[clenny]

I could use a bit of help. I made an error editing my sources list and now when I try to launch Add/Remove applications, I get a majpr error error message. I did save a backup of the sources list but I don't know how to retrieve it. I thought i was doing pretty well up to this point. I managed to update to Ubuntu 6.06 just fine. I guess I got over-confident. How do I undo this guys?

I located the backup file and tried to be clever and replace the mucked up file with the backup file but I keep getting a message that I don't have the rights to do this. Now I can't even generate the file when I do the following: sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list I hope you can see the screenshot and decipher this error for me. Thanks.

[prunejuice]

I dont use APT myself, but couldn't you use apt-get update

...or...

apt-get update all

...to generate a new sources list?

[clenny]

I tried that but, unfortunately, when I do i get an error message that something is missing on line such and such. So whatever I did is preventing that from working as well.


Here's a screenshot of what happens when I do apt-get update. Mind you this occurred after I tried fixing my first error, which was on line 14, only to create a new one. So that's when I decide I better get some help.

[prunejuice]

apt-get upgrade?

Come on APT folks, help us out here!

[Bartender]

I'm trying to read his attachment. Not sure but looksl ike the error message is about permissions, not missing a line.
My guess here, since I've done the exact same thing, is that he didn't access "sources.list" properly by typing in sudo first.

Try again

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

If you don't get asked for your password, you can't make changes. If you don't see the "Save" icon (the floppy disk) lit up you won't be able to save.

On a different note, it sounds like you may have gotten into sources.list previously and maybe changed a few things and now it doesn't work right? Take a look at the "Repositories and Backports" secton of the Ubuntu forum. If you notice in the sticky section ubuntudemon has placed a copy of his sources.list. If you are also running Ubuntu Dapper you can just copy/paste his list into your sources.list, replacing yours entirely. Probly want to save your list just for the heck of it, or so you could compare to his. If you scroll down thru this section of the forum you'll see lots of people showing off their sources.lists, so there are many to choose from.

[clenny]

Actually, I created a backup before I uncommented the breezy and universe repositories the first time. So I tried replacing the mucked up sources list with the backup. That's when I got the permissions error. I'm the only person using this puter so I'm the admin but I know that's not exactly the same as root. Anyway, here's a screenshot where I put sudo in front and sure enough the sources list generated but something is wrong because add/remove apps gives me an error message as well. Take a look:
I'll go through the forum and do what you suggested but I'm not sure I won't run into the same permissions thing as before. Is there a particular procedure to this? Before I just tried replacing the old sources list with the backup and that's where I keep running into trouble. Thanks for your input.

[clenny]

Bartender, I went to the forum you suggested and followed ubuntudemon's instruction but it didn't work. You know I hosed a Windows OS, have I hosed this one as well? Anyway, you live and learn I guess. I just upgraded to 6.06, I would hate to have to reinstall and do that all over again. Anyway, I've got a couple of screenshots to show you what happened:

Anyway, it would be great if someone can steer me out of this mess I've created. Thanks.

[prunejuice]

Try this...

sudo Kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list

...you'll be asked for your password. Then, paste this in and save:


# Automatically generated sources.list
# http://www.ubuntulinux.nl/source-o-matic
#
# If you get errors about missing keys, lookup the key in this file
# and run these commands (replace KEY with the key number)
#
# gpg --keyserver subkeys.pgp.net --recv KEY
# gpg --export --armor KEY | sudo apt-key add -

# Ubuntu supported packages (packages, GPG key: 437D05B5)
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper main restricted
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-updates main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security main restricted

# Ubuntu supported packages (sources, GPG key: 437D05B5)
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper main restricted
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-updates main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security main restricted

# Ubuntu community supported packages (packages, GPG key: 437D05B5)
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper universe multiverse
deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-updates universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security universe multiverse

# Ubuntu community supported packages (sources, GPG key: 437D05B5)
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper universe multiverse
deb-src http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-updates universe multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security universe multiverse

# Seveas' packages (packages, GPG key: 1135D466)
deb http://mirror2.ubuntulinux.nl dapper-seveas all

# Seveas' packages (sources, GPG key: 1135D466)
deb-src http://mirror3.ubuntulinux.nl dapper-seveas all

# Cipherfunk multimedia packages (packages, GPG key: 33BAC1B3)
deb ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/ dapper main

# Cipherfunk multimedia packages (sources, GPG key: 33BAC1B3)
deb-src ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu dapper main

# kubuntu.org packages for the latest KDE version (packages, GPG key: DD4D5088)
deb http://kubuntu.org/packages/kde-latest dapper main

# kubuntu.org packages for the latest KDE version (sources, GPG key: DD4D5088)
deb-src http://kubuntu.org/packages/kde-latest dapper main

# kubuntu.org packages for the latest Koffice version (packages, GPG key: DD4D5088)
deb http://kubuntu.org/packages/koffice-latest dapper main

# kubuntu.org packages for the latest Koffice version (sources, GPG key: DD4D5088)
deb-src http://kubuntu.org/packages/koffice-latest dapper main

# kubuntu.org packages for the latest amaroK version (packages, GPG key: DD4D5088)
deb http://kubuntu.org/packages/amarok-latest dapper main

# kubuntu.org packages for the latest amaroK version (sources, GPG key: DD4D5088)
deb-src http://kubuntu.org/packages/amarok-latest dapper main

# Penguin Liberation Front (packages)
deb ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_...lf/ubuntu/plf/ dapper free non-free

# Penguin Liberation Front (sources)
deb-src ftp://ftp.free.fr/pub/Distributions_...lf/ubuntu/plf/ dapper free non-free

# Bleeding edge wine packages (packages)
deb http://wine.budgetdedicated.com/apt dapper main

# Bleeding edge wine packages (sources)
deb-src http://wine.budgetdedicated.com/apt dapper main

# The Opera browser (packages)
deb http://deb.opera.com/opera etch non-free

# Bazaar-NG development (packages, GPG key: 1F44842D)
deb http://people.ubuntu.com/~jbailey/snapshot/bzr ./

# Bazaar-NG development (sources, GPG key: 1F44842D)
deb-src http://people.ubuntu.com/~jbailey/snapshot/bzr ./


You can substitute Kwrite with Kate or whatever editor you use.

[clenny]

Thanks guy, that worked! remind me not to go fooling around with the sources list. At least not until I know more about what I'm doing.

[clenny]

I just wanted to add that as a newbie, I'm really impressed with Linux. Although I own a Windows box out of sheer necessity (I do freelance translation work and Trados only runs on Windows), I've always preferred Macintosh. I'm not ready to kick Mac to the curb but I'm going to continue to learn Linux. I always thought it would be too hard to learn, you have to know the command line, etc. It's still not as user-friendly as a Mac but it's not as high a bar as I once thought. I'm amazed at the breadth of software available and it's all free!!! Well, most of it from what I can tell. A lot of people are putting in a lot of work to make this thing work. I hope you guys eventually are successful to the point where proprietary systems have to drop their prices to compete. When I buy a new Intel-Mac I'm going to install Linux on a partition and maybe buy parallel and run them concurrently. Well I guess that's it for now. Keep up the good work.

[prunejuice]

There's room on the Linux Express for everyone. All aboard! Toot! Toot!

There's nothing better for me as a Linux enthusiast than seeing a newcomer grind through the initial frustration, only to come out on the other side and breathe the fresh, clean air of Linux/BSD/etc...I'm glad you stuck with it.