Ubuntu
update-manager package

'E:Malformed line 38 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)'

Asked by Paul

When I try Update Manager I get this message. How do I fix this?

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:Malformed line 38 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)'

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Solved
For:
Ubuntu update-manager Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Solved by:
Mark Rijckenberg
Solved:
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#1

copy/paste file /etc/apt/sources.list into http://paste.ubuntu.com/

Revision history for this message
Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#2

Please send us the full Terminal output of the following command:

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

Revision history for this message
Paul (ps2151) said : 		#3

Mark

Here is the output

 paul@paul-desktop:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main universe restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick-updates main universe 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.

## 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.

## 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.

## 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 maverick partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu karmic partner

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick-security main universe restricted
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid non-free
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ karmic free non-free
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main'.
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main'.
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick non-free
deb-src http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick non-free
paul@paul-desktop:~$

--- On Sat, 11/20/10, Mark Rijckenberg <email address hidden> wrote:

> From: Mark Rijckenberg <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #134755]: 'E:Malformed line 38 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list (dist parse)'
> To: <email address hidden>
> Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010, 6:38 AM
> Your question #134755 on
> update-manager in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/134755
>
>     Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Mark Rijckenberg requested for more information:
> Please send us the full Terminal output of the following
> command:
>
> cat   /etc/apt/sources.list
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either
> reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/update-manager/+question/134755
>
> You received this question notification because you are a
> direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Revision history for this message
Paul (ps2151) said : 		#4

paul@paul-desktop:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main universe restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick-updates main universe 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.

## 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.

## 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.

## 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 maverick partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu karmic partner

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick-security main universe restricted
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid non-free
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ karmic free non-free
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main'.
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main'.
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick non-free
deb-src http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick non-free
paul@paul-desktop:~$

Revision history for this message
marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#5

please change using this terminal command

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

The rows

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main'.
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main'.

change to

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main

Then remove this row, is duplicate:
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main

Revision history for this message
Paul (ps2151) said : 		#6

Marco,

Thank you for the quick response

I changed and removed text as requested, but I am still getting the same error message as before after I rebooted. Any further help would be appreciated

# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main universe restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick-updates main universe 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.

## 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.

## 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.

## 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 maverick partner
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu karmic partner

deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick-security main universe restricted
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian lucid non-free
deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ karmic free non-free
deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main
deb-src http://ubuntu.securedservers.com/ maverick main
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick non-free
deb-src http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick non-free

Revision history for this message
Best Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#7

It is no surprise that your package manager is not working properly. Not only are there invalid entries in the sources.list file, but it also contains a mix of repositories from THREE (!!!) different major releases of Ubuntu.

Mixing repositories from different releases (karmic, lucid AND maverick) can and will break your Ubuntu install.

You should REMOVE all lines containing the word karmic and also REMOVE all lines containing the word lucid , as they are meant for OLDER versions of Ubuntu.

You should only keep lines containing the word maverick

Furthermore, you need to REMOVE the following lines in /etc/apt/sources.list , which are also invalid:

deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick
deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu maverick

Then save the change to /etc/apt/sources.list and then rerun the following command:

sudo apt-get update

Revision history for this message
Paul (ps2151) said : 		#8

Mark

Thank you for the help. It appears that update manager is fixed

Thanks again