Ubuntu
apt package

Error "Failed to download repository information" when trying to update through software updater

Asked by Felix Wu on 2015-06-04

Hi, I' currently using Ubuntu 12.10 and I' unable to download new updates. The error message is "failed to download repository inforatmation". I went through the troubleshooting guide:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PackageManagerTroubleshootingProcedure

the terminal output was as follows:

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ ubuntu-support-status

Support status summary of 'felix-k-laptop':

You have 2261 packages (99.9%) that can not/no-longer be downloaded

You have 2 packages (0.1%) that are unsupported

Run with --show-unsupported, --show-supported or --show-all to see more details

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ cat /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch

cat: /etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/multiarch: No such file or directory

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ dpkg --print-foreign-architectures

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo grep -R proxy /etc/apt/*

[sudo] password for felix:

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ grep proxy /etc/environment

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ echo $http_proxy

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ echo $ftp_proxy

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ grep proxy /etc/bash.bashrc

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ grep proxy ~/.bashrc

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ cat /etc/apt/apt.conf

cat: /etc/apt/apt.conf: No such file or directory

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo fuser -vvv /var/lib/dpkg/lock

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo fuser -vvv /var/cache/apt/archives/lock

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu

DISTRIB_RELEASE=12.10

DISTRIB_CODENAME=quantal

DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 12.10"

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ uname -a

Linux felix-k-laptop 3.5.0-25-generic #39-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 25 19:02:34 UTC 2013 i686 i686 i686 GNU/Linux

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo rm /var/cache/apt/archives/lock

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo rm /var/lib/dpkg/lock

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ 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 cp /var/backups/apt.extended_states.0 /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

LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove

LANG=C;sudo apt-get --fix-missing update -o APT::Cache-Limit=100000000

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/status /var/lib/dpkg/status-bad

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status || sudo cp /var/backups/apt.extended_states.0 /var/lib/dpkg/status

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo mv /var/lib/dpkg/available /var/lib/dpkg/available-bad

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree

Reading state information... Done

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree

Reading state information... Done

The following packages will be REMOVED:

libcdt4* libgraph4* libgvc5* libkexiv2-data* libpathplan4* python-louis

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 6 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

1 not fully installed or removed.

After this operation, 2678 kB disk space will be freed.

Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y

Abort.

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree

Reading state information... Done

The following packages will be REMOVED:

libcdt4* libgraph4* libgvc5* libkexiv2-data* libpathplan4* python-louis

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 6 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

1 not fully installed or removed.

After this operation, 2678 kB disk space will be freed.

Do you want to continue [Y/n]? z

Abort.

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove

Reading package lists... Done

Building dependency tree

Reading state information... Done

The following packages will be REMOVED:

libcdt4* libgraph4* libgvc5* libkexiv2-data* libpathplan4* python-louis

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 6 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

1 not fully installed or removed.

After this operation, 2678 kB disk space will be freed.

Do you want to continue [Y/n]? Y

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'python-pysqlite2' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'ttf-opensymbol' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'unity-2d-launcher' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'unity-2d-places' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'python-packagekit' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'python-louis' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'zeitgeist-extension-fts' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

(Reading database ... 222596 files and directories currently installed.)

Removing python-louis ...

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'python-pysqlite2' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'ttf-opensymbol' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'unity-2d-launcher' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'unity-2d-places' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'python-packagekit' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

dpkg: warning: files list file for package 'zeitgeist-extension-fts' missing; assuming package has no files currently installed

(Reading database ... 222596 files and directories currently installed.)

Removing libgvc5 ...

Purging configuration files for libgvc5 ...

Removing libgraph4 ...

Purging configuration files for libgraph4 ...

Removing libcdt4 ...

Purging configuration files for libcdt4 ...

Removing libkexiv2-data ...

Removing libpathplan4 ...

Purging configuration files for libpathplan4 ...

Processing triggers for man-db ...

Processing triggers for libc-bin ...

ldconfig deferred processing now taking place

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --configure -a

Processing triggers for gxine ...

Updated the MIME types in gxine's menu file.

Processing triggers for gconf2 ...

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ sudo dpkg --clear-avail

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ 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.

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ 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.

felix@felix-k-laptop:~$ LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=100000000 && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Ign http://archive.canonical.com quantal InRelease

Get:1 http://archive.canonical.com quantal Release.gpg [933 B]

Get:2 http://archive.canonical.com quantal Release [7078 B]

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal InRelease

Get:3 http://archive.canonical.com quantal/partner i386 Packages [5355 B]

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-updates InRelease

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-backports InRelease

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-security InRelease

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal Release.gpg

Ign http://archive.canonical.com quantal/partner Translation-en_US

Ign http://archive.canonical.com quantal/partner Translation-en

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-updates Release.gpg

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-backports Release.gpg

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-security Release.gpg

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal Release

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-updates Release

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-backports Release

Ign http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal-security Release

Err http://archive.ubuntu.com quantal/main Sources