E "packagekit|segfault|core dump|without replying"

This shows whether packagekitd crashed (and where) or just stopped. With that we can tell whether it is a known PackageKit/Discover bug or something specific to your setup.

One more note: you run a Liquorix kernel (7.2.8-liquorix). It may be related, if it turns out to be a crash, it would help to know whether it also happens when booted into the standard Debian kernel.

Totone · Yesterday 07:10

To day update :
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
Hit: 1 http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie InRelease
Hit: 2 http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-updates InRelease
Hit: 3 http://security.debian.org trixie-security InRelease
Hit: 4 https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian trixie InRelease
Hit: 5 https://shop.softmaker.com/repo/apt stable InRelease
Hit: 6 http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo trixie InRelease
Hit: 7 https://liquorix.net/debian trixie InRelease
Hit: 8 https://q4os.sourceforge.io/qexarepo/s4-snapshot trixie-s4-snapshot-cn InRelease
Hit: 9 https://q4os.sourceforge.io/qexarepo/mxtools trixie-mxtools-cn InRelease
Hit: 12 https://packages.mozilla.org/apt mozilla InRelease
Hit: 10 https://q4os.org/q4repo q4os-6-0-cn InRelease
Hit: 11 https://q4os.org/qexarepo/firefox trixie-firefox-cn InRelease
13 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
q4os-sw-profiler q4os-swcentre
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them. Upgraded:
chromium libjavascriptcoregtk-4.1-0 libpng16-16t64:i386
chromium-common libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0-1 libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0
chromium-l10n libpng-dev libwebkitgtk-6.0-4
gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-6.0 libpng-tools
gir1.2-webkit-6.0 libpng16-16t64

REMOVED:
linux-headers-7.2.7-1-liquorix-amd64 linux-image-7.2.7-1-liquorix-amd64

Summary:
Upgraded: 13. Installed: 0. Removed: 2. Not upgraded: 0.
Download size: 197 MB
Space freed: 318 MB

Get: 1 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libpng-dev amd64 1.6.48-1+deb13u6 [367 kB]
Get: 2 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libpng-tools amd64 1.6.48-1+deb13u6 [130 kB]
Get: 3 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main i386 libpng16-16t64 i386 1.6.48-1+deb13u6 [290 kB]
Get: 4 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libpng16-16t64 amd64 1.6.48-1+deb13u6 [283 kB]
Received from: 5 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 chromium-l10n all 154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1 [8788 kB]
Received from: 6 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 chromium amd64 154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1 [90.6 MB]
Received from: 7 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 chromium-common amd64 154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1 [30.6 MB]
Received from: 8 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 gir1.2-webkit-6.0 amd64 2.54.0-1~deb13u1 [81.4 kB]
Received from: 9 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-6.0 amd64 2.54.0-1~deb13u1 [54.0 kB]
Received from: 10 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libwebkitgtk-6.0-4 amd64 2.54.0-1~deb13u1 [25.0 MB]
Received from: 11 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0-1 amd64 2.54.0-1~deb13u1 [7,916 kB]
Get: 12 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0 amd64 2.54.0-1~deb13u1 [25.2 MB]
Get: 13 http://security.debian.org trixie-security/main amd64 libjavascriptcoregtk-4.1-0 amd64 2.54.0-1~deb13u1 [7,916 kB]
197 MB fetched in 8s (25.8 MB/s)
(Reading database ... 470444 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing linux-headers-7.2.7-1-liquorix-amd64 (7.2-12.2~trixie) ...
Removing linux-image-7.2.7-1-liquorix-amd64 (7.2-12.2~trixie) ...
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Deleting /boot/initrd.img-7.2.7-1-liquorix-amd64
/etc/kernel/postrm.d/zz-update-grub:
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-7.2.8-2-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-7.2.8-2-liquorix-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-7.2.8-1-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-7.2.8-1-liquorix-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-7.0.10-1-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-7.0.10-1-liquorix-amd64
/etc/grub.d/30_os-prober: 8: debconf-get-selections: not found
Adding boot menu entry for EFI firmware configuration
done
(Reading database... 436233 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../00-libpng-dev_1.6.48-1+deb13u6_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpng-dev:amd64 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) over (1.6.48-1+deb13u5) ...
Preparing to unpack .../01-libpng-tools_1.6.48-1+deb13u6_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpng-tools (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) over (1.6.48-1+deb13u5) ...
Preparing to unpack .../02-libpng16-16t64_1.6.48-1+deb13u6_amd64.deb ...
De-configuring libpng16-16t64:i386 (1.6.48-1+deb13u5), to allow
...configuring
libpng16-16t64:amd64 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) ...
Unpacking libpng16-16t64:amd64 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) over (1.6.48-1+deb13u5) ...
Preparing to unpack .../03-libpng16-16t64_1.6.48-1+deb13u6_i386.deb ...
Unpacking libpng16-16t64:i386 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) over (1.6.48-1+deb13u5) ...
Preparing to unpack .../04-chromium-l10n_154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1_all.deb ...
Unpacking chromium-l10n (154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1) over (154.0.8037.57-1~deb13u1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../05-chromium_154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking chromium (154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1) over (154.0.8037.57-1~deb13u1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../06-chromium-common_154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking chromium-common (154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1) over (154.0.8037.57-1~deb13u1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../07-gir1.2-webkit-6.0_2.54.0-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking gir1.2-webkit-6.0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) over (2.52.6-1~deb13u1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../08-gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-6.0_2.54.0-1~deb13u1_amd64.d
eb ...
Unpacking gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-6.0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) over (2.52.6-1~deb13u1
) ...
Preparing to unpack .../09-libwebkitgtk-6.0-4_2.54.0-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libwebkitgtk-6.0-4:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) over (2.52.6-1~deb13u1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../10-libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0-1_2.54.0-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb
...
Unpacking libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0-1:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) over (2.52.6-1~deb13u1)
...
Preparing to unpack .../11-libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0_2.54.0-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) over (2.52.6-1~deb13u1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../12-libjavascriptcoregtk-4.1-0_2.54.0-1~deb13u1_amd64.deb
...
Unpacking libjavascriptcoregtk-4.1-0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) over (2.52.6-1~deb13u1)
...
Setting up libjavascriptcoregtk-4.1-0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0-1:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up libpng16-16t64:amd64 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) ...
Setting up libpng16-16t64:i386 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) ...
Setting up chromium-common (154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up chromium (154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up libwebkitgtk-6.0-4:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up libpng-tools (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) ...
Setting up libpng-dev:amd64 (1.6.48-1+deb13u6) ...
Setting up gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-6.0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up chromium-l10n (154.0.8037.92-1~deb13u1) ...
Setting up gir1.2-webkit-6.0:amd64 (2.54.0-1~deb13u1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.18-2) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.41-12+deb13u4) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.13.1-1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.28-1) ...

bin · Yesterday 07:29

Just a sidenote. I see you are running MX repos. MX may be Debian, but they do bring a lot of upstream packages and rebuild them. This can cause dependency problems - not saying it will, but from experience it can.

q4osteam · Yesterday 08:36

The terminal update ran cleanly with no D-Bus message, which fits the explanation that the message comes from Discover and PackageKit, not from the packages. If it shows up again in Discover, the two journalctl commands above will tell us more.

Your output shows two other things worth sorting out:

1) "q4os-sw-profiler q4os-swcentre ... no longer required"
That is expected. On Plasma, the Desktop Profiler and the Software Centre are now provided by Qt5 versions, and the old Trinity versions are left over for autoremove. Before you run autoremove, check that the replacements are installed (both lines should start with "ii"):

dpkg -l q4os-sw-profiler5 q4os-swcentre5

If they are, removal is safe:

sudo apt autoremove

If one of them is missing, install it first:

sudo apt install q4os-sw-profiler5 q4os-swcentre5

2) "/etc/grub.d/30_os-prober: 8: debconf-get-selections: not found"
You have MX Tools installed, and that enables the MX repository on purpose. Your system has an older MX package, "grub-files-mx", which replaces Debian's GRUB scripts. Its 30_os-prober uses the "debconf-get-selections" command to decide whether to look for other operating systems, but that command is in a package that isn't installed. Because the check fails, other systems (Windows, other Linux installs) are left out of the boot menu. We have fixed this in the MX Tools for Q4OS package, and an upcoming update will install the missing command automatically. To fix it right away:

sudo apt install debconf-utils
sudo update-grub

The warning should be gone, and any other installed systems should be listed again.

@bin: thanks for the note. The MX repository here comes from the MX Tools for Q4OS setup (what is experimental at the moment), which pins it at low priority, so it doesn't replace Debian packages.

Totone · Yesterday 12:42

Here are the results...

dpkg -l q4os-sw-profiler5 q4os-swcentre5
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/Half-conf/Half-inst/Trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Architecture Description
+++-=================-============-============-===========================================
ii q4os-sw-profiler5 4.16.0-a6 amd64 Q4OS Desktop Profiler - Plasma frontend
ii q4os-swcentre5 4.6.0-a8 amd64 Q4OS Software Centre based on Qt libraries.
------------------------------------------------------------------

sudo apt autoremove
REMOVING:
q4os-sw-profiler q4os-swcentre

Summary:
Upgraded: 0. Installed: 0. Removed: 2. Not upgraded: 0
Space freed: 652 kB

Continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database... 436231 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing q4os-sw-profiler (4.16.0-a6) ...
Removing q4os-swcentre (4.6.0-a8) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.28-1) ...
------------------------------------------------------------------

sudo apt install debconf-utils
Installing:
debconf-utils

Summary:
Upgraded: 0. Installed: 1. Removed: 0. Not upgraded: 0
Download size: 57.0 kB
Space required: 111 kB / 86.4 GB available

Get: 1 http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie/main amd64 debconf-utils all 1.5.91 [57.0 kB]
57.0 kB fetched in 0s (732 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package debconf-utils.
(Reading database ... 436223 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../debconf-utils_1.5.91_all.deb ...
Unpacking debconf-utils (1.5.91) ...
Setting up debconf-utils (1.5.91) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.13.1-1) ...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
sudo update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-7.2.8-2-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-7.2.8-2-liquorix-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-7.2.8-1-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-7.2.8-1-liquorix-amd64
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-7.0.10-1-liquorix-amd64
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-7.0.10-1-liquorix-amd64
Adding boot menu entry for EFI firmware configuration
done
Have a great week-end cool

q4osteam · Yesterday 14:06

Thanks for reporting back. Both are sorted: the leftover Trinity tools are gone, and update-grub now runs without the debconf-get-selections warning.

If the "Message recipient disconnected" message shows up again in Discover, please post the output of the two journalctl commands above (run them before rebooting).

Have a great weekend too smile

Q4OS Forum

#1 2026-09-30 11:07

Message recipient disconnected ...

#2 2026-09-30 11:23

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#3 2026-10-01 15:51

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#4 2026-10-01 16:02

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#5 Yesterday 07:10

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#6 Yesterday 07:29

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#7 Yesterday 08:36

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#8 Yesterday 12:42

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

#9 Yesterday 14:06

Re: Message recipient disconnected ...

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