Ubuntu 25.10 Software updater fails to restart

Ubuntu
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If an update to Ubuntu 25.10 requires a restart, I can choose “Restart Now” or “Restart Later”. If I choose “now”, the system does not complete the restart. Seeing that, I simply restart manually, but I’m wondering why that happens. I only noticed this starting about 2 months ago. I have two HP desktops that both show this symptom.

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Are you talking about restarting services or apps after an update?
Things usually have to be restarted because

  • they have dependencies that have been updated
  • their config files have been altered during the update

I usually just do a reboot when it wants manual restarts. That ensures everything is fresh.

Linux is really clever being able to update while you are using it, but occasionally
things clash and you have to either restart an app or boot. Most communly it is firefox.
I would avoid trying to update the host while it is running a VM. That is asking for trouble.

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Thanks for your reply. This is when I get an unsolicited pop-up window from the “Software Updater” app saying that “updated software is available”. I close all open apps to prepare. I then click on “Update Now” and it proceeds to do the update. If the update involves Linux Kernel stuff or such, it will then say “ Update Complete – System Restart Necessary for Update to take effect”. There will be two buttons: “Restart Now” and “Restart Later”. It used to be that if I chose “Restart Now” the result would be the same as if I initiated a restart in the normal way. Now, though, the result is that it just goes back to the Log-in screen or the desktop (I forget exactly what screen it is) and it just sits there, with no restart process. I get tired of waiting so I just initiate a restart in the normal way, and that works. I may be nit-picking, but hey, if one thing isn’t right, maybe there are other problems in hiding!

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Looks like it might be a ‘bug’ in Ubuntu. Someone on Ask.Ubuntu has the same problem.
No answer was posted.

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OK thanks, I understand now … it wants a reboot … and it provides a redundant reboot mechanism that hangs. so you are forced to do a cold boot.

Yes, as @easyt50 said … an Ubuntu bug.
and
I find it annoying too.
There may indeed be other issues behind it.

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