Could not initialize the package information

your apt sources should never start with anything other than "deb" removed the word echo in your favorite text editor. here is an example of what a proper apt source line SHOULD look like, you may need to modify whatever you have in ddebs.list to make it look like the example, or paste the contents of the file /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ddebs.list here and myself or someone else can help you further.

Correct apt sources line

deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted

Here is a good page, that easily explains apt repositories, it's a good read for a beginner.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/CommandLine#Explanation%20of%20the%20Repository%20Format

This is what it says in a box that pops up when I try the "update manager" :

*Could not initialize the package information

An unresolvable problem occurred while initializing the package information.

Please report this bug against the 'update-manager' package and include the
following error message:

'E:Type 'echo' is not known on line 1 in source list
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/ddebs.list, E:The list of sources could not be
read.'*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Wed, May 12, 2010 at 1:21 PM, billybigrigger <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #110770 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/110770
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> billybigrigger proposed the following answer:
> your apt sources should never start with anything other than "deb"
> removed the word echo in your favorite text editor. here is an example
> of what a proper apt source line SHOULD look like, you may need to
> modify whatever you have in ddebs.list to make it look like the example,
> or paste the contents of the file /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ddebs.list
> here and myself or someone else can help you further.
>
> Correct apt sources line
>
> deb http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid main restricted
>
> Here is a good page, that easily explains apt repositories, it's a good
> read for a beginner.
>
>
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/CommandLine#Explanation%20of%20the%20Repository%20Format
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/110770/+confirm?answer_id=0
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/110770
>
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

please open a terminal from the main Ubuntu menu: Applications→Accessories→Terminal and type or better copy and paste the row below into the terminal window:

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ddebs.list

the system ask you a password please type your user password when requested, you will not see any screen chars when you type it, so type and press enter.

The "gedit" editor come in front of you, then please dress the line n. 1 of the file please remove the "echo" or in doubt please put a rem char # at the beginning of the line, save and exit.

Then retry to update.

Hope this helps