Two different automatic update emails are sent at the same time

[knutsp]

Subject 1.

Some plugins were automatically updated

Subject 2.

Background Update Finished

Both mentioning the same plugin(s).

[hellofromTonya]

@knutsp ​reports on Slack:

It happens with 5.6-RC1, not with 5.5.

[pbiron]

yes, doesn't happen when running 5.5, but it's NOT a regression in 5.6-RC1. The one with subject line Background Update Finished is sent only when running a development version of WP (e.g., alpha, beta, RC, nightlies)...the other is sent regardless of whether running a dev version or not. The development version email has been sent since 3.7...the other one, obviously, was new in 5.5.

If you're using ​WordPress Beta Tester plugin, you can suppress the Background Update Finished email by going to Tools > Beta Testing > Extra Settings (Network Admin > Settings > Beta Testing > Extra Settings in multisite) and check the Skip successful autoupdate emails. setting (and then saving your settings). Note: doing this will also suppress the sending of that email core core and theme updates as well.

[pbiron]

note: I wouldn't mind getting rid of the Background Update Finished email...but the fact that you now get 2 emails on successful updates is not really a "bug".

[knutsp]

Thank you for the clarification, @pbiron. I used the the beta plugin in the 5.5 cycle, so I did not discover it. I now just use const WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE = 'beta';

Since the main purpose of releasing and installing development versions is to test the next general release, it's a problem that it, on purpose, behaves differently than it will when moved from development (even RC2) to final.

Stating that it's not really a bug is just confusing and little constructive. Unnecessary and unwanted, I call that a bug and the reason I reported it here.

I also see that what earlier was called "background updates" now is called "auto-updates". Time to clean up.