synaptic problem

System -> Administration -> Software Sources
Choose all the checkboxes under Downloadable from Internet and CLOSE it.

Now invoke Synaptic Package manager. If you still get the same error, please paste the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list

eihab@eihab-desktop:~$ /etc/apt/sources.list
bash: /etc/apt/sources.list: Permission denied
eihab@eihab-desktop:~$

Did you try adding software sources as i mentioned above?
Please try that out first. Then launch Synaptic.

If you get the error again even after that, please open /etc/apt/sources.list in gedit and copy paste here all the lines which dont start with a #

hi metallicatony
I did as you told me and got the same message;
eihab@eihab-desktop:~$ /etc/apt/sources.list
bash: /etc/apt/sources.list: Permission denied
eihab@eihab-desktop:~$

Hi.. if you type /etc/apt/sources.list and press enter in the bash prompt.. clearly you will get the error what you have got.
Please paste the CONTENTS of the file /etc/apt/sources.list
Use a editor (eg: gedit) and open the file. Copy the contents and paste it here please.

Hi there,
I got this as well;
E: Type ‘“deb’ is not known on line 53 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list
E: Unable to lock the list directory

E: Type ‘“deb’ is not known on line 53 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
Go to the repository dialogue to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report.

Hi..
Until unless you paste the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list file here, no one would be able to help you out. Please do that. I'm sorry to tell this.

Hi I got this ;
deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 7.10 _Gutsy Gibbon_ - Release i386 (20071016)]/ gutsy main restricted
deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy main restricted #Added by software-properties
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy main restricted
deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy restricted main multiverse universe #Added by software-properties

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates main restricted
deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-updates restricted main multiverse universe #Added by software-properties

## 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://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy universe
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-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://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy multiverse
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-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 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-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 gutsy partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu gutsy partner

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security restricted main multiverse universe #Added by software-properties
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu gutsy-security multiverse
deb http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-proposed restricted main multiverse universe
deb-src http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ gutsy-proposed restricted main multiverse universe #Added by software-properties
“deb http://www.getautomatix.com/apt edgy main”
“deb http://www.getautomatix.com/apt dapper main”
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude upgrade

Eihab Abdelmagid,

Fire up a Terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and type the following code:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
An editor opens, navigate to the end of the file and comment out the last two deb entries.
It should look like this:
#“deb http://www.getautomatix.com/apt edgy main”
#“deb http://www.getautomatix.com/apt dapper main”

With Regards,
Zombie.

Thanks Bhavani Shankar, that solved my question.
Best Regards
Eihab

Thanks Bhavani Shankar, that solved my question.