Cannot change number or workspaces under 11.10

http://askubuntu.com/questions/68569/how-can-number-of-workspace-be-set-used-unity-in-ubuntu-11-10

Thank you. I find that I cannot download this or any other packages. Since upgrading from 11.04 to 11.10, I believe the Ubuntu Software Center has not been functional. In the present instant, its response is

Failed to download repository information
Check your Internet connection.
W:Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/main/source/Sources File not found
, W:Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/restricted/source/Sources File not found
. . .
, W:Failed to fetch http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org/ubuntu//pool/main/g/gcc-defaults/dists/oneiric/main/binary-i386/Packages 404 Not Found
, E:Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I wonder if my upgrade was completely successful. I could not get the simple upgrade procedure to run and had to do an alternate upgrade (ubuntu-11.10-alternate-amd64.iso). But even the alternate procedure given in the documentation failed to run (the gksu step failed). So what I actually did was the following:

 su "superuser"
 sudo mount -o loop ~/Downloads/ubuntu-11.10-alternate-amd64.iso /media/iso
 cd media/iso
 sudo ./cdromupgrade

Do I need to start a new question for this problem?

Thanks.

Please send here the result of this terminal command:

lsb_release -a; sudo apt-get update

The response is:

lsb_release -a

No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 11.10
Release: 11.10
Codename: oneiric

sudo apt-get update

Ign file: oneiric InRelease
Ign file: oneiric-updates InRelease
Ign file: oneiric Release.gpg
Ign file: oneiric-updates Release.gpg
Ign file: oneiric Release
Ign file: oneiric-updates Release
Ign file: oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric/restricted TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric/universe TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric-updates/main TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric-updates/multiverse TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric-updates/restricted TranslationIndex
Ign file: oneiric-updates/universe TranslationIndex
Err file: oneiric/main Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/restricted Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/universe Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/multiverse Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/main amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/restricted amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/universe amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/multiverse amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/main i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/restricted i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/universe i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric/multiverse i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/main Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/restricted Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/universe Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/multiverse Sources
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/main amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/restricted amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/universe amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/main i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/restricted i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/universe i386 Packages
  File not found
Err file: oneiric-updates/multiverse i386 Packages
  File not found
Ign file: oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric/multiverse Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric/restricted Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric/universe Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric/universe Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric-updates/main Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric-updates/main Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric-updates/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric-updates/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric-updates/restricted Translation-en
Ign file: oneiric-updates/universe Translation-en_US
Ign file: oneiric-updates/universe Translation-en
Ign http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric InRelease
Ign http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric Release.gpg
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric InRelease
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security InRelease
Ign http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric Release
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric InRelease
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security Release.gpg
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release.gpg
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric Release
Ign http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security Release
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric Release
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main Sources
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner amd64 Packages
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric/main i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted amd64 Packages
Hit http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner i386 Packages
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner TranslationIndex
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe TranslationIndex
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/main Translation-en
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com oneiric-security/universe Translation-en
Err http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric/main Sources
  404 Not Found
Err http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric/main amd64 Packages
  404 Not Found
Err http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric/main i386 Packages
  404 Not Found
Ign http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org oneiric/main Translation-en
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en_US
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://archive.canonical.com oneiric/partner Translation-en
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com oneiric/main Translation-en
W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/main/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/restricted/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/universe/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/multiverse/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/main/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/restricted/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/universe/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/main/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/restricted/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/universe/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric/multiverse/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/main/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/restricted/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/universe/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/multiverse/source/Sources File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/main/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/restricted/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/universe/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/multiverse/binary-amd64/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/main/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/restricted/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/universe/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/oneiric-updates/multiverse/binary-i386/Packages File not found

W: Failed to fetch http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org/ubuntu//pool/main/g/gcc-defaults/dists/oneiric/main/source/Sources 404 Not Found

W: Failed to fetch http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org/ubuntu//pool/main/g/gcc-defaults/dists/oneiric/main/binary-amd64/Packages 404 Not Found

W: Failed to fetch http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org/ubuntu//pool/main/g/gcc-defaults/dists/oneiric/main/binary-i386/Packages 404 Not Found

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

ok something wrong into your /etc/apt/sources.list file please open it and copy content here from terminal:

gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

copy and paste the content here...

gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

[The last two items relate to my unsuccessful tries to install gfortran.]

Response:

# added by the release upgrader
# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 11.10 _Oneiric Ocelot_ - Release amd64 (20111011)]/ oneiric main restricted
#

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 11.04 _Natty Narwhal_ - Release amd64 (20110426)]/ natty main restricted

# deb cdrom:[Ubuntu 11.04 _Natty Narwhal_ - Release amd64 (20110426)]/ natty main restricted

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.
deb file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric main restricted
deb-src file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric main restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-updates main restricted
deb-src file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-updates main restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team. Also, please note that software in universe WILL NOT receive any
## review or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
deb file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric universe
deb-src file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric universe
deb file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-updates universe
deb-src file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-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 file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric multiverse
deb-src file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric multiverse
deb file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-updates multiverse
deb-src file:/var/spool/apt-mirror/mirror/archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric-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://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-backports main restricted universe multiverse

deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric-security main restricted
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric-security universe
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric-security universe
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric-security multiverse
deb-src http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric-security 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 oneiric partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu natty partner

## This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is offered by third-party
## developers who want to ship their latest software.
deb http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric main
deb-src http://extras.ubuntu.com/ubuntu oneiric main
deb http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org/ubuntu//pool/main/g/gcc-defaults/ oneiric main #gfortran
deb-src http://ubuntu.wikimedia.org/ubuntu//pool/main/g/gcc-defaults/ oneiric main #gfortran

When I run gksudo, I get the following message:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
No protocol specified

(gksudo:4104): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: :0.0

This is the sort of failure I was getting that prevented me from using alternate upgrade commands from the Ubuntu site.

If I just run

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

gedit opens the sources.list file.

Should I do it that way. gksu and gksudo have never worked for me.

ok try nano

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

The OS update appears to have run successfully to completion.

I installed compizconfig-settings-manager with the Ubuntu Software Center. So that is now working again.

However, when I run compizconfig-settings-manager and change the number workspaces per your link

http://askubuntu.com/questions/68569/how-can-number-of-workspace-be-set-used-unity-in-ubuntu-11-10

the number of workspaces remains at 4 (1 row, 4 wide), or 2X2 on the screen after meta+s, regardless of changes any changes I make (I set it to 4-4-1). The compizconfig-settings-manager retains the altered settings if I close it and reopen it and if I log off and back on again.

I also tried the terminal commands given in the Ubuntu Desktop Guide. That had no effect either.

So I think I still may be stuck at my original problem.

After "sleeping on" my workspace problem, I am beginning to think that I just may not understand what the developers have created and intended with the 11.10 desktop. Let me doodle and study a while. If necessary, I'll post a new question. Thanks for all your help, marcobra. You did solve my most serious problem, which was that my sources.list was not properly set up. I now have my beloved gfortran running under 11.10.

Thanks marcobra (Marco Braida), that solved my question.

well.... Now I am having the same issue: the changes I make in compiz have no effect.

And what is the number of desktops? And what is a virtual size?

Because as I understand Ndesktops == VVsize * VHsize, and then why they are specified separately?

Just FYI: I reposted this question as:

"Can't change number of workspaces in 11.10"
Ubuntu » “unity” package » Questions » Question #176356

since I couldn't figure out anything on my own.

I've wondered, too, about the number of desktops in ccsm/General Options/Desktop Size. Marco Braida's link above says not to change it. I suspect it has to do with the 3D alternative, i.e., a cube rather than a 2D rectangle of workspaces. After reading too many horror stories arising from ccsm, I was too scared to doodle with it.

My problem with not being able to change the number of workspaces under 11.10 has been solved. I discovered that the machine apparently was shipped to me with a proprietary Nvidia display driver installed along with 11.04. Apparently, the 11.10 upgrade disabled the proprietary driver in favor of another one, and this apparently disable Unity. I located the dirver under System Settings/Hardware/Additional Drivers (just messing around). After installing the proprietary driver, I was able to alter the number of workspaces using the gconftool-2 commands given in the Ubuntu Desktop Guide.

For 11.10 "oneiric" I used the method from:
http://www.linuxnov.com/how-to-change-number-of-workspaces-on-ubuntu-10-10-netbook/

Briefly, it was:

gconftool-2 --type=int --set /apps/metacity/general/num_workspaces 9

and the change is not immediate, you have to re-login

Re: "gconftool-2 --type=int --set /apps/metacity/general/num_workspaces 9"

That worked for me, too, although mine took effect immediately without logging off and on. Thank you for the post., mlg7.