apt-get fails to fetch

Asked by Rodolfo Aramayo

When trying to use apt-get on a FRESH Ubuntu server installation that has been properly configured for internet use I get:

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:~# apt-get update
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease

Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates InRelease

Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports InRelease

Err http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security InRelease

Err http://extras.ubuntu.com precise InRelease

Err http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'extras.ubuntu.com'
Err http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Reading package lists... Done
W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-backports/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-backports/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'extras.ubuntu.com'

W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
#############################################################

I have tried to fix the issue as suggested in:
#############################################################
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PackageManagerTroubleshootingProcedure
#############################################################

But the problem persists. The output of the above commands is:
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:~# sudo fuser -vvv /var/lib/dpkg/lock
:~# cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=12.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=precise
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 12.04 LTS"
:~# uname -a
Linux genomics07 3.2.0-23-generic #36-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 10 20:39:51 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
:~# sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
:~# sudo cp -arf /var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg.backup
:~# sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status-bad
:~# sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
:~# sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/available /var/lib/dpkg/available-bad
:~# sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available
:~# sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*
:~# sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
:~# sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin
:~# sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists
:~# sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
4 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up grub2-common (1.99-21ubuntu3) ...
Setting up grub-pc-bin (1.99-21ubuntu3) ...
Setting up grub-pc (1.99-21ubuntu3) ...
Installation finished. No error reported.
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-23-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /memtest86+.bin
done
Setting up grub-gfxpayload-lists (0.6) ...
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=25165824
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease

Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates InRelease

Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports InRelease

Err http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security InRelease

Err http://extras.ubuntu.com precise InRelease

Err http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'extras.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Reading package lists... Done
W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-backports/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-backports/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'extras.ubuntu.com'

W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
:~# sudo dpkg --configure -a
:~# sudo dpkg --clear-avail
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get -f install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
:~# LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=25165824 && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise InRelease

Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates InRelease

Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports InRelease

Err http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security InRelease

Err http://extras.ubuntu.com precise InRelease

Err http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'extras.ubuntu.com'
Err http://security.ubuntu.com precise-security Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Err http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports Release.gpg
  Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'
Reading package lists... Done
W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-backports/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/InRelease

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-updates/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-backports/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'us.archive.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise-security/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'security.ubuntu.com'

W: Failed to fetch http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/Release.gpg Temporary failure resolving 'extras.ubuntu.com'

W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
#############################################################

Any help will be appreciated

Question information

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Ubuntu apt Edit question
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Solved by:
actionparsnip
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Revision history for this message
Best actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#1

try running:

echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf > /dev/null

Then try:

sudo apt-get update

Again....

Revision history for this message
Rodolfo Aramayo (raramayo) said :
#2

So I did that and it worked!..Thanks!

But now at the end of the output from: 'sudo apt-get update' I get:

Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise/universe Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/main Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-updates/universe Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/main Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com precise-backports/universe Translation-en
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com precise/main Translation-en
Fetched 72 B in 1s (36 B/s)
Reading package lists... Done
W: GPG error: http://extras.ubuntu.com precise Release: The following signatures couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 16126D3A3E5C1192

Ideas?
Thanks

Revision history for this message
Rodolfo Aramayo (raramayo) said :
#3

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Luv Latchan (luv-latchan) said :
#4

Thanks this also helped me out. I thought I was going crazy then some how came across this post and sorted all my issues.

Revision history for this message
Alexander Langanke (alexlanganke) said :
#5

This works for me as well BUT I have to run echo
nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf > /dev/null
every time I reboot the system..

Is there a solution that fixes this once and for all?

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#6

Then use:

echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolvconf/resolv.conf.d/base > /dev/null

Reboot to test

Revision history for this message
Alexander Langanke (alexlanganke) said :
#7

works like a charm. thank you!

Could you explain what that command does?

echo returns the words "nameserver 8.8.8.8" ... which are then stored in /dev/null
??

I am a little confused and like to learn why something fixes an error ;-)

Revision history for this message
Rodolfo Aramayo (raramayo) said :
#8

I know that the original problem was generated when I mistakenly misconfigured my Ubuntu installation when I added the Google DNS servers as:
8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4
When in reality I was supposed to type:
8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4
The presence of the 'comma' in-between made the difference
Now in a GUI is easy to fix this problem post installation, but on the server side I am still trying to find exactly where I should change these values as I am sure that there is a way to change them permanently
In my case, I could afford the luxury of re-installing my system and correcting this annoying error because it is true that after reboot the first solution proposed was being reset
I guess if we find out where Ubuntu writes the DNS values we should be OK

Revision history for this message
Rodolfo Aramayo (raramayo) said :
#9
Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#10

The command output the text to stdout, then it is piped to the tee command to add it to the file, tee also outputs the stdou so I pipe that to /dev/null for neatness.