Offer automatic package downloads, now that the machinery is installed

The page had a row for the case where dnf-automatic is absent and
nothing for the case where it is present, so installing it made the
setting disappear rather than appear.

The switch enables downloading only, which is the shipped default and
the right one to keep: a machine that installs packages unattended can
reboot into a kernel nobody chose. Downloading ahead of time is what
makes the install quick when someone does choose it, and the row says
exactly that rather than implying updates apply themselves.

Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01BRvzt4H8XXLPVH5MyYdk9L

config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/UpdatesPage.qml

@@ -245,8 +245,19 @@ SettingsPage {
             onTriggered: Updates.apply("firmware")
         }
 
-        // Reported rather than offered. dnf-automatic is a package this machine
-        // does not have, and installing software is not a settings action.
+        // Offered only when the machinery exists. When it does not, this says
+        // so rather than showing a switch that could not do anything --
+        // installing software is not a settings action.
+        SwitchRow {
+            visible: Updates.automatic?.dnfAutomaticAvailable === true
+            label: "Download package updates automatically"
+            detail: "Fetches them in the background each morning so installing is quick. It does not install them: a machine that updates packages unattended can reboot into a kernel nobody chose."
+            checked: Updates.automatic?.dnfAutomaticEnabled === true
+            enabled: !Updates.busy
+            divider: false
+            onToggled: value => Updates.setAutomaticDnf(value)
+        }
+
         TextRow {
             visible: Updates.automatic?.dnfAutomaticAvailable === false
             label: "Automatic package updates"

config/dot/quickshell/scripts/panama-updates

@@ -256,6 +256,23 @@ def apply(source: str) -> dict:
     raise BoundaryError("That is not an update source.")
 
 
+def set_auto_dnf(enabled: bool) -> None:
+    """Enable the packaging timer, which DOWNLOADS updates but does not apply them.
+
+    That is the shipped default (apply_updates = no) and it is the right one to
+    leave alone: a machine that installs packages unattended can reboot into a
+    kernel nobody chose. Downloading ahead of time makes the install quick when
+    someone does choose it.
+    """
+    state = automatic_state()
+    if not state["dnfAutomaticAvailable"]:
+        raise BoundaryError("Automatic package updates are not installed.")
+    action = ["enable", "--now"] if enabled else ["disable", "--now"]
+    result = run(["pkexec", "systemctl", *action, "dnf5-automatic.timer"], timeout=120)
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        raise BoundaryError(_refusal(result, "Automatic package updates could not be changed."))
+
+
 def set_auto_flatpak(enabled: bool) -> None:
     action = ["enable", "--now"] if enabled else ["disable", "--now"]
     result = run(["systemctl", "--user", *action, FLATPAK_TIMER], timeout=60)
@@ -294,10 +311,12 @@ def main(arguments: list[str]) -> int:
             return 0
         if len(arguments) == 2 and arguments[0] == "set-auto-flatpak":
             set_auto_flatpak(arguments[1] == "true")
+        elif len(arguments) == 2 and arguments[0] == "set-auto-dnf":
+            set_auto_dnf(arguments[1] == "true")
         else:
             raise BoundaryError(
                 "Usage: panama-updates snapshot | check | apply dnf|flatpak|firmware | "
-                "set-auto-flatpak true|false")
+                "set-auto-flatpak true|false | set-auto-dnf true|false")
     except BoundaryError as error:
         state = snapshot()
         state["error"] = str(error)

config/dot/quickshell/services/Updates.qml

@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ Singleton {
         applyProcess.running = true;
     }
 
+    function setAutomaticDnf(enabled: bool): void {
+        if (applyProcess.running)
+            return;
+        root.lastError = "";
+        applyProcess.command = [root.helperPath, "set-auto-dnf", enabled ? "true" : "false"];
+        applyProcess.running = true;
+    }
+
     function setAutomaticFlatpak(enabled: bool): void {
         if (applyProcess.running)
             return;