[Bug]: setting 'updatechecker' => false does not disable update notifications

[diogotcorreia]

⚠️ This issue respects the following points: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration/webserver/proxy issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github OR Nextcloud Community Forum (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server is up to date. See Maintenance and Release Schedule for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.

Bug description

Note: I've checked "Nextcloud Server is up to date" but it isn't (given that it is a requirement for reproducing this issue): it's at 30.0.8.

I have set 'updatechecker' => false on config.php, but I'm still getting update notifications by email and in the web interface. My expectation, given the documentation, is that Nextcloud shouldn't even check for updates:

Check if Nextcloud is up-to-date and shows a notification if a new version is available. It sends current version, php version, installation and last update time and release channel to the updater server which responds with the latest available version based on those metrics.

Possibly related, but without replies: https://help.nextcloud.com/t/notification-of-update-still-visible-after-an-upgrade/193531

Possibly relevant code paths:

server/apps/updatenotification/lib/AppInfo/Application.php

Line 54 in a532737

if ($config->getSystemValue('updatechecker', true) !== true) {

server/lib/private/Updater/VersionCheck.php

Line 37 in a532737

if (!$this->config->getSystemValueBool('has_internet_connection', true)) {

Steps to reproduce

1. Install an outdated Nextcloud version (e.g., 30.0.8)
2. Set 'updatechecker' => false, on config.php
3. Wait for "new update available" notification

Expected behavior

Nextcloud should not check for updates, or at least not send notifications if updatechecker is set to false.

The has_internet_connection option seems to disable the update checker for good, but if I'm not mistaken is also disables other features.

Nextcloud Server version

30

Operating system

Other

PHP engine version

PHP 8.3

Web server

Other

Database engine version

PostgreSQL

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

None

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

What user-backends are you using?

• Default user-backend (database)
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Configuration report

{
    "system": {
        "apps_paths": [
            {
                "path": "\/nix\/store\/la4q6i8rw6zkdcffrjzgxyp0dzr37sfl-nextcloud-30.0.8-with-apps\/apps",
                "url": "\/apps",
                "writable": false
            },
            {
                "path": "\/nix\/store\/la4q6i8rw6zkdcffrjzgxyp0dzr37sfl-nextcloud-30.0.8-with-apps\/nix-apps",
                "url": "\/nix-apps",
                "writable": false
            }
        ],
        "datadirectory": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "skeletondirectory": "",
        "memcache.local": "\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu",
        "log_type": "syslog",
        "loglevel": 2,
        "overwriteprotocol": "https",
        "dbname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbhost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbuser": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "dbtype": "pgsql",
        "trusted_proxies": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "default_phone_region": "PT",
        "profile.enabled": false,
        "memcache.distributed": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "memcache.locking": "\\OC\\Memcache\\Redis",
        "redis": {
            "host": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
            "port": 0
        },
        "mail_from_address": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpmode": "smtp",
        "mail_sendmailmode": "smtp",
        "mail_domain": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpauthtype": "LOGIN",
        "mail_smtpauth": 1,
        "mail_smtphost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "mail_smtpport": "465",
        "mail_smtpsecure": "ssl",
        "mail_smtpname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "version": "30.0.8.1",
        "overwrite.cli.url": "https:\/\/removed.example.com\/",
        "dbport": "",
        "dbtableprefix": "oc_",
        "dbpassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "installed": true,
        "mail_smtppassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "instanceid": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "passwordsalt": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
        "upgrade.disable-web": true,
        "htaccess.RewriteBase": "\/",
        "htaccess.IgnoreFrontController": true,
        "maintenance": false,
        "maintenance_window_start": 2,
        "appstoreenabled": false,
        "updatechecker": false,
        "trusted_domains": [
            "removed.example.com"
        ]
    }
}

List of activated Apps

Enabled:
  - activity: 3.0.0
  - app_api: 4.0.6
  - bruteforcesettings: 3.0.0
  - calendar: 5.2.0
  - circles: 30.0.0
  - cloud_federation_api: 1.13.0
  - comments: 1.20.1
  - contacts: 7.0.4
  - contactsinteraction: 1.11.0
  - cookbook: 0.11.3
  - cospend: 3.0.11
  - dashboard: 7.10.0
  - dav: 1.31.1
  - deck: 1.14.4
  - federatedfilesharing: 1.20.0
  - files: 2.2.0
  - files_downloadlimit: 3.0.0
  - files_external: 1.22.0
  - files_pdfviewer: 3.0.0
  - files_reminders: 1.3.0
  - files_sharing: 1.22.0
  - files_trashbin: 1.20.1
  - files_versions: 1.23.0
  - firstrunwizard: 3.0.0
  - gpoddersync: 3.12.0
  - lookup_server_connector: 1.18.0
  - nextcloud_announcements: 2.0.0
  - nextpod: 0.7.7
  - notes: 4.11.0
  - notifications: 3.0.0
  - oauth2: 1.18.1
  - password_policy: 2.0.0
  - privacy: 2.0.0
  - provisioning_api: 1.20.0
  - recommendations: 3.0.0
  - related_resources: 1.5.0
  - richdocuments: 8.5.4
  - serverinfo: 2.0.0
  - settings: 1.13.0
  - sharebymail: 1.20.0
  - support: 2.0.0
  - survey_client: 2.0.0
  - systemtags: 1.20.0
  - tasks: 0.16.1
  - text: 4.1.0
  - theming: 2.6.0
  - twofactor_backupcodes: 1.19.0
  - twofactor_totp: 12.0.0-dev
  - twofactor_webauthn: 2.1.0
  - updatenotification: 1.20.0
  - user_status: 1.10.0
  - viewer: 3.0.0
  - weather_status: 1.10.0
  - webhook_listeners: 1.1.0-dev
  - workflowengine: 2.12.0
Disabled:
  - admin_audit: 1.20.0
  - encryption: 2.18.0
  - federation: 1.20.0 (installed 1.18.0)
  - logreader: 3.0.0 (installed 2.14.0)
  - photos: 3.0.2 (installed 3.0.2)
  - suspicious_login: 8.0.0
  - twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 4.0.0
  - user_ldap: 1.21.0

Nextcloud Signing status

No errors have been found.

Nextcloud Logs

Additional info

Operating system: NixOS 24.11.20250405.7819a0d
Webserver: Caddy 2.8.4