[SOLVED] Upgrade and update problem: malformed release file

[amplexus]

Here's the message I'm getting whenever I try to upgrade to Intrepid from Update Manager or sudo apt=get update from terminal?

Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hardy-updates/Release Unable to find expected entry universedeb/binary-i386/Packages in Meta-index file (malformed Release file?)

I'd be grateful for any suggestions as to what this means, or what I could try.

[ddrichardson]

Could you post your
/etc/apt/sources.list

[amplexus]

## deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 8.04 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20080423)]/ hardy 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/ hardy main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted

## 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
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universedeb

deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-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/ hardy multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## 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-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-backports main restricted universe 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 hardy partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu hardy main
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu hardy main
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/reacocard-awn/ubuntu hardy main

# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security restricted main multiverse universe
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main

[ddrichardson]

You have a malformed line in that file - line 17 (not including blank lines) should read:
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe

[amplexus]

Thanks for getting back to me about this, dd. Sorry to be so helpless, but could you tell me what I need to type in the terminal to call up the list so that I can change it? Then, if it works out, I swear to learn to fend for myself better ...

[ddrichardson]

Open a terminal and type:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.listPress enter then change the line that reads:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universedebTo read:

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universeSave and exit the editor and type:

sudo apt-get update

[amplexus]

Thanks, dd, I appreciate your help with this. I made the change, and in response to sudo apt-get update, get the message:

Malformed line 20 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (vendor id)

The source list now reads:

## deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 8.04 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20080423)]/ hardy 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/ hardy main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates restricted main universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted

## 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
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe
deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe

deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-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/ hardy multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## 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-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-backports main restricted universe 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 hardy partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu hardy main
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu hardy main
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/reacocard-awn/ubuntu hardy main

# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security restricted main multiverse universe
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main

[Partyboi2]

Remove the from your sources.list, the line should read

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe

## deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 8.04 _Hardy Heron_ - Release i386 (20080423)]/ hardy main restricted
# See [URL]http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates restricted main universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates main restricted

## 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
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy universe
deb [url]http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates universe

deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-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/ hardy multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy multiverse
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates multiverse
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## 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-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-backports main restricted universe 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 hardy partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu hardy main
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/dell-team/ubuntu hardy main
# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/reacocard-awn/ubuntu hardy main

# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ hardy-security restricted main multiverse universe
# deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main

[awam66]

Hi There,
In the line you changed in your sources file you should not have put [url].
Delete that and try again.

[ddrichardson]

Sorry some bbcode worked its way in there. Like they said, remove [url]

[amplexus]

Thanks everyone: sometimes hard to believe how helpful everyone is here ...