Ubuntu
apt package

E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list

Asked by Doug Lahren

I was attempting to remove open office and replacing it with libre office.
synaptic package manager is showing this error:
"E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
Go to the repository dialog to correct the problem.
E: _cache->open() failed, please report."

The following is the result of the commands on this page:
"https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PackageManagerTroubleshootingProcedure"

doug@doug:~$ sudo apt-get install update-manager
[sudo] password for doug:
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
doug@doug:~$ update-manager
doug@doug:~$ sudo fuser -vvv /var/lib/dpkg/lock
[sudo] password for doug:
doug@doug:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS"
doug@doug:~$ uname -a
Linux doug 2.6.32-35-generic #78-Ubuntu SMP Tue Oct 11 15:27:15 UTC 2011 i686 GNU/Linux
doug@doug:~$ sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
doug@doug:~$ sudo cp -arf /var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg.backup
doug@doug:~$ sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
doug@doug:~$ sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available
doug@doug:~$ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*
doug@doug:~$ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
doug@doug:~$ sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin
doug@doug:~$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists
doug@doug:~$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=25165824
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
doug@doug:~$ sudo dpkg --clear-avail
doug@doug:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a
Processing triggers for shared-mime-info ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils ...
Processing triggers for man-db ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme ...
Processing triggers for python-gmenu ...
Rebuilding /usr/share/applications/desktop.C.cache...
Processing triggers for python-support ...
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get -f install
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
E: The list of sources could not be read.
doug@doug:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=25165824 && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
E: Type 'n' is not known on line 1 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
doug@doug:~$

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actionparsnip
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Revision history for this message
mycae (mycae) said : 		#1

can you post the contents of
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list ?

you can either open it in a text editor or run

cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list

from a terminal

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#2

Thank you for fast reply.
contents of "cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list"
from a terminal:
doug@doug:~$
That is all.

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#3

contents of
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list
opened in a text editor:
"n"

Revision history for this message
mycae (mycae) said : 		#4

well, thats not a valid package source :) -- just delete the file to fix your problem in the short term.

In the longer term, did you want to install libreoffice? Are you running lucid?

To delete the file, you can either launch nautilus as administrator

gksudo nautilus

or run

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list

from a terminal

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#5

Thanks mycae, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#6

Yes on install libre office. I have a problem moving page breaks with OO Calc, so I decided to try libre office. I understand that there will be more support for libre office than openoffice.
I have questions about the contents of "/apt" and "/sources.lis.d".
Is there a way I can post images of the folder contents?

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#7

Yes I am running lucid.
Thanks

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#8

This is a file in /apt : "sources.list.save", it looks different than the others, should I delete this one too?

Revision history for this message
Best actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#9

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/libreoffice-ppa-lucid.list.save

If you have it, I have .save files here in Oneiric.

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#10

Thank you. I have questions about the contents of "/apt" and "/sources.lis.d".
I think may have made copies of some files in these folders and wonder if I should delete them.
Is there a way I can post images of the folder contents to get help from some one?
"mozillateam-firefox-stable-lucid.list.save" is one of the files in "/sources.lis.d" that I question.

Revision history for this message
DarkJavi (darkjavi) said : 		#11

Hi Doug

.save files inside sources.list.d means disabled repositories, those files are doing nothing right now.Safe to keep and safe to delete , up to you.

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#12

Thank you, DarkJavi.

I am grateful for your help.

Doug

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#13

I am sorry, I am new here. I didn't understand the solved my problem button procedure.
It should have been placed on #11.

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#14

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Doug Lahren (handydoug13) said : 		#15

I thought I understood the solved my problem button procedure, but I didn't.
The solved my problem credit for my original problem goes to
mycae's answer in #4.
Sorry