Problems with Updates & Software, add-apt-repository and "Can't find a source ..."

[braneludio]

Hi guys,

Well as one guy said "I know I shouldn't have done it, but I did it anyway ..." I installed different DE-s on my 14.04.2 Ubuntu including: gnome-shell, kde, xubuntu, mate, cinammon, awesome, i3wm and pantheon. This messed up my unity (mainly kde and pantheon which required gnome3 ppas), so I wanted to get back to unity and had to downgrade a lot of installed stuff using aptitude build-dep ...

So far I've managed to get back almost to square 1 (after 2 months of fun : ) but there are a couple of things left to fix:

1. I can't start Software and Updates
I tried reinstalling but I get:


$ sudo aptitude reinstall update-manager
The following packages will be REINSTALLED:
update-manager
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 9 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
E: Can't find a source to download version '1:0.196.13' of 'update-manager:amd64'
E: Can't find a source to download version '1:0.196.13' of 'update-manager:amd64'
E: Internal error: couldn't generate list of packages to download

I also tried reinstalling python3-apt but I get:


$ sudo aptitude reinstall python3-apt
The following packages will be REINSTALLED:
python3-apt
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 9 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
E: Can't find a source to download version '0.9.3.5+elementary4~ubuntu0.3.1' of 'python3-apt:amd64'
E: Can't find a source to download version '0.9.3.5+elementary4~ubuntu0.3.1' of 'python3-apt:amd64'
E: Internal error: couldn't generate list of packages to download


2. I can't add repositories using add-apt-repository
I get this:


$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:conky-companions/ppa
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/add-apt-repository", line 91, in <module>
sp = SoftwareProperties(options=options)
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 109, in __init__
self.reload_sourceslist()
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 599, in reload_sourceslist
self.distro.get_sources(self.sourceslist)
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/aptsources/distro.py", line 89, in get_sources
(self.id, self.codename))
aptsources.distro.NoDistroTemplateException: Error: could not find a distribution template for Ubuntu/n/a


3. my power indicator doesn't refresh
I tried reinstalling but also get


$ sudo aptitude reinstall gnome-power-manager
The following packages will be REINSTALLED:
gnome-power-manager
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 reinstalled, 0 to remove and 9 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.
E: Can't find a source to download version '3.8.2-1ubuntu3~trusty1.1' of 'gnome-power-manager:amd64'
E: Can't find a source to download version '3.8.2-1ubuntu3~trusty1.1' of 'gnome-power-manager:amd64'
E: Internal error: couldn't generate list of packages to download

I dunno if it's all connected - but I sure don't want to do a clean install because of all the stuff I need to redo ... help?

Branko

[v3.xx]

E: Can't find a source
Whats in your sources list?

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

[braneludio]

Yeah I tried resetting my source.list after purging some of the packages didn't finish nice and tidy. The thing is I wanted to purge all this new ppas that i added but some of them wanted to remove ubuntu-desktop and I thought "well that doesn't sound good" (now I know I'm wrong : ) so I stopped the purging midway.

Anyway to get a nice and fresh source.list I used http://repogen.simplylinux.ch/ to get the list bellow. I also emptied /etc/apt/sources.list.d completely. I don't know where elementaryos still stands a source for some of the bins ..


# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS _Trusty Tahr_ - Release amd64 (20140722.2)]/ trusty main restricted
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty main restricted
## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-updates main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-updates main restricted
## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-updates universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-updates universe
## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-updates multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-updates multiverse

## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security main restricted
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty-security multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository.
## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by Canonical and the
## respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu users.
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu trusty partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu trusty partner

## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by third-party
## developers who want to ship their latest software.
deb http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty main
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ trusty partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ trusty partner
deb-src http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu trusty main

# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/jon-severinsson/ffmpeg/ubuntu trusty main

# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ trusty partner
deb http://liveusb.info/multisystem/depot all main
# deb-src http://liveusb.info/multisystem/depot all main

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers/ppa/ubuntu trusty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers/ppa/ubuntu trusty main

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gurqn/systray-trusty/ubuntu trusty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/gurqn/systray-trusty/ubuntu trusty main

# Conky
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/teejee2008/ppa/ubuntu trusty main

[v3.xx]

Why do you have your ppa's in your sources.list and not in sources.list.d?

Please run a update in terminal and look for errors. If the ppas come up in error, comment out (#) the offending ppa in the sources list for now. Did you install these ppa using apt-add-repository at some point?

Is all this conflict being cause by an version upgrade to 14o4?

You run a lot of environments. The only one that would concern me would be gnome-shell. I do not run it myself, but have read reports of it (at times), not playing nice with other desktops.

[braneludio]

I added all of these directly in the sources.list, actually all of them except the last 3: deb xorg-edgers (http://ppa.launchpad.net/xorg-edgers/ppa/ubuntu), systray-trusty (http://ppa.launchpad.net/gurqn/systray-trusty/ubuntu) and Conky were generated by http://repogen.simplylinux.ch/. Adding stuff using add-apt-repository doesn't work any more. I cleared sources.list.d/ because I couldn't figure out why ubuntu can't find the sources to reinstall the stuff that's not working. Otherwise, apt-get update doesn't give any errors except a GPG error because I didn't add the keys for the last repo-s.

I think the biggest trouble came when I was trying to install Pantheon DE. This necessitated adding gnome-3 ppa's, so maybe you're right with the gnome-shell thing.

Cheers,
Branko

[QIII]

@braneludio:

When you are posting blocks of text copied from the terminal, please use code tags:

1. If you are using the "Reply to Thread" button - highlight text and use the # button in the text box header. Alternatively, click the # button first, place your cursor between the code tags and type or paste your text.

2. If using "Quick Reply" then type
at the beginning and at the end. The square brackets are required.

This helps others distinguish what is from the terminal from the rest of your text.

[v3.xx]

Ok, what if you try a dist-upgrade and do some cleaning.

sudo apt-get clean && sudo apt-get autoremove && cd /varlib/apt && sudo mv list list.old && sudo mkdir -p list/partial && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade && sudo apt-get -f install
The last command attempts to fix broken packages and may give a useful error message.

Seen this?
http://www.googlubuntu.com/results/?cx=006238239194895611142:u-ocqbntw_o&q=Internal+error%3A+couldn%27t+generate+list+of+pa ckages+to+download&sa=Search&cof=FORID:9

[braneludio]

Ok thanks! Sorry about that - I was wondering how to do it : )

[braneludio]

I've tried clean and autoremove to no avail. I'll try upgrading the distro, but first I have to back things up : )

[v3.xx]

A dist-upgrade is not a version-upgrade.

http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/utopic/en/man8/apt-get.8.html

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AptGet/Howto#Maintenance_commands

[Bashing-om]

v3.xx; braneludio; Hey guys;

I am invited to join this thread, see what we can do.

v3.xx has my thoughts and we follow his lead as he is the 1st responder.


upfront, maybe



look'n for that needle in the haystack

[v3.xx]

Here's Bashing-om reply to my PM.


So many DE's installed, and we have a conflict of interest when the OP tried to remove, No telling what will now have to be replaced, just trial and error with ' apt-get upgrade ' .
Make sure all the PPAs are supported in trusty; temporarily disable all of them until the package manager is stable;
results -> apt-get -f install ?
results -> sudo dpkg -C -> ?

Focus on getting the system stable using the default DE ,unity, up and running as the display manager .
Run sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm to set the default display manager

Then we see where we stand.